Don't See It

One of the latest movies I've watched from my VHS collection, as the unwatched portion of which continues to deplete, is 1988's "The Invisible Kid". To say I had high hopes for it is a slight exaggeration, but I did think there would be some enjoyment to be had. The box cover was promising, and the trailer was as well. That's often when there is trouble ahead. Many of the worst movies I have are supported by great trailers and box covers.

The Invisible Kid largely follows the same plot as "Teen Wolf", which I only recently saw. In that film, a high school loser becomes a werewolf and enjoys new popularity as he leads the basketball team to success. In this one, a high school nerd (who takes off his glasses and instantly stops being a nerd) stumbles upon a formula that turns you invisible. With it, he gets a girlfriend and uncovers a point shaving scheme conducted by the principal and star player. It's pretty terrible.

The place to start is probably the techniques employed to suggest invisibility. Let's say they're crude at best. Most of the time, they use POV shots and voiceover dialogue. There are quick snippets where something a little more sophisticated is done, but not by much. This film is not a special effects extravaganza by a long shot, though there is some properly gross-looking goop in the movie. That was not enough to save the film, regrettably.

The story and characters, which I largely related above, are worse than the effects. Much of the time, invisibility is used to cheat during basketball games. I really didn't like that. I thought perhaps the kid and his friends would use their powers against the evil principal, the half-assed organized crime figures putting the principal up to the whole scheme, or maybe the police. Instead, they're blocking the shots of a rival basketball team that hasn't done anything wrong.

If you're like me, then I'd say go ahead and watch this movie. If you're not, but you're really into invisibility-themed movies, I'd still say watch it. Under any other conditions, you're taking a real chance. The Invisible Kid, as much as it delivers on the promises of its title, is not a good movie. You're sure not getting more out of it in 90 plus minutes than you're getting out of its trailer in about two minutes. Do what you want, though. People don't go far wrong by going against my suggestions.