Starring: Fred Savage, Howie Mandel, Daniel Stern, Ben Savage, Frank Whaley, Devin Ratray
Directed By: Richard Greenberg
I hadn’t seen this movie since I was a kid. This was definitely an interesting trip down nostalgia lane. I didn’t remember anything about this movie when I was watching it again. I know I used to love this movie when I was little, and watched it a few times. It’s been probably 25 years since my last viewing, and I went in blind. I was amazed that I didn’t remember any jokes, set ups, or plot devices. It felt all new to me. That kinda was a problem, because this film didn’t benefit from the added nostalgia factor a lot of films do that I watched as a kid. It’s interesting that I can watch some films that probably aren’t very good, but because they rub the nostalgia nerve, I end up loving them a lot more. THat didn’t happen with Little Monsters.
Instead, I found Howie Mandel to be obnoxious. I thought the film was stupid, to be honest. I mean, Fred Savage is probably one of the best child actors ever, but Ben Savage… not so much. Yeah, I loved Boy Meet World, and I think he was OK in that, but he’s pretty bad here. The film just has so many issues. There’s this divorce subplot that comes out of nowhere. And for a film that’s rated PG, there’s a lot of profanity here. I was quite surprised.
I’m breaking my typical structure because I find myself a little at a loss. The little kid inside of me is begging the adult me to give it a pass. He’s still whispering in my ear “I promise, you used to love this movie.” But for some reason, adult me just didn’t have those feelings. I can watch a film like The Mighty Ducks or Home Alone, and I get all the warm feelings I had when I was a kid, and it takes me back. Little Monsters just didn’t take me back. So where do I go from here?
Essentially, if I reviewed this film, it’d be like I’d never seen it before, and I’d have to ignore that I did once enjoy this film. That review would be abysmal. This film is riddled with problems. That’s why I’m kinda giving this film a pass. I’m still grading it what it deserves, but I’ll be a nice guy and not beat a dead horse. This film is on Netflix, and maybe it will trigger your nostalgic button. Maybe you’ll get all the feels I didn’t get. If you’re an adult watching this for the first time, however, beware… this film hasn’t earned it’s “cult” status. Parents sit through a lot of dumb shit for their kids, and this is just one more film on that roster.
So, to the little kid inside me, this is the best I can give you. I won’t spend a whole review tearing this film apart, instead, we’ll just skip to the grade.
Final Grade: C-
