Quartile rating: 7/10 · 1 rating
When plans with her boyfriend fall through, high school senior Chris Parker ends up babysitting the Anderson kids, Brad and Sara. What should be a quiet night in, however, turns into a series of ridiculous exploits, starting when they leave the house to pick up Chris' friend Brenda. Soon, Brad's buddy Daryl is involved, and the group must contend with car thieves, blues musicians and much more.
Adventures in Babysitting is a charming late-80s teen comedy that benefits from a likable cast and a fun, escalating series of misadventures through the city. Elisabeth Shue carries the film with genuine warmth and energy, and the supporting cast delivers solid comedic performances. The plot is episodic and occasionally contrived, stringing together set pieces rather than building organically, but it maintains a breezy momentum. Cinematography is functional at best — competent Chicago location shooting but nothing visually distinctive. The premise of a suburban babysitter thrust into urban chaos had a certain freshness for its era, though it follows a fairly conventional teen comedy formula. The ending wraps things up predictably and neatly, offering little surprise. A crowd-pleasing film of its time that holds nostalgic appeal but doesn't transcend its genre.