The Little Rascals (1994): Dir: Penelope Spheeris / Cast: Bug Hall, Travis Tedford, Brittany Ashton Holmes, Kevin Jamal Woods, Zachary Mabry: Misguided family film about trouble and innocence. It regards a group of children who hang out at a club house with a strict rule against girls. This becomes a problem when one of the members is caught courting a little girl. This is the film's first problem. There might be nostalgia for fans of the classic TV show but for a family film this presents themes that may be above the age group this is aimed at. The relationship between one of the Rascals and the girl comes off somewhat disturbing in terms of dialogue that skirts adult. After the club house burns down they attempt to raise money and the method is a kids race for a cash prize. This might have been the proper angle to present this material. Director Penelope Spheeris is coming off great success with Wayne's World but here she is backed by a production that resembles the classic program but without a screenplay worthy of it. It doesn't even seem nostalgic for those whom may celebrate the popular TV program. The young cast play out their roles with certain appeal but the adult communication is a distraction. Another issue is the lack of parents. There is numerous celebrity cameos supporting the show's popularity but the end result is a bigger mess than anything the rascals conjure up. Score: 4 / 10
Review of The Little Rascals
