Mom and Dad Save the World

source: Mom and Dad Save the World

Man. This film is fun, goofy, and full of great performances. Jeffery Jones is funny as the "bored with life" dad, and who could forget Jon Lovitz and his hilarious proformance as Todd Spango! I have to disagree with Maltin (As I seem to do alot) about this film. Its a wonderful film and it has a good message: Don't mess with Earth Dick!

I can't believe this was made in 1992 ... I just can't ! The effects, set designs, acting, and everything else points to a late 70's early 80's movie. I had given this movie a lot of slack because I thought it was an older movie, but this is ridiculous. From the start, you can tell this movie is ultra low budget. Horrible green screens, over use of paper meche, and painted styrofoam. The movie did jump around a bit at first, making it feel like a few scenes were cut, but after a while it smoothed out. As far as story line, this is a wacky kids kind of movie. Turn your brain off, and enjoy. I kind of liked it, though the horrible special effects took a lot of fun out of it.

It's sad how defensive positive reviews of this movie are. It as though the reviewers fear upsetting that Great Todd Spengo of the film world, the Cult of Star Wars. This is one of the last and best products of the pre-CGI dictatorship that fantasy and sci-fi now labor under. The art direction is imaginative and very accomplished, presenting a steampunk by way of Oz physicality denied those raised on green screen. The cast is perfect. Jon Lovitz absolutely becomes the essence of every overcompensating "small man" who ever got an ounce of authority. His smallest gesture or expression project his total inadequacy. I laugh at his every scene. I've loved Teri Garr since I first saw her on an episode of the Andy Griffith show, and this is a fine capper to a showbiz career which she seems to have retreated from. Everyone else throws themselves into their roles with a joyful abandon. I'll bet the set was a fun place to be. The story pops along at a brisk pace, never once looking back over it's shoulder, or digressing into something "meaningful". Every time I watch this I'm once again surprised to realize, as Mom and Dad wheel back into their driveway, that their kids haven't been seen since the beginning of the movie. Any director of this today would have layered some crap "coming of age" parallel plot line and stretched the flick to two-plus hours. Is this film silly, escapist? Is the science pure bunk? Is Spengo and it's society improbable and ridiculous? You darn betcha! But so is Star Wars. Stick that in your planet destroying death ray and smoke it. PS. I've got a feeling there's a raunchier version of this that hit the cutting room floor.

There are some bad parts in this movie, but those are merely because it overreached a couple times. But if you like absurd comedy of the Airplane, Hot Shots, and Police Academy type, you should give this one a try. Although there are the odd non-sequiter based humor, unlike those other movies I used as a comparison, most of them seem to occur in service to the story line and are done in character. The sets props are clearly from the Dr Suess school of architecture and design, and are very enjoyable. Mom and Dad Save the World is one of those movies with lines that stick with you and make you chuckle days later. "Oh, Earth-Dick!" "Open my pants." "He DOES know father!" "Muttonchops? Wrong! Shoot yourself in the head!" "The Earthman has a light grenade for a head!" "That's my planet, that's my wife, and that's...just some guy I met!" Man, I loooove this movie.

While he usually ends up in annoying guy roles (not really bad guys), Jeffrey Jones and Teri Garr are enjoyable as a couple that gets hijacked to another planet so that Jon Lovitz can marry Teri. Implausible and a high level of disbelief, this certainly won't be remembered 20 years down the road (or even three more years down the road), but it has its laughs. If you enjoyed Spaceballs, you'll enjoy this.

An evil outer space dictator (Jon Lovitz) literally transports a station wagon with a married couple (Teri Garr and Jeffrey Jones) inside to his planet. The purpose? Lovitz wants to destroy Earth and make Garr his wife, making her the queen of the universe. Of course we know that it is up to Jones and a whole host of other oddballs (led by captured king Eric Idle) to stop Lovitz before it is too late. Did I also mention that Lovitz rules a world where human-like bulldogs and fish dwell? Totally unwanted and unnecessary mess that scrapes the bottom of the barrel in all respects. Lovitz' typical "Saturday Night Live"-styled routine tries to punch life into this thing, but we all know that is not successful. Special effects, ugly art direction and dementedly poor performances only lessen the production's horrible screenplay and painfully sophomoric direction. Only watch if you are forced to by people stronger and obviously dumber than you. Turkey (0 stars out of 5).

While this is a mediocre sci-fi adventure at best, with no attempt to rationalize the science of the movie, and about as much time with the special effects, the movie retains a charm all of it's own. The costumes look as if they were removed straight out of a Dr Suess book, and the sound effects help with that feel. With Jon Lovitz as the diabolical, yet moronic, Emperor Spango, Teri Garr as the 'Voluptuous' Marge, and Jeffery Jones as the Brave and Wise 'Earth-Dick,' Mom and Dad Save the World will keep anyone with a sense of humor entertained for the 88 minutes of runtime. Also--special guest appearances by: Dogs playing poker; The Wilhelm Scream; An escape from Blaster-related death by jumping down a garbage disposal chute on the wall; Woodland Hills, CA; and The Planet Saturn. oh, and Eric Idle

I genuinely loathe this film - one of the worst mainstream productions I've ever seen. The plot is all over the place, the rather good cast is totally wasted and the movie becomes a juvenile stab at comedy in the vein of SPACEBALLS -- but that film was funny, and this is not. Jones, Garr, Shawn and of course the usually-humorous Lovitz all seem to be ripping off Spaceballs - Lovitz with his Dark Helmet-esque villain and Jones and co. with general slapstick antics. This is almost as bad as the POLICE ACADEMY films! Some people seem to find this humorous in a very awful sort of way but I just find it unbearable. I guess I don't get the joke.

This isn't "The Princess Bride," it's just silly. But silly in a fun way. John Lovitz and Terri Garr give it some substance, but the best part by far is the scene with the "light grenade." I've known folks who would have fit in that scene, just fine. When you've got some time to waste, and don't care how, this is the movie for you.