With a melding of elements from such sub-par pictures as 2011’s “The Sitter” and 1987’s wildly more successful hunt “Adventures in Babysitting”, Nickelodeon stamps its brand behind “Fun Size”, a Victoria Justice vehicle with a lot more sass and gas than go.
And while its throwaway shenanigans won’t find much appreciation far beyond the safety of the Seventeen crowd, its aw-shucks sweetness and good natured humor thankfully never crosses the line into doe-eyed, dumb-down comedy. No stranger to these tween exploits, Justice centers the film well, giving the events a much needed star bump while pushing the age limit beyond pre-teen. And though “Fun Size” seems more an attempt to burnish a funnier, edgier patina on the green slime dropping Network than anything else, especially bringing in heavy hitters Chelsea Handler and Johnny Knoxville, its comedy and situations therein amass about as many laughs as its title promises. A nice and normal offering of extras are included, with highlights that include a jovial ‘making of’ featurette, where the cast and crew discuss the film and the joys of shooting autumn scenes in the middle of summer. The featurette given solely to the pint-sized terror Jackson Nicoll offers looks into life on the set for both the eight-year-old and his often forgiving ‘victims’, and a nice array of Gag Reel and Deleted scenes provides a bit of hilarious redemption. The last two features deal exclusively with Jepsen and her music video for “This Kiss,” both of which are a more than welcome addition since neither are plugging the singer’s endlessly looping “Call Me Maybe” hit. So if forgetful babysitters give you the titters, or Victoria Justice is one that you can’t miss, then “Fun Size” might just be the candy bar in your bag. But if neither of these is your preferred treat, then the dreaded apple is all you’ll receive.
Studio Synopsis: Teen sensation Victoria Justice (Nickelodeon’s Victorious) stars as Wren, a whip-smart high school senior stuck babysitting her annoying little brother, but that all changes when he somehow manages to get loose. Now Wren and her three friends need to find him as they set off on the most unexpected and unforgettable adventure of their lives…as long as mom doesn’t find out!
Studio: Paramount
Running Time: 86 minutes
Rating: PG-13
Number of Disks: 1
Special Features:
- Unwrapped: The Making of Fun Size Featurette HD
- Jackson Nicoll: Trouble Sized! Featurette HD
- Gag Reel HD
- Deleted Scenes HD
- “This Kiss” Music Video by Carly Rae Jepsen HD
- Carly Rae Jepsen: Making of “This Kiss” Featurette HD
Additional Resources:
Central Cast: Victoria Justice | Chelsea Handler | Jackson Nicoll | Josh Pence | Jane Levy | Thomas Mann | Thomas McDonell | Johnny Knoxville
Director: Josh Schwartz
Central Writers: Max Werner
Theatrical Release: October 26, 2012
Blu-Ray/DVD Release: February 19, 2013
Genre: Comedy
Supporting Cast and more Writers found HERE