{"id":41575,"date":"2023-10-29T11:21:09","date_gmt":"2023-10-29T15:21:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/?p=41575"},"modified":"2023-10-29T11:23:49","modified_gmt":"2023-10-29T15:23:49","slug":"fun-size-the-halloween-treat-that-deserves-more-love","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/2023\/10\/29\/fun-size-the-halloween-treat-that-deserves-more-love\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cFun Size\u201d: The Halloween Treat That Deserves More Love"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Along with \u201cCrybaby Lane,\u201d 2012\u2019s \u201cFun Size\u201d is one of the bastard children of Nickelodeon Studios that they like to pretend doesn\u2019t exist. It wouldn\u2019t be the first time they hung one of their stars out to dry, and it certainly won\u2019t be the last. Say what you want about the legacy of Nickelodeon, but their nastiness is almost equal to their innovation and creativity. Nevertheless, \u201cFun Size\u201d is one of the very few Halloween themed movies that have nothing to do with the horror genre.<\/p>\n

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\u201cFun Size\u201d is primarily a teen comedy set down on Halloween night where our trio of young characters gets in to all kinds of mishaps and misadventures over the course of a night. The movie is very reminiscent of movies like \u201cAdventures in Babysitting,\u201d \u201cSnow Day,\u201d and \u201cFerris Bueller\u2019s Day Off,\u201d where everything happens in real time, and our main characters come to some kind of coming of age. Victoria Justice, who was pretty much still the A queen in Nickelodeon in 2012, heads what could have and should have been a hit comedy. Nickelodeon apparently chose to market the movie to the more mature audiences, and they did so by\u2014barely marketing it at all!<\/p>\n

That makes sense, right?<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Justice is fun as Wren, a young high school senior still grieving the death of her father. Preparing to go out on Halloween alone, she\u2019s tasked with looking after her small brother Albert while her mom Joy goes to a party with her young meathead boyfriend. Albert decides to ditch Wren during their trick or treating, prompting Wren to frantically search for him before the end of the night, as he gets in to all kinds of trouble meeting odd characters. The movie splits the story in half mid-way as Joy realizes her efforts to act young again are pretty much in vain and that she has nothing in common with her boyfriend.<\/p>\n

The movie was barely a blip in 2012, and to this day has yet to actually make an appearance on Nickelodeon. Not even a heavily edited version has ever aired. It might have not sat well with them since the majority of the movie centers on a small child running in and of adult Halloween parties. Or maybe it\u2019s the small child in constant danger. Who knows? There is some raunchy comedy, but the teen sitcoms on Nickelodeon Saturday Nights during that era were always so much edgier. Nonetheless, \u201cFun Size\u201d is much more of a coming of age teen comedy that feels a lot like a back door pilot for a potential series.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Star Justice has enough charm and charisma to headline a movie like this, but she\u2019s also supported by talented folks like Chelsea Handler, Ana Gasteyer, Thomas Mann, Riki Lindhome, and Jane Levy, respectively. Levy is another child star that had made her foray in to more adult films, so playing off of Justice works well for the film\u2019s intended mature tone. She\u2019s very good in the best friend role, deriving most of the laughs and gaffs. It also helps that the movie is filmed by Josh Schwartz who\u2019s spent the majority of his career lensing young adults and teenagers in some of the most massive youth targeted movies and television shows.<\/p>\n

Although \u201cFun Size\u201d prides itself in being a silly, fun party movie set on Halloween, the movie ends up with a surprisingly big heart centered on themes about grief, loneliness, and the fallout that arises from when someone really important leaves one\u2019s life. Justice is able to act with and off of pretty much anyone and plays to her strengths here as the heart of the narrative as well as garnering some self realizations in the middle of the chaos and hilarity. The finale where Wren attempts to save her brother from the local neighborhood bully Jorgen (Johnny Knoxville makes a memorable cameo) is a surprisingly sweet plot twist, and one that extrapolates Justice\u2019s ability to play on vulnerable and likable.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m also such a sucker for these kinds of teen movies set over the course of a night, and director Schwartz manages to offer audiences a truly unique entry in the sub-genre. In spite of mainly being pushed in to the background for so many years, I hope audiences eventually re-discover \u201cFun Size\u201d and give it the second chance that it deserves.<\/p>\n