Richie Rich
3/4
Starring: Macauley Culkin, Jonathan Hyde, John Larroquette, Edward Hermann, Christine Ebersole, Steph Lineburg, Mariangela Pino, Chelcie Ross, Michael McShane
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Rated PG for Mild Violence and Language
What would you do if, at age fourteen, you were the richest kid in the world?
It's an interesting question, and I suppose everyone would have a different answer. But by watching "Richie Rich," we can vicariously live that fantasy through the eyes of a kid named Richie Rich.
Richie Rich (Culkin) is the richest kid in the world. His dad, Richard Sr (Hermann) is a business mogul worth $70 billion and is always on hand to give the President advice. Think the Koch Brothers, Robert Mercer and Jeff Bezos in one man. Only, instead of your traditional ruthless tycoon a la Gordon Gekko, he's a devoted husband and father. A devoted philanthropist, he buys a factory called Union Tool with the intention of revitalizing it and giving it back to his workers. This doesn't sit well with his second-in-command, the greedy Lawrence Van Dough (Larroquette). So much so that he attempts to off them on their way to have tea and crumpets with the queen. What he doesn't figure in his plan is that Richie isn't on the plane. You see, despite all his wealth, Richie is lonely and his ever devoted butler Cadbury (Hyde) has arranged for some local kids (who initially humiliated him after they believed that he was a rich snob) to play with him. And after his parents go missing, he decides to take their place.
This is a project that was tailor made for Macauley Culkin. Culkin was the most famous child star of the early 90s and with his innate charisma and charm, it's not hard to see why. Truth be told, this isn't one of his proudest moments. Culkin is too talented to give a bad performance, but his sense of burnout is readily apparent. This was his final film before his break from acting; he returned nine years later in a very different type of movie called "Party Monster."
He's surrounded by an able supporting cast. No one does the stiff Brit like Jonathan Hyde, and the veteran actor gives the role more depth than the screenplay calls for. Despite acting like a more exaggerated version of Mr. Stevens in "The Remains of the Day," Hyde plays his part with good humor and even a bit of pathos. Although he prefers not to show it, he truly adores "Master Rich." John Laroquette is perfectly slimy as the villain, and Chelcie Ross makes for a good henchman. Special mention has to go to Mariangela Pino and Steph Linberg, who play Diane the union leader and her daughter Gloria. They both have an easy appeal that makes them instantly likable.
What I liked best about this movie is its good cheer. This is a happy live-action cartoon not bogged down by cynicism, franchise fatigue and anarchic irony. Despite having more money than they can possibly spend, the Riches are good people who love one another (Rich Sr is away a lot, but he and Richie keep in touch with something called the Dadlink). Even Richie himself is probably the nicest kid in town, something that people would realize if they gave him the chance.
"Richie Rich" doesn't try to do a lot, but what it does, it does well. It's a jolly little movie with a lot of heart and some funny moments (Cadbury advises Richie joining a game of pick up baseball because he fears that the kids aren't vaccinated). I had a lot of fun with this movie.
Starring: Macauley Culkin, Jonathan Hyde, John Larroquette, Edward Hermann, Christine Ebersole, Steph Lineburg, Mariangela Pino, Chelcie Ross, Michael McShane
He
Rated PG for Mild Violence and Language
What would you do if, at age fourteen, you were the richest kid in the world?
It's an interesting question, and I suppose everyone would have a different answer. But by watching "Richie Rich," we can vicariously live that fantasy through the eyes of a kid named Richie Rich.
Richie Rich (Culkin) is the richest kid in the world. His dad, Richard Sr (Hermann) is a business mogul worth $70 billion and is always on hand to give the President advice. Think the Koch Brothers, Robert Mercer and Jeff Bezos in one man. Only, instead of your traditional ruthless tycoon a la Gordon Gekko, he's a devoted husband and father. A devoted philanthropist, he buys a factory called Union Tool with the intention of revitalizing it and giving it back to his workers. This doesn't sit well with his second-in-command, the greedy Lawrence Van Dough (Larroquette). So much so that he attempts to off them on their way to have tea and crumpets with the queen. What he doesn't figure in his plan is that Richie isn't on the plane. You see, despite all his wealth, Richie is lonely and his ever devoted butler Cadbury (Hyde) has arranged for some local kids (who initially humiliated him after they believed that he was a rich snob) to play with him. And after his parents go missing, he decides to take their place.
This is a project that was tailor made for Macauley Culkin. Culkin was the most famous child star of the early 90s and with his innate charisma and charm, it's not hard to see why. Truth be told, this isn't one of his proudest moments. Culkin is too talented to give a bad performance, but his sense of burnout is readily apparent. This was his final film before his break from acting; he returned nine years later in a very different type of movie called "Party Monster."
He's surrounded by an able supporting cast. No one does the stiff Brit like Jonathan Hyde, and the veteran actor gives the role more depth than the screenplay calls for. Despite acting like a more exaggerated version of Mr. Stevens in "The Remains of the Day," Hyde plays his part with good humor and even a bit of pathos. Although he prefers not to show it, he truly adores "Master Rich." John Laroquette is perfectly slimy as the villain, and Chelcie Ross makes for a good henchman. Special mention has to go to Mariangela Pino and Steph Linberg, who play Diane the union leader and her daughter Gloria. They both have an easy appeal that makes them instantly likable.
What I liked best about this movie is its good cheer. This is a happy live-action cartoon not bogged down by cynicism, franchise fatigue and anarchic irony. Despite having more money than they can possibly spend, the Riches are good people who love one another (Rich Sr is away a lot, but he and Richie keep in touch with something called the Dadlink). Even Richie himself is probably the nicest kid in town, something that people would realize if they gave him the chance.
"Richie Rich" doesn't try to do a lot, but what it does, it does well. It's a jolly little movie with a lot of heart and some funny moments (Cadbury advises Richie joining a game of pick up baseball because he fears that the kids aren't vaccinated). I had a lot of fun with this movie.
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