Summary
The Disney sci-fi comedyHoney, I Blew Up the Kidleaves VFX artists stunned 32 years after its release. Directed by Randal Kleiser, the movie, a sequel toHoney, I Shrunk the Kids, follows the Szalinskis as their son Adam grows in size, the result of Wayne’s (Rick Moranis) new technology. Along with Moranis, the cast ofHoney, I Blew Up the Kidincludes Marcia Strassman, Robert Oliveri, Amy O’Neill, Lloyd Bridges, and John Shea. Premiering in 1992,the film garnered less favorable reviews than its predecessor, scoring only 40% on Rotten Tomatoes.
InCorridor Crew’s latest video, VFX artists react toHoney, I Blew Up the Kidand explain how the movie successfully made Adam appear so large. Check out the video:
Some of the effects were practical,including the “in-camera child’s forced perspective Texas Switch,”where another actor was used in Adam’s place. It also employed a false head, shown during the scene of Adam playing with a paddle. Looking at another sequence, when he’s chased through the house, Sam immediately comments, “No, no, no, impossible,” but Niko reveals that, by using multiple sets, the film cuts back and forth smoothly. Read some of Corridor Crew’s comments below:
Wren:So they have like a whole little mini-house set elevated off the ground inside of the real set. Because that’s why his hair looks so good. There’s no rotoscoping happening.
Niko:Yeah, there’s no keying and everything’s so cleverly lined up. This whole movie is genius. They specifically set up the fireplace and the light to cast the shadow from the kid on the wall to sell the trick right there.
Niko:So what they’re actually doing here is filming both of the kids and the animatronic head to see if the skin tone matches, and that’s probably what that big man is wearing when he’s playing ping pong.
Their sets match so well that we go from a miniature set with a child and the whip pan, we cut to the real set with the actors and the big guy in the costume.
Why The Honey, I Blew Up The Kid Effects Still Hold Up
Honey, I Blew Up The Kid Uses Practical Effects When Other Movies Would Use CGI
What makesHoney, I Blew Up the Kidso impressive is that, as Corridor Crew mentioned, it used a hands-on approach, along with CGI, to change perception, something the first movie also did to great effect. By incorporating two sets, the child stars Daniel and Joshua Shalikar were able to act opposite Moranis and others, while providing an image of widely contrasting heights. The video even points out, during the moment Adam opened his door to see Wayne,that a usable dummy was standing in place of Moranis.
It has almost become expected of many science-fiction movies, especially those involving transformations or noticeable size disparities, to use CGI. With that in mind, it will be interesting to see how a potentialreboot of theHoney, I Shrunk the Kidsfranchise handles decreasing and/or enlarging characters. When done right,the older effects ofHoney, I Blew Up the Kidhold up welland, as Sam explained, “it is just as entertaining as the day it came out.”
A reboot ofHoney, I Shrunk the Kidswas previously announced, with Josh Gad attached to the film, but has since been delayed.
Honey, I Shrunk The Kids Movies, Ranked Worst To Best
The original Honey, I Shrunk The Kids is an inventive fantasy that launched a whole franchise; here’s the series ranked worst to best.
While there were some negative reactions towardHoney, I Blew Up the Kid, reflected in its Rotten Tomatoes score, it seems that the effects remain a major highlight. Seeing how VFX artists at Corridor Crew reacted to the film after more than three decades demonstrates just how good they actually are. Though other elements of the movie might not hold up, this is an area that deserves plenty of praise.
Honey, I Shrunk the Kids
Cast
Joe Johnston’s Honey, I Shrunk the Kids is a 1989 comedy where a scientist creates a functioning shrinking ray at home. Unfortunately for him, his experiment ends up shrinking his family and neighbors, who struggle to get back home and reverse the process. The first movie’s success spawned a franchise that includes two sequels and a reboot.
