Subject: Review: Star Kid (1998)

From: Matt Williams <[email-masked]>
Date: 24 Jan 1998 05:48:21 GMT

STAR KID

A film review by Matt Williams

RATING: * * out of * * * *

Star Kid is a low budget children's sci-fi superhero action film, and
it's not nearly as bad as that sounds.

Spencer Griffith (Joseph Mazzello) is your typical wimpish seventh
grader: picked upon his mean older sister (Ashlee Levich) and schoolyard
bully Turbo (Joey Simmrin), and without the guts to speak with the girl
who has captured his heart (Lauren Eckstrom).

His life is changed when he discovers a spaceship which has landed in
the local auto dump.  It's passenger:  a robotic armored suit (the
Cyborsuit, aka Cy) (voiced by Arthur Burghardt, and moved about by Alex
Daniels). It was launched into space by the friendly and resourceful
Trelkans to avoid its capture by the evil Brood Warriors.  Soon, Spencer
climbs inside and becomes a superhero!

At first, he uses the suit to wreak revenge upon those who tormented him
when he was a weakling (particularly Turbo, the bully).  However,  soon
a Brood Warrior comes to Earth to claim the cyborsuit, and Spencer must
battle him to save his life and all mankind.

Mazzello is appealling as the title character, but most of his work is
simply reaction shots and voice-overs once he's inside the suit.

Star Kid is a mixed bag of design ideas.  On the plus side, the Brood
Warrior has an interesting little habit of pulling off various symbiotic
parts of itself to use as tools or weapons.  Also, there's a lot of
background information going on whenever we're treated to a view through
the Cyborsuit's display.  The clever little subroutines are similar to a
junior version of the Terminator's POV.

However, there are many flaws to Star Kid's designs as well. The
Trelkans, with their small stature and big (acne-ridden?) heads, don't
make for very inspiring good guys.  And the Cyborsuit seems to be a bit
too human-ish (how would the big-headed Trelkans ever fit inside???)

One of the things which works against the movie is its cheapness. For
example, the metallic cyborsuit looks positively rubbery.  And the Brood
Warrior looks your generic Power Rangers foe.  It's hard to believe that
any kid who has been exposed to modern movie-making magic will be awed
by the FX here.

Still for that kid who can suspend enough disbelief, the film does have
its charms.  Adults might be more concerned about the sheer amount of
household damage Spencer does in his Cyborsuit and in battle.
Strangely, the adults in the film seem to be stunned, but laugh off what
seems to amount to damage in the tens of thousands of dollars...

And considering that this movie could have been as bad as a random Power
Ranger clone, it doesn't actually turn out that bad.

Copyright 1998 Matt Williams

- Matt Williams ([email-masked])
Reviewer for Shreck's Cinema: http://www.shreck.com
Home of over 500 reviews, and information on over 500 upcoming releases