Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves

Right now you can watch Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves in Australia on Disney Plus, and in the US on Disney Plus — and it is funnier than its reputation suggests. It says what it needs to say in one sitting, no filler. A 5/10 rating says what the writing already makes obvious: this one works. Rick Moranis's performance alone is worth the time investment. There is no real reason to keep putting it off — it is right there on Disney Plus.

There is a reason Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves keeps coming up in conversation. Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves does what great comedies rarely manage — it is actually funny, consistently, across the whole run. The joke's on absent-minded scientist Wayne Szalinski when his troublesome invention shrinks him, his brother and their wives so effectively that their children think they've completely disappeared. Of course, this gives the kids free rein to do anything they want, unaware that their parents are watching every move. Rick Moranis and Bug Hall lead a cast that brings real weight to the material. It was released in 1997. Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves earns its laughs from character rather than situation, which is why it does not wear thin the way pure farce tends to. It delivers reliably on what it promises, which is more than most of its competition manages.

Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves is the kind of thing you put on in the background and end up fully watching. It stands on its own even without an obvious comparison point. It is a manageable watch, easy to fit into a single evening. Rick Moranis's comic timing carries it through its weaker moments. The kind of comedy you recommend to someone who claims they do not watch much.