Mac et moi

in a bad way!

Back in the late 1980's, quite a few movies that were considered to be among the worst ever made were coming out to theaters. This was one of them, and I'm quite surprised that Steven Spielberg didn't sue for royalties when this E.T. rip-off was released to theaters in '88.

Honestly, if you take Mac And Me as a kiddie film, it's not bad. However, the fact that it's a rip-off of one the most popular films ever made, has a horrible script that not even Denzel Washington could improve on, and is filled with product placements galore just makes the film absolutely horrible.

I certainly remember that dance scene at the McDonald's; at the time, shows like Kids Incorporated and Kid Videos, which were corny and cheesy kiddie shows with lip-synching rugrats with attitudes were quite popular then. I have that scene etched in my mind, with a bunch of hip 80's pre-teens dancing up a storm. It was very painful to watch and it wasn't choreographed very well. The music was also quite bad. Also, Ronald McDonald earned a Razzie award as "Worst New Actor".

Although the film did have one redeeming benefit (some of the money it made would be donated to Ronald McDonald House, a worthy cause), you somehow wonder if the idea of starring a non-acting paraplegic child thespian was a good idea. There was probably a casting call for wheelchair bound kids, and the winner was the strangely named Jade Calegory. Jade? Jade?!? Isn't Jade a woman's name? I sure hope that's his middle name. Add in the fact that his character's name was Eric Cruise! Cruise? Cruise?!? Is he related to Tom Cruise?

If you've seen E.T., you've seen this one; it's the same film. Mac actually looks like a cute Yoda clone, but he really hasn't got the charm E.T. had. Also, tons of companies shill their wares in this film, led by McDoanld's, Coca-Cola, and Sears-Roebuck. Also, the cast is filled with horrible actors and is just so saccharine. It has no edge.

Sadly (or gladly), the film isn't on DVD, and I doubt it'll ever arrive on DVD (although it might) due to it's infamy. Still, if you ever see this film mentioned in the T.V. Guide, check this trainwreck out. See how long you can go before you start going MST3K on it.

Awe man i love this movie, i remember going to my friends house just to watch it, when we were little. Yes i know it is a little cheesy, but so is other stuff, and movies. I think people should give this film more credit, it was good for it's time, still it isnt ET, but it is good in it's own way. And the guy who played Michael was HOT!!!!!!!

The dance party scene was such subtle product placement. I can't say why exactly, but for some reason I was left craving a Big Mac after watching the movie. Hmmm....

If anyone can watch the dance scene and tell me exactly why it was in the movie, I would love to hear it. Also perplexing were the jogging scene with musical score (even Phil Collins at his worst would have been an improvement) and the cameo by that annoying red-headed kid from 'Different Strokes'. Perhaps someone who has watched the movie repeatedly and considers it a cult favorite could enlighten us....?

I do like the fact that the producers cast a kid in a wheelchair as the star, but the writing was awful and the plot was laughably bad. It was an ET knock-off right up to the end, where you will find a shocking conclusion rivaled only by "The Usual Suspects"!

I remember seeing this movie in the theater when it came out in 1988. ( I was eleven). I think i almost died laughing at the part when that kid in the wheelchair went rolling down the hill. I just remember crack ing up out loud. If you have somewhat of a cruel sense of humor, you have to rent this movie just for that part. It's hilarious! Other then

that this movie pretty much bit the dust. Pretty obvious who sponsored this movie. You couldn't go five minutes without seeing somebody eating McDonalds or drinking Coca-Cola. Overall, I recommend this movie to any soccer mom you wants to promote bad haircuts,junk food, and night mares of gangly, demented looking aliens who are obsessed with pucker ing their lips to their kids.

If nothing else, MAC AND ME sorts out the really worthwhile people on this planet - those who can "see" decency and believe in solid family values as opposed to the viewers who were never really children - just young insensitives on their way to becoming hard-line realists and empty vessels. As one observant person commented, this film is nothing like ET yet still, without the benefit of a Spielberg direction or a budget of gynormous dollar-value, it succeeds in being heartwarming and a magical experience for children. My own kids grew up with this little film and having found it covered in dust in the garage last week (an old BETA copy) they all nestled up on the lounge together yesterday and watched it again. They were just as mesmerised and captivated as they had been in 1989 when they were just 9, 7 5 and 3. It was a rare moment of emotional beauty to see them re-capturing their childhoods. You wanna tell THEM about the blatant product placement, the "laughable aliens," the cornball script etc.

I don't THINK so!!!!