Trending Fantasy Movie On Netflix Remakes 98% RT Tom Hanks Comedy From 36 Years Ago

Tom Hanks’ 1988 movie Big was one of the most popular movies of that year, with an enduring legacy, so much so that its premise has inspired various other movies since then. Not only was it financially and critically successful, but Big also began a major career shift for Tom Hanks. While Hanks had starred in several comedies before Big, his role as Josh Baskin earned him his first Oscar nomination and a Golden Globe win, pointing him toward becoming the household name that he is today.

Big‘s use of a child who wishes to be “big” and wakes up the next morning as an adult, leading to chaos, is one that has been emulated in several movies since the film’s 1988 release. Now, one of the movies that has taken inspiration from the beloved Tom Hanks classic, Little, is trending on Netflix, and its connection to Big is very clear. However, while Little draws clear inspiration from Big, the movie includes one important twist that separates it from its predecessor.

Little (2019) Reverses The Premise Of Tom Hanks’ 1988 Movie Big

Jordan Sanders Becomes A Kid Again

Little reverses the premise of Big by making an adult change into a child instead of a child changing into an adult. The movie follows Jordan Sanders, played by Regina Hall, a strict and unkind businessperson who is rude to her employees. When she is mean to a child, the child wishes that Jordan would become a kid too, and the next morning Jordan wakes up as a 13-year-old. This creates a very similar setup to Big but with opposite results.

Working on
Little
, Marsai Martin became the youngest Hollywood executive producer ever at the age of 14.

As a child, Jordan is forced to return to school and relive the embarrassing realities of life as a young teenager. Along the way, she makes new friends and realizes that her behavior has been terrible. As in Big, Jordan is ultimately able to find the origin of her transformation, in this case, the child who made the wish, and asks to be changed back to her adult body. Upon her return to adulthood, Jordan is a new woman and makes attempts to be nicer to those around her.

Why Little’s Reviews Are So Mixed Compared To Big’s Near-Universal Praise

Little Was Seen As More Formulaic Than Big

Upon its release, Big was met with overwhelmingly positive reviews and currently holds a 98% critical approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The movie was seen as funny and heartfelt, and Tom Hanks was its breakout star. Critics praised Hanks’ performance as lovably childlike and innocent. Even 36 years later, audiences still love Big, because it remains above the films it inspired, and it reminds viewers of the simple happiness of Josh Baskin’s kindhearted wonder.

Tom Hanks as Josh in Big, making big sad eyes, and Tom Hanks as Ray in The Burbs, looking sketchy

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However, now that multiple movies with similar premises have come out over the past 36 years, including 13 Going on 30, 17 Again, and many more, the concept of Little isn’t as novel. While some audiences would admit to the movie being enjoyable, many said that Little was too formulaic. Little‘s cast is talented and the overall premise is still fun, but the movie unfortunately does not live up to the legacy that Tom Hanks created in Big.

Source: Rotten Tomatoes