US VHS version. The movie is out on DVD in the US with the original title, as well as in europe, where it's titled "The Fortune Hunters". The Million Dollar Kid, Neil Mandt, USA, 2000, 91 mins.
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From the moment I layed eyes on the cover art, I had already placed this movie among the subgenre of low-budget family-friendly comedies, with probable excruciating scenes and acting. And I was right. What's interesting about this specific stinker is that it stars Richard Thomas as Ted Hunter, husband and father (most known for his appearance in the TV series "The Waltons", and for horror buffs his role as the stuttering author "Bill" in the Stephen King mini-series adaption "IT"), and the quite popular Alison Lohman as daughter (Drag Me To Hell, Matchstick Men, Gamer). Maureen McCormick (The Brady Bunch) stars as the wife and mother in a square family living an ordinary suburban life. Ted is very strict with money business, and swears to life savings and minimum spendings, until his son's coupon has a 50 million dollar priza on it. On their way to cashing in and saving the money on a bank account, Ted stops by a car vendor to try out a car of his dreams. Leaving the place he accidentally forgets the coupon in the car. As the family realizes what's happened, a group of different more or less sleazy and crazy thugs are attracted to the coupon like magnets, and the Hunter hunt begins for the millions.... The maniac behind this trash is Gregory Poppen, who actually wrote the screenplay inspired by Mark Twain short story The $30,000 Bequest. It seems Gregory has kept up with his general choice of genre, as other titles in his repetoire are Superbabies: Baby Geniuses 2 (2004), The Karate Dog (2004), and The Prince and the Surfer (1999). The Million Dollar Kid is an embarrasing effort, and looking at the filmographies of everyone involved, it ranks among the 2 lowest on IMDB in most careers - that's saying a lot in itself. The acting is a mixed job, Richard Thomas does it well as the overly calculating father, but Alison Lohman and escpecially the kid, Andrew Sandler, have done a lot better later on in their careers... Though obviously tageted at a kid audience, I seriously doubt that kids nor adults will have a lot of fun with this one. Still, it's fun to see these types of flicks from time to time, just because they're so awkward..! 1½ out of 6 - Reviewed by Lars S. B. Andersen |