Honey, I Shrunk the Kids

After a mere 130 million at the box office, it's no surprise that Disney & Co. have decided to go mass-market with this incredible shrinking kids story. Rick Moranis stars as Wayne Szalinski, a suburb tinkerer who invents a laser-operated machine which reduces objects, in the memorable words of one of the characters, to "the size of boogers." When his kids, as well as those of his neighbor's, accidentally discover that the contraption works, they end up shrunk down, swept up, and deposited outside in a garbage bag, and must battle their way across the overgrown lawn (now a virtual jungle) to reach the back door. Along the way they are befriended by an ant (what?), attacked by a scorpion (what??) and sucked up through a lawn mower only to be spit--at considerable speed--out the side grass chute without so much as a bruise (what???). In other words, what we have here is a Nintendo game brought to life, at about the same level of character development, but without as many challenging situations. A few good special effects, and a handful of decent lines do not a great film make--but this inane adventure hoodwinked a fair number of critics, and obviously wormed its way into the hearts of the young. If nothing else, the Roger Rabbit/Baby Herman cartoon, "Tummy Trouble", which prefaces the film, is almost worth the price of admission alone. Most libraries will want to pick up this inexpensive blockbuster. (R. Pitman)