Micro Mini Kids

Not saying this film is good, but it was an entertaining enough watch. The title of this thing suggests multiple small kids; however, the reality is one microscopic teen, really pretty girls and a bizarre evil conspiracy I was not expecting. The effects are not great, but I have definitely seen worse and while the film is a bit lacking in the logic department, at least it is short and does not take forever to get going or end.

The story has a guy in highschool who is short; therefore, he is the target of bullying. I honestly do not recall an instance of anyone in my highschool being the target of bullying for a lack of height, but there ya go. For whatever reason this dude wants a girl and thinks growing a couple of inches will win her over. Meanwhile, the girl in question already seems to like him and loath the bully who she is dating. The short guy and his very good friend go to a cute hacker who finds a growth formula, but it is one that shrinks, made by an evil woman really into latex. The boy shrinks, but he has a mini sub and thus a lot of bizarre stuff commences.

The lead guy is very bland and the worst actor in the film. The best friend is okay as are most of the rest of the cast. Not good, but they try to convey emotion. The hacker girl, the love interest and even the evil doctor lady are at least very nice to look at and there are a lot of pretty girls at the party where most of the film takes place. So while not a good film, there is plenty to see.

So, nothing good here, but it entertained with what it had. The story, while bad, at least tried to do something different. I mean, I did not see a taking over the world plot coming or a group of latex wearing bad guys. It also gets to the point and leaves quickly so you are not stuck with it for long.

Great fun in this film from Full Moon. Josh needs to gain a few inches (hmmm) in order to become a suitable height for the girl of his dreams, Courtney. Ultimately it all goes wrong and he becomes minute (hence the title) and has to enlist the help of his friend Blake (TV star Sam Page). Courtney is played by Lauren Petty (who seems to have quit acting due to battling Hodgkin's lymphoma) and she is an attractive and talented actress. All the acting is very good, not least Debra Mayer, who is one of Full Moon's greatest recurring stars. Good fun for the child Saturday morning TV crowd and enough to keep adults entertained, this is fun and never boring. Grand kids flick.

Josh (Chad Gordon) is a senior in high school with a bad self-image. He's short, 5'3". Everyday he leaps out of bed and measures his height on a wall ruler but is always disappointed. Nevertheless, he is an ace science student and has just perfected a mini Nautilus boat from 20,000 leagues under the Sea to win the next fair. Best pal Rudy offers support for Josh's image problem and gets an idea. It seems Rudy's bizarre pal Molly is a computer whiz; perhaps she can find a solution on the Internet. Amazingly, Molly does find a "growth" formula in a secret, protected site. Rudy and Josh head home and make the concoction before heading to a party given by beautiful Courtney (Lauren Petty). Although C has an obnoxious boyfriend, Blake, she may have eyes for Josh and personally invited him. Yet, when they get to the party, two things happen. One, Josh shrinks instead of growing and becomes small enough to fit in his wee Nautilus; this is good as he ends up thrown in the aquarium. Two, the mad scientist Krackle (Debra Mayer) is plenty peeved that her formula was stolen and is out to make the hackers pay! How will events end? This silly film is still plenty entertaining for families, as it is colorful, funny, and clean. Most everyone loves movies where the folks shrink down to ant size and this one is no different; kids will love the little guy in the submarine, dodging hungry goldfish. Therefore, although it is fluff, families will be macro-happy over the micro mini-kids.

I am also a fan of cult movies and independent film, so I gave this one a break...considering that it was from the low budget school of film-making, Full Moon no less. While the actors are relatively unknown, they are definitely not unwatchable. Just the opposite... If this was a pilot for the Disney Channel, they would have made it into a TV show. The movie has a strong appeal for preteens and its messages are straight forward with a creamy helping of cheese. The two leads that play Rudy and Josh have a pleasant cornball friendship that is warm and believable, a credit to the actors. Based on screenwriter Matthew Walsh's other films, its clear that the only flaw in this is film is his trademark stilted dialogue and clichéd elementary school scene ideas. You can't fault the cast or crew for this one. The EFX are pure Charlie Band, take the money and pocket it, then have a guy with a PC do them. Oh well. At least the director tried. Any high school nerd that hasn't had that fantasy of wanting a chance to rescue the school beauty from the jerky jock boyfriend...is just a frustrated kid himself.

MICRO MINI KIDS is another worthless children's adventure film put out by Full Moon Entertainment. Unlike others I've watched (including the execrable TEEN KNIGHT) this one doesn't seem to have been filmed in Romania, but in many ways it's even worse than the Full Moon kid's pictures being put out in the late 1990s. The script is dumber and the comedy more awful. At least this seems to be have one of the last kid's films the studio made before going back to straight B-movie horror.

When terrible director David DeCoteau quits your project four days into filming, you know the film is going to be bad and MICRO MINI KIDS is just that. It's a noisy, annoying adventure about an irritating brat who finds himself shrunk down to miniature size and must contend with various perils like giant ants. Basically, it's one big rip-off of HONEY I SHRUNK THE KIDS mixed with THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING MAN and especially INNERSPACE, which is where the idea for the miniature craft seems to have come from. The basic computer effects are really horrible here as is the overacting, particularly from Debra Mayer as the fake British villain. It's dreadful stuff, without a single redeeming quality.