Wayne Szalinski has built a shrinking machine in his attic that does not work. A baseball through the window turns it on. His kids Amy and Nick and the neighbours’ boys Russ and Ron are in the attic at the time, and Wayne sweeps them up with the broken glass and puts them in the bin. The bin goes to the end of the garden. Honey, I Shrunk the Kids was the biggest live-action Disney film ever made at the time, and it is still the one with the ant.
What Happens In The Garden
The lawn is a forest. A sprinkler is a flood. A Lego brick is a shelter. The kids ride a bee, get attacked by a scorpion, and are saved by an ant they name Antie, who dies defending them, which is the moment every child of 1989 remembers. Wayne and the neighbour Big Russ search the lawn on their hands and knees with a magnifying glass. The lawnmower sequence and the Cheerio in the bowl are the climax.
Why It Became A Franchise
Joe Johnston, who designed Boba Fett and later directed The Rocketeer and Jumanji, made his directing debut. The oversized sets, the giant Oreo and the blade of grass, were built practically. Rick Moranis was coming off Ghostbusters II and Parenthood the same year. Two sequels and a TV series followed, and a legacy sequel with Josh Gad has been in development for years.
Watch Honey I Shrunk The Kids On GoMovies
93 minutes in HD above. Free, no account.