Rated PG for mild action and some rude humor.
Directed by Robert Rodriguez (Spy Kids, The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl, and Sin City)
Starring Jimmy Bennett, Kat Dennings, Jon Cryer, Leslie Mann, James Spader and William H. Macy
Robert Rodriguez has made another goofy kids' flick – this one has some outrageous laughs and plenty of heart.
In this latest family-oriented fantasy comedy from Spy Kids director Robert Rodriguez, Toe Thompson (Jimmy Bennett ) is an 11-year-old boy living in the cookie-cutter suburb of Black Falls. Not only do all the houses look exactly the same, but everyone who lives in this suburb works for Black Box Unlimited Worldwide Industries Incorporated. Black Inc. is a highly profitable company thanks to their latest invention, Mr. Black's (James Spader) Black Box — an all-in-one communication device that's revolutionized the technological landscape. Toe’s parents work for Black, but Toe isn't entirely sold on the concept of this corporate conglomerate; all he wants is to make some friends. One day while running from some bullies, Toe is struck in the head by a mysterious rainbow-colored rock. When he discovers that this strange rock grants wishes to anyone who holds it, chaos ensues. Who would have thought that the real trouble would start once the grown-ups in town get their hands on the mysterious rock? With the situation quickly spiraling out of control, it's up to Toe and his friends to save the townspeople from themselves by proving to them that the things you wish for may not actually be the best things for you.
Make no mistake about it, Shorts is definitely made for the younger audience. But if you can appreciate a lot of 3rd grade potty-humor (like a booger monster and a girl almost swallowing a fish), you’ll find yourself cracking up. Besides plenty of laughs, there are quite a few random moments of childlike wackiness (like tiny UFO’s, upright-walking crocodiles, a telepathic baby and one girl wishing for a rocket bike. A rocket bike! I love it).
The cast of kids were o.k. – nothing special or even memorable. It’s feasible that you could have replaced any child with someone else and gotten the same product. On the other hand, the cast of adults is solid – Jon Cryer, Leslie Mann, James Spader and William H. Macy acting like big kids – yeah that was fun.
Clearly Rodriguez wanted to deliver something fun, and he succeeded. This is genuine “kid fun,” which may cause the average adult to see nothing but pointless nonsense. My reaction was, “Hey–that was pretty good.” But I know my kids will want to watch it over and over. It’s a “Rental” for me but my kids gave it a “Worth Buying.”
SHOULD KIDS SEE IT?
Absolutely. There are plenty of positive messages throughout the film like: selfish wishes usually don’t make the wishers truly happy and that bullies are often hurting on the inside. There are some great conversation starters for moms and dads to talk to their kids about as the credits roll.
Conversation Starter
Three Simple Questions (with Answers You May Be Looking for):
- What are some of the messages or themes you observed in this movie?
- How do you suppose we—as serious Christ-followers—should react to this movie?
- How can we move from healthy, Bible-based opinions about this movie to actually living out those opinions?
