Honey, I Shrunk the Kids
★★★ 1/2
This review comes courtesy of a spontaneous Friday night. My wife and oldest daughter were out at a concert, leaving me and my nine-year-old to fend for ourselves in the most sacred of rituals: picking a movie. After scrolling through Disney+ for what felt like forever, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids caught my eye—and just like that, we were off to the backyard jungle of my childhood memories.
I grew up loving this movie, but I was curious to see if it would land with today’s younger crowd. And to my surprise (and relief), it totally did. My daughter was into it from the start—even if some of the special effects are showing their age. But honestly? The practical effects still hold up in the best way. There’s something wonderfully tangible about scenes like the kids tumbling down a trash slide or riding Anty the ant like a noble steed.
What I appreciate now as an adult is how tightly contained the film is. Most of the action takes place right in the backyard, and yet it never feels small in scope. The adventure feels huge—because for the kids, it is. That’s the magic of it. The story doesn’t try to overcomplicate things; it sticks to a simple premise and lets imagination do the rest.
Rick Moranis is pitch-perfect as the lovable, distracted scientist dad, and the other supporting adults (Matt Frewer, Marcia Strassman) bring just the right amount of chaos and heart. The kid actors? Surprisingly solid.
My daughter had a great time with it. Will it become one of her childhood favorites? Hard to say. But for one night, we were both totally on board. And who knows—maybe I can talk her into Honey, I Blew Up the Kid next.
