December 11, 2006: Movie Review--Unaccompanied Minors
I went to see Unaccompanied Minors figuring it would be a movie the kids would enjoy and I would suffer through earning all kinds of good mom points. But surprisingly, I wasn't bored out of my mind or checking my watch every five minutes to see if it was (Please, God!) over yet like some of the fare my kids drag me to see.
So the movie itself is a retread of--well, pretty much every kids-left-to-fend-for-themselves-against-mean-and/or-stupid-adults movie ever made. Think Home Alone, Camp Nowhere, Monster House, and hundreds more like them. The basic plot is that a blizzard strands people at the airport on Christmas Eve, including all these kids who are traveling alone. The Scrooge-like airport head (Lewis Black, from The Daily Show) has banned Christmas. Five kids set out to reinstate it for the little sister of one of the five. You'll recognize the characters: the dorky, but cute, boy with the crush on the rich girl; the nerdy boy who passes out at the sight of Santa, but who is good with gadgets; the tomboy; and the outcast. Throw in the cute little sister and you're good to go.
A couple of the subplots are lame. The outcast kid heads out on his own at one point and I hardly missed him, for example. But there is a cute subplot with the dad of the dorky boy and his little sister. Dad (Rob Corddry also from The Daily Show) drives through the snow to rescue his kids from airport hell. He starts off in a bio-diesel powered car, which he owns because of his stance on the environment. Circumstance give him a couple of the funniest lines in the movie.
So if the movie is a retread and has lame subplots, why am I recommending it?
The slapstick comedy offers enough laughs to keep kids and adults amused. The movie is not so mean-spirited that it makes the adults unredeemable. But mostly, Unaccompanied Minors is actually a sweet movie with a nice message: Family can be found in unexpected places. If your kids learn that from the movie, then it is an hour and a half well spent.
89 minutes; rated PG; now playing; recommended for: families with kids (7 to 13 or so) that enjoy slapstick humor; Daily Show fans
