
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, June 5, 1993                   TAG: 9306050226
SECTION: EXTRA                    PAGE: C-6   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: MIKE MAYO CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

DISNEY NEEDED CHEMISTRY FOR THIS KID PIC TO WORK

"Life With Mikey" is another mid-budget kid's picture from the Disney studio.

There are no surprises in the formulaic script, but the film's grubby look is unusual. Most Disney productions have a slicker surface. This one is grainy and rough, though perhaps that's intentional.

It's a story of has-beens and want-to-bes, not stars. Michael Chapman (Michael J. Fox) got his start in show business as a child actor known to millions of TV fans for his Beaveresque sitcom, "Life With Mikey." When he outgrew the role, he did some guest shots on "Love Boat" and "Charlie's Angels." Then he became an agent. He and his older brother Ed (Nathan Lane) specialize in child performers.

The one star at Chambers & Chambers is Barry Corman (David Krumholtz), an insufferable prima donna. At least he is until Mikey meets Angie (Christina Vidal), a streetwise New York pickpocket with presence and charisma. He knows that he can get her the lead in a major cookie commercial if he can just get her an audition before the company's owner, Mr. Corman (Roanoke's own David Huddleston).

The script by Marc Lawrence, writer and story editor with Fox at the series "Family Ties," tries to mine laughs out of situations where kids act like adults. It also tries to become serious with a realistic subplot involving Angie's father. The comic elements aren't funny, and they tend to undercut the dramatic angle.

Those flaws would be meaningless if there was any real chemistry between Fox and Vidal, but that doesn't really work either. The manufactured conflicts between them don't ring true. Even though Christina Vidal acts like a natural performer, Fox appears uncomfortable with the material in general and the kids in particular.

Last year, the Disney studio and audiences struck gold with similar material in "The Mighty Ducks." Unfortunately, they're not likely to find it again with "Life with Mikey."

Life With Mikey: ** A Touchstone release playing at the Valley View Mall 6, Salem Valley 8. 90 min. Rated PG for some strong language.

by CNB