Rating: NR
Genre:
Science Fiction
Release Date: 06/05/2001
SubTitles: French/Espanol
Dubbed: English
Sound: 1/5.1
Run Time: 81 min
Distributor/Studio: MGM
Based on the same
H.G. Wells story as his later
Food of the Gods, this silly but good-looking
fantasy from
Bert I. Gordon is among his more entertaining films. The young
Ron Howard plays
Genius, who develops a substance which causes animals to grow to monstrous size. After eight kids (led by
Beau Bridges and
Tisha Sterling) crash their car in the mud, they dance and get drunk, then steal some food containing the growth-gunk, causing them to attain huge physical size as well. It's up to the good teens of the town (including
Tommy Kirk,
Johnny Crawford from
The Rifleman, and
"Mickey" crooner
Toni Basil) to set things right. That involves a gas-like antidote and a lot of subpar musical numbers from the likes of
Freddy Cannon and
the Beau Brummels.
Joseph Turkel and
Rance Howard are also in the cast, and a jokey ending features a number of midgets including
Felix Silla, best known as
Cousin Itt on TV's
The Addams Family. The first in a projected 13-picture production deal with
Joseph E. Levine,
Gordon followed this with the
William Castle-inspired
Picture Mommy Dead.
~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide