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Talking infants
Posted Fri, 01 Jan 1999
"Baby Geniuses" is family entertainment for the easily pleased, who enjoy watching infants getting the better of their adult counterparts.
In 1989, a pre-"Pulp Fiction" John Travolta starred opposite a loveable baby whose thoughts, in the form of Bruce Willis's voice, could be heard by the audience. The film became a hit and spawned a sequel franchise, showcasing babies accompanied by witty voice-overs.
Then, in 1994, "Baby's Day Out" - an infantile take on "Home Alone" - told the tale of an innocent baby who is kidnapped for ransom, but wreaks havoc on his kidnappers.
Now, in "Baby Geniuses", not only do all the babies talk but they also wreak havoc on their kidnappers.
The plot centres on the theory that babies actually understand each other when they converse in their cutesy gobbledy-gook. This theory is based on the Tibetan belief that children have universal knowledge until they begin to speak "properly" - and then their memories of such knowledge fade away.
Kathleen Turner, the sultry star of such masterful gems as "Body Heat", "The Accidental Tourist", and "The War Of The Roses" hams it up as the scientist determined to prove this theory. She collaborates with bug-eyed Christopher Lloyd ("Back To The Future", "My Favourite Martian") and creates an underground research facility that engages in a plethora of tests involving tiny tots.
The film's major drawcard is the computer-generated effects that manipulate the babies' mouths to make it appear as if they're actually talking. But these cuddly-wuddlys don't just talk, they out-think, out-run, and out-fight their adult opponents, who all seem decidedly dim - even if they are scientists.
The supporting cast is a welcome mix of comedians, consisting of Kim Catrall, Ruby Dee, Dom DeLuise ("History Of The World", "Cannonball Run"), and Peter MacNicol ("Ally McBeal", "Bean").
Watch out for the attention-grabbing disco sequence, involving the lead baby - Sly - on a disco floor in a white "Saturday Night Fever" suit, dancing to the song "Staying Alive".
