THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, August 9, 1994 TAG: 9408090056
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E01 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Movie Review
SOURCE: BY MAL VINCENT, ENTERTAINMENT WRITER
LENGTH: Long : 161 lines
TRIVIA WHIZZES of the world arise. Now that you've mastered naming the seven dwarfs and Santa's reindeer, here's a new challenge. Name the Little Rascals - all of them.
Well, there was Spanky and Alfafa, Buckwheat and Darla.
What? Slowing up already?
Petey - the dog with a ring around one eye. Yeah. He counts.
Then, let's see.
If you need help, here's ``The Little Rascals,'' a 1990s version of the kids' adventures that began in the 1920s as ``Our Gang'' and went on through the 1930s and 1940s. They became known as The Little Rascals when the old shorts appeared on TV in 1955, and they've been playing ever since.
Irresistible! Kids who live in a children's world largely unhampered by adults. They solve problems their way - mostly by slapstick.
And back to the chase. Did you forget Porky, Stymie (the efficient one in the derby) Froggy (the door warden with that croaky voice) and Uh-Huh (the one who just says ``Uh-huh'' and nothing else?) If you count the villains, there were bullies Butch and Woim, and the rich kid, Waldo.
Penelope Speehris, the director who directed ``Wayne's World'' to a savvy hit and ``The Beverly Hillbillies'' to a disappointing flop, would seemingly be ill-advised to try a '90s version of ``The Little Rascals.'' As the ``Hillbillies'' fans proved, we have our memories and we don't particularly want them destroyed. There is something strangely just, though, about the fact that Spheeris, who usually directs to a 6-year-old mentality, is now actually directing 6-year-olds.
What is so delightful about the new Rascals is that they look exactly like the old Rascals. Spanky, the leader of the He-Man Womun Haters Club, is still pudgy and waddling. Darla is still prissy - seemingly already aware of the power she holds over men. Alfalfa still sings off-key and has a cowlick that stands at attention when Darla kisses him. Buckwheat - well, Buckwheat is still Buckwheat.
In a world involved with the Whitewater Hearings and a possible invasion of Haiti, it's nice to know that there is a world, if only in movie theaters, where children still play ignoble and spunky games of one-upmanship. The adults only have minor roles - and are pretty dumb at that.
The new actors are occasionally stiff and sometimes tend to look at the camera. Bug Hall as Alfalfa is the best of the lot. Travis Tedford as Spanky is a bit young. Brittany Ashton Holmes is suitably vampish as Darla.
I saw this at a 10 a.m. on a Saturday, with hordes of 1990s little rascals. The 1990s kids, accustomed to violent, mutant turtles and elaborate Nintendo games, didn't laugh as much as I thought they would. And, a dread for any movie producer, they went to the bathroom a lot. They may have no idea who The Little Rascals were and they may find them a bit square.
There is little plot. Instead, there are a group of set-ups, as if we were seeing a half-dozen short subjects in order. Things are rough at the club house when it is discovered that Alfalfa, unbelievably, has fallen for a GIRL. The guys sabotage his luncheon date by putting kitty litter in the sandwiches.
Then there is the segment in which Alfalfa and Spanky don tutus and wreck Darla's ballet recital.
The setting is a little ambiguous; the skyline of modern Los Angeles looms in the background, but the children are all dressed in Depression-era costumes. They amuse themselves with no help from expensive computer games but, a moment later, they spout modern lines.
Just when we're into the spirit of the thing, along comes a mass of cameo stars who remind us that it's merely a B-budget, Universal-style retread. The, mostly unfortunate ``guests'' include Mel Brooks, Whoopi Goldberg, Daryl Hannah, Reba McEntire, Lea Thompson and even Donald Trump.
Still, the flick is only 72 minutes long, and there is nothing to really dislike. (In fact, the few ``mod'' jokes are about the only real distractions.) It's something of a mild imitation, but all the kids LOOK the part. It's somehow comforting.
now directing 6-year-olds.
What is so delightful about the new Rascals is that they look exactly like the old Rascals. Spanky, the leader of the He-Man Womun Haters Club, is still pudgy and waddling. Darla is still prissy - seemingly already aware of the power she holds over men. Alfalfa still sings off-key and has a cowlick that stands at attention when Darla kisses him. Buckwheat - well, Buckwheat is still Buckwheat.
In a world involved with the Whitewater Hearings and a possible invasion of Haiti, it's nice to know that there is a world, if only in movie theaters, where children still play ignoble and spunky games of one-upmanship. The adults only have minor roles - and are pretty dumb at that.
