ROANOKE TIMES 

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

DATE: SATURDAY, October 15, 1994                   TAG: 9412160011
SECTION: EXTRA                    PAGE: B8   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: JACKIE POTTS KNIGHT-RIDDER NEWSPAPERS
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

`LITTLE GIANTS' IS KIDDIE LITTER

A scrawny pack of peewee running backs, who presumably couldn't find the end zone with a map and a bloodhound, vie for the right to be their town's little league football representatives in ``Little Giants.'' To do that, they have to defeat a sleek, bloodthirsty team of junior bruisers coached by a former Heisman Trophy winner.

Sound impossible? Then you haven't seen enough kids' movies.

``Little Giants'' is yet another poorly disguised riff on ``The Bad News Bears'' formula comedy, which exists to perpetuate the myth of the triumphant underdog and to empty parents' wallets. This is the runt of the litter, distinguished by a terrible script and some of the most annoying child actors in the business.

The movie opens in a flyspeck town called Urbania whose claim to fame is that it's the birthplace of former football great Kevin O'Shea (Ed O'Neill). O'Shea is an arrogant, red 'Vette-driving chauvinist whose career was sidelined early by injury. Since retiring, he's taken to coaching the town's junior football team and tormenting little brother Danny (Rick Moranis), a frumpy, lifelong underachiever.

After years of enduring Kevin's putdowns, Danny snaps when Kevin snubs his tomboy daughter Becky (Shawna Waldron), nicknamed ``Icebox'' because of her size and athletic prowess, at the team tryouts. The reason? Why, she's a girl, of course.

So, Danny assembles his own team, a ragtag group of bed-wetting misfits. Since county rules dictate that the town is allowed only one team, the two must battle for the honor of representing Urbania. Like the mature, rational adults they are, Danny and Kevin get to bellow from the sidelines while the 10-year-olds bash skulls in an attempt to verify their manhood.

Along the way, the movie exploits the most obvious stereotypes with plenty of booger and flatulence humor to go around. ``Little Giants'' is nothing that Disney hasn't done fresher and funnier before.

Little Giants

A Warner Bros. release showing at the Salem Valley 8 and Valley View Mall 6. Rated PG. 110 minutes. 


 by CNB