Richie Rich Parent Guide
Parent Movie Review
Based on the comic book character from a generation (or two) ago, Richie Rich hits the screen with a plot that offers no more than his comic cousin. In this episode, Richie’s father is filthy rich and very nice. However, he is no whiz at detecting flawed personalities, and hires a family advisor, Lawrence Van Dough (John Larroquette), who gushes all the right words in the most evil of ways. Soon, Lawrence contrives a plot to blow up the Rich family airplane, allowing him to assume control of the family’s assets. Fortunately, a last minute decision means Richie isn’t on the plane. And wait! His parents may still be alive! But don’t leave it to me to give away the ending on this one.
About the only people that will find Richie Rich entertaining are the under 12 group. Unfortunately, a couple of fairly descriptive sexual innuendos along with a good dose of bad words may make this film unsuitable for that particular age group. Violence is also evident as Macaulay Culkin continues the Home Alone tradition with an assortment of head bashing gags that the bad guys have to wade through.
Richie Rich also finds much of its humor in the actions of two overweight characters. Parents should be on the look out for these stereotyped personalities in movies and on TV.
By asking questions of your children, you can help them realize that not all people weighing above the national average have the IQ of a Twinkie.
And speaking of Twinkies, another fun game to do with your kids is to look for product placements in movies. These are hidden advertisements that appear to be accidental, but are anything but. Movies aimed at younger audiences are especially prone to this latest way of squeezing more advertising into our lives. If you still want to show this film to the kids, see how many product placements you can spot. It certainly is more interesting than the story.
Starring Macaulay Culkin. Updated March 12, 2013