Richie Rich (1994) Review

When going back to watch a film you loved as a child, there is always a risk that you may no longer like it or you just think its daft. Well I tested that theory out today on “Richie Rich” a film I totally loved as a child and watched so many times. Yes the main reason I love it then and still love it now is Macaculay Culkin. Watching it this afternoon, I did not take it too seriously instead I just watched it and it was all so familiar. I knew the story I knew most of what was going to happen like I had just watched it yesterday and not years ago.

It is by no means a great film or a standout film, but it’s just one of those which I could probably call a guilty pleasure now after it being a favorite when I was young. I think its good you can still feel the same way about a film. Most of the stuff I thought was cool back then, I still thought wow that would have been cool today. Like having a McDonald’s inside your house, just something a kid would love.

For those who do not know the basic plot of the movie. Richie is the richest kid in the world, his parents Richard and Regina are worth something daft like 70 Billion Dollars. Some of their employee’s have their mind-set on killing the family in order to get into the Rich family vault.

Yes it is full of cliche’s for how much money they are supposed to have, I mean even having their surname as Rich. But it’s still amusing nonetheless. But Richie has a problem with his life although he has everything money wise, he does not have any friends who he can just “hang out” with and pretty much be a kid. This changes when he sees some kids playing Baseball and he ends up making friends with them.

As his parents end up stranded in the ocean after a bomb was planted on their plane, Richie must try and save everything for his family. He just knows that his parents are still alive but it takes some proving that he is right, especially as his life is in danger as well.

I think one of the underlying points of this story which I would not have realised when I was young, is that money cannot buy you everything that you need in your life. Somethings you just cannot buy, like true friendships and knowing who you can trust.

While this film does have some cringeworthy lines and just not brilliant I still find it to be a good film that kids should watch as I do not think it has really dated that much since its release date 15 years ago. So if you have kids this is a definite film for them to watch as I am sure they are well aware of Macaulay Culkin as the Home Alone kid so why not take in another of his films?