Review of Ri¢hie Ri¢h (1994) by Melvin W — 31 Aug 2013

Omar: That's not a house, it's a whole 'hood!

"An adventure so big... even the world's richest kid can't afford to miss it!".

I had completely forgotten about this little lost 90's family film starring Macaulay Culkin. I recently found a copy in a pile of garage sale stuff and I remembered liking it as a little kid, so I thought I'd see how it played to an older me. Obviously, not as well. I was able to see why I had gotten enjoyment from Richie Rich as a kid, but if I had seen this for the first time at an age older than nine, I probably would have hated it.

Richie Rich is the richest kid in the world. His dad is a multi-billionaire and he gets to take part in all the luxuries and responsibilities of the extreme upper class. Like all kids though, Richie craves companionship and while representing his father at a factory opening, he sees kids playing baseball and wants to join them. Behind the scenes, one of the Rich's higher up employees is conspiring a takeover with the hopes of getting all the Rich's out of the way.

This movie has some annoying, generic themes/values that the audience is clubbed over the head with. Things such as: money doesn't by happiness, a kid needs friends, and money isn't everything. Also the rich, Rich's aren't that believable as characters. If more rich people were like the Rich's, the world would be one hell of a greater place.

In the end, this is a decent film for the kids, but for adults, it's too generic and too dumbed down. I still look at it as a nice little piece of my childhood, but had I never seen it; I don't think I would have been missing too much. Richie Rich is definitely not a must see family film by any stretch of the imagination.