Director – Ted Nicolaou (Bad Channels, Dragonworld)
Starring – Chris Carrara (In Living Color, Pucked), Jessica Bowman (Joy Ride, Baywatch), and John Diehl (National Lampoon’s Vacation, D.C. Cab)
Release Date – 1993
Rating – 3/5
Blu Release – 2.5/5
As I continue my Full Moon and Moonbeam marathon I end up with a film that I had only seen one time when I was growing up. I wasn’t like many of the kids my age. I never cared for the Christmas hit Home Alone. I don’t know if I ever liked it but the holiday season crammed it and the sequel down our throats really turned me off to the film. However, over the years, especially in the 90s, there was several Home Alone rip offs that popped up here and there. Most found their way to the children’s section in your local video store.
One such film was Moonbeam’s Remote from acclaimed director Ted Nicolaou. I remember watching this one with a cousin when I was a kid. It was fun but not one that really stuck out with me. When Full Moon announced that the film was hitting blu I used this as an excuse to revisit it. I reached out to MVD and they were kind enough to hook me up with a copy.
**Spoiler Alert** The film follows Randy (Carrara) who is often left alone with his remote contraptions while his parents are away with work. He often takes his toys to a new development on the edge of town to play with them in the homes that have not been sold. However, one day his innocent trip takes an unexpected turn when three goons who recently robbed a bank decide to crash one of the unoccupied homes. Now, he’s stuck in the attack and the only way out is to use his remote controlled toys. **Spoiler alert**
Remote is probably my least favorite of the Moonbeam films that I’ve seen but it’s bad. In fact, it has some fun moments but it’s resemblance to Home Alone is unmistakable. The entire time you are watching the film you find yourself comparing it to the Christmas classic. It’s not original but it is fun and a time machine back to the mid-90s with the high end electronics the film’s story is centered around.
The acting in this one is a lot of fun. It’s not the best in the world but for a film featuring nearly inexperienced children it finds a way to entertain. There are plenty of awkward scenes and dry dialogue but the story carries us through when the cast cannot.
The story for this one is a clone of Home Alone with the Christmas season replaced with a summer setting and Moonbeam/Full Moon went above and beyond to showcase the best RC vehicles they could find to incorporate into the film. When you combine both of these elements you get a decent film for a first time watch. However, it’s not a film you can revisit as often as the other films. It’s predictable and not that cleverly written but it’s still fun for the occasional light-hearted watch.
Finally, Remote doesn’t really have any effects. It’s a lot of shots of RC cars, planes, and helicopters but no blood. Overall, Remote is a solid release from Full Moon but it’s not something you will binge over and over. I liked it but it’s nothing like some other Moonbeam releases.
Special Features:
None