The new actors are occasionally stiff and sometimes tend to look at the camera. Bug Hall as Alfalfa is the best of the lot. Travis Tedford as Spanky is a bit young. Brittany Ashton Holmes is suitably vampish as Darla.
I saw this at a 10 a.m. on a Saturday, with hordes of 1990s little rascals. The 1990s kids, accustomed to violent, mutant turtles and elaborate Nintendo games, didn't laugh as much as I thought they would. And, a dread for any movie producer, they went to the bathroom a lot. They may have no idea who The Little Rascals were and they may find them a bit square.
There is little plot. Instead, there are a group of set-ups, as if we were seeing a half-dozen short subjects in order. Things are rough at the club house when it is discovered that Alfalfa, unbelievably, has fallen for a GIRL. The guys sabotage his luncheon date by putting kitty litter in the sandwiches.
Then there is the segment in which Alfalfa and Spanky don tutus and wreck Darla's ballet recital.
The setting is a little ambiguous; the skyline of modern Los Angeles looms in the background, but the children are all dressed in Depression-era costumes. They amuse themselves with no help from expensive computer games but, a moment later, they spout modern lines.
Just when we're into the spirit of the thing, along comes a mass of cameo stars who remind us that it's merely a B-budget, Universal-style retread. The, mostly unfortunate ``guests'' include Mel Brooks, Whoopi Goldberg, Daryl Hannah, Reba McEntire, Lea Thompson and even Donald Trump.
Still, the flick is only 72 minutes long, and there is nothing to really dislike. (In fact, the few ``mod'' jokes are about the only real distractions.) It's something of a mild imitation, but all the kids LOOK the part. It's somehow comforting.
now directing 6-year-olds.
What is so delightful about the new Rascals is that they look exactly like the old Rascals. Spanky, the leader of the He-Man Womun Haters Club, is still pudgy and waddling. Darla is still prissy - seemingly already aware of the power she holds over men. Alfalfa still sings off-key and has a cowlick that stands at attention when Darla kisses him. Buckwheat - well, Buckwheat is still Buckwheat.
In a world involved with the Whitewater Hearings and a possible invasion of Haiti, it's nice to know that there is a world, if only in movie theaters, where children still play ignoble and spunky games of one-upmanship. The adults only have minor roles - and are pretty dumb at that.
The new actors are occasionally stiff and sometimes tend to look at the camera. Bug Hall as Alfalfa is the best of the lot. Travis Tedford as Spanky is a bit young. Brittany Ashton Holmes is suitably vampish as Darla.
I saw this at a 10 a.m. on a Saturday, with hordes of 1990s little rascals. The 1990s kids, accustomed to violent, mutant turtles and elaborate Nintendo games, didn't laugh as much as I thought they would. And, a dread for any movie producer, they went to the bathroom a lot. They may have no idea who the Little Rascals were, and they may find them a bit square.
There is little plot. Instead, there are a group of set-ups, as if we were seeing a half-dozen short subjects in order. Things are rough at the club house when it is discovered that Alfalfa, unbelievably, has fallen for a GIRL. The guys sabotage his luncheon date by putting kitty litter in the sandwiches.
Then there is the segment in which Alfalfa and Spanky don tutus and wreck Darla's ballet recital.
The setting is a little ambiguous; the skyline of modern Los Angeles looms in the background, but the children are all dressed in Depression-era costumes. They amuse themselves with no help from expensive computer games but, a moment later, they spout modern lines.
Just when we're into the spirit of the thing, along comes a mass of cameo stars who remind us that it's merely a B-budget retread. The, mostly unfortunate ``guests'' include Mel Brooks, Whoopi Goldberg, Daryl Hannah, Reba McEntire, Lea Thompson and even Donald Trump.
Still, the flick is only 72 minutes long, and there is nothing to really dislike. (In fact, the few ``mod'' jokes are about the only real distractions.) It's something of a mild imitation, but all the kids LOOK the part. It's somehow comforting. ILLUSTRATION: UNIVERSAL PICTURES color photo
Alfalfa (Bug Hall) is no woman hater with Darla (Brittany Ashton
Holmes) around in ``Rascals.''
UNIVERSAL PICTURES photo
``Little Rascals'': Petey, Zachary Mabry, Kevin Jamal Woods, Travis
Tedford, Jordan Warkol, Ross Elliot Bagley and Courtland Mead.
by CNB