User Reviews

The Boy with the Golden Pants follows the misadventures of two friends who find a pair of pants that keep producing money. The plot is simple and rather socialist/anti- capitalist; we could tell that it had to be based on a book and probably a book that was written a while ago (1967!) The boys go through the usual euphoria that many would when they first get their hands on the money, do some stupid stuff, but eventually learn the value of money. Perhaps most interesting is the concept that money always comes from somewhere, someone always gains when someone else loses (i.e., money does not grow on trees or in pant pockets).

The kids in the film are good-hearted for the most part, and go from spending the money for themselves, giving it away to homeless people to do their job, fantasizing about having servants to helping the needy and donating 50 million to charities around the world. The adults are much more morally dubious, ranging from some really bad parents, frauds, jailbirds, an alcoholic homeless guy who is super nice to the evil Otto and his weapons-for-export company. There is one plot hole at the end, where the cops show up knowing about the pants, though we have no indication that they knew about them before (throughout the film the police are perplexed about how the money in the banks is disappearing). It is also not clear if Otto killed his brother or why his brother sailed off one day. I am sure these points are clearer in the book.

All in all, this is a great film for tweens (who are already reading YA novels, Hunger Games, etc.) Probably not appropriate for younger kids, but no need to call the movie a bad film just because it is mislabeled as a family film. As always, the Swedes do a good job of bringing the creepy and thrilling to the younger audience's level without losing the adults. Perhaps a few too many car chases, but good acting and a fast- paced plot that makes you think and wonder in the end.