Netflix pick for 10/6/2014 – ‘Honey, I Shrunk The Kids’

Back before “just do it with computers” became the de facto answer for solving movie special effects woes, practical effects had to be employed to be make the fantastical seem plausible in at least some manner, and a great example of this is the late 80’s adventure family comedy classic that is “Honey, I Shrunk The Kids.”

The highest compliment I can sincerely give this movie is how immersive and real it felt to me when I watched it as a kid, how it seemed like something that could possibly happen, it all worked for me, and that’s because of the amazing sets and special effects work put in to making it seem as if a group of kids are shrunk down accidentally by a totally DIY laser cannon built in the attic of a house and then get stranded in the back yard, which to them becomes a jungle full of dangerous and exciting possibilities. And back to being a kid, when they came across that giant cookie in the middle of the back yard and they jump on to it and start chowing down on handfuls of the creme filling, I could not have been more jealous. And if you watch this now, it still looks like a giant cookie because they actually built that monstrosity and many other giant things like it and as opposed to digital effects that invariably age poorly as our technology advances, this top notch practical effects work will stand the test of time, as it already has for twenty-five years.

Oh yeah Rick Moranis is in this. He’s cool, yo.

Click here to watch this movie right on the good old Netflix Instant cause that’s the name of the game here, ain’t it?