Wolff rating: NOT BAD
Plot summary: A young Elisabeth Shue is babysitting when a friend calls her from the bus station in downtown Chicago looking for help, and Elisabeth is the only one who can help.
Biased, pithy comments: Columbus's children's films are sort of low-rent John Landis (with the exception of ``Home Alone,'' which was John Huges, not John Landis). Generally, he makes amiable movies that offend no one in particular, but are low on plausibility. He takes solid actors and creates average movies (with the exception of Home Alone, where he stumbled upon greatness). Columbus has never been one with an eye for pacing, and this film staggers around being either a churning mob chase film or a flat Ferris Bueller's Evening Off. Although it has a few good moments (some laugh-out-loud dialog and a little excitement), it's not one of those 80s memories you dust off thinking, ``You know, they knew how to make teen movies back then.'' Instead, you get a white suburbanite's distorted view of what life in the big city is like, complete with car theft, fights on the El (which are an extreme rarity), segregated black people in smoky blues bars (well, there'd be more tourists there, but otherwise they've got Chicago there), scary homeless people, and pointy tall buildings. Although not unwatchable, your overall enjoyment of this film will be deeply influenced by your Shue fetish; mine is kinda medium (except for how 80s she dresses; ah, my sweet high school days), which left me a bit cold.
Other Notes: Popular enough to spin off a short-lived TV series. Watch for a few cameos by some good people or up-and-comers; gee, Clark Johnson makes it good on ``Homicide,'' but it'll be a while.
How many times I have seen it: x1
Starring: Elisabeth Shue, Maia Brewton, Keith Coogan, Calvin Levels, Vincent D'Onofrio, Penelope Ann Miller, Bradley Whitford.
Directed by: Chris Columbus