On M List of Movie Reviews

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Mom and Dad Save the World (1992)

Rate: 8
Viewed: 11/14

11/14: I saw Mom and Dad Save the World on HBO many years ago and found it a memorable movie.

One scene that stuck the most in my memory is the light grenade incident. Upon hearing the explanation of how it worked, Jeffrey Jones' character gave a deadpan reaction, calling it a stupid idea. Because the light grenade is labeled with "Pick Me Up," the bad guys do so and die afterwards, they, one by one, continue to pick it up, regardless, because it's what the label says.

Although not always funny, the movie is creative and has a lot of good-looking costumes and creatures. It never goes overboard when it comes to either vulgar or gross but keeps the palette even-balanced that's unlike Tim Burton's films. Also, it's particularly nice that everybody, including Jeffrey Jones, is a good sport for going along with the idea, even at the expense of Jon Lovitz's horrendous performance.

As fun as the film looks, I don't think it's suitable for kids because there's too much skin exposure which sometimes goes too far, especially intimacy. If both aspects could be toned down significantly, it would've been an appropriate children's film. By the way, Thalmus Rasulala, who plays Asir, died from a heart attack shortly after the filming was completed.

All in all, Mom and Dad Save the World is high on creativity, but it's not consistently funny.

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