Review of Little Monsters (1989) by Sala R — 07 Aug 2011

A really good children's flick that does not forget about those who paid for the movie tickets. Now it is not a perfect movie by any stretch of the imagination, but there are enough elements to make this movie enjoyable for the entire family.

The acting in the film is decent, Fred Savage is solidly amazing. What happened to this guy, he was such an amazing talent and at such a young age, we need more Fred Savage. Howie Mandel nails his portrayal as a little monster. The rest of the cast is, as most children's movies, just there, but aside from the main actors, everybody else are just part of the set.

The director, again, as in most children's films, is there just to not trip on himself. He manages to do just that. Richard Greeneberg doesn't risk anything but creates a decent film which works.

The screenplay, again, makes sure to not get in its own way. The dialogue works but unfortunately or fortunately depends on your point of view, is very dated and is an excellent time capsule for the eighties.

Little Monsters is not a cinematic gemstone, but it works very well for what it is. Watch it with your kids, so long as you allow your kiddos to watch raunchy kid oriented films.