Star Kid Movie Review

Star Kid is the movie I watched to cheer myself up after The Sweet Hereafter. It's a wonderful kiddie flick about Spencer Griffith (Joseph Mazzello), a sweet little boy who's constantly tormented at school by Turbo Bruntley (Joey Simmrin). Spencer and his sister Stacey (Ashlee Levitch) have been rather neglected by their workaholic dad Rolan (Richard Gilliland, Laurie in 1978's Little Women) since the sad death of their beautiful Mom (Heidi Lotito). All Spencer wants to do is become friends with a pretty little girl in his class and dodge Turbo. In the meanwhile, his sympathetic teacher Janet Holloway (Corinne Bohrer) has to intervene whenever he's being pulverized. Spencer's life takes an unexpected turn when he meets an alien Cyborsuit (Alex Daniels, with voice by Arthur Burghardt). The object is for Spencer to get INSIDE the Cyborsuit and fight the forces of evil: Turbo, nasty aliens, et cetera. Only Turbo turns out to be not such a bad guy once he develops a bit of respect for Spencer after an above-average licking. The nasty aliens are something else again. Mazzello is easy to root for and a great screamer; the Cyborsuit's face and voice are expressive and appealing; the screenplay is bright, funny, and even poignant (as when Spencer asks the Cyborsuit if he can see his mother again for just one more moment); and writer/director Manny Coto keeps the whole thing rolling along with just the right amount of spills and chills. Apparently the first Star Kid did well enough for Star Kid 2 to begin production in 1999. AKA: The Warrior of Waverly Street.

1997 (PG) 101m/C Joseph Mazzello, Alex Daniels, Richard Gilliland, Joey Simmrin, Brian Simpson, Danny Masterson, Corinne Bohrer, Arthur Burghardt, Ashlee Levitch, Heidi Lotito; D: Manny Coto; W: Manny Coto; C: Ronn Schmidt; M: Nicholas Pike. VHS, LV, DVD