I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Wow! Such a good movie.

Good movie but grossly overrated

Absolutely the worst movie.

*batteries not included is a wonderful little film. It's not a great award winner but it is a very good film. It's the story of a little man who fights against a rich bully who wants to take his home away for a massive mid-town development; it has pathos, romance, humour and great acting, especially from its aged leading couple, Hume Cronyn and his real life wife, Jessica Tandy.Cronyn finds himself assisted by a family of tiny aliens which appear in the form of little flying saucers. They settle down in Cronyn's property and help out in almost magical ways, repairing damage caused by those who are trying to get their hands on the building. Sub-plots revolve around the young pregnant lodger (Elizabeth Pena) and the artist who falls for her, and also the dementia suffered by Jessica Tandy's character who believes that the principal troublemaker in their lives is actually her dead son. Everything is handled sensitively and with great style. The little aliens are cute, adorable and utterly believable; the story is, of course, nonsense but it's not meant to be anything else. It's a film that leaves me with a warm glow, a feeling that the little man can win against all the odds, without recourse to cgi special effects or the possession of super powers. Above all, it's a film that I enjoy watching and have done many times. In the grand scheme of things, it's a '9' in its class, but perhaps a 7.5 overall; as 0.5 isn't allowed, I'll give it an 8.

we watched this movie because we had read that it was very heartwarming and family friendly and not at all emotionally traumatic. however, we were traumatised almost immediately with old folks being threatened by a violent gang, one of which is an old woman suffering from dementia who thinks that her dead son is still alive in the leader of the violent mob. a pregnant woman is hassled by the men as she tries to enter the apartment which is being torn down around them, and another woman in the apartment is sexually intimidated (has her leg grabbed and is propositioned) by the gang leader who bashes a hole in her door to stick his head through.the story only begins to become feelgood with the appearance of extra terrestrial beings that begin to inexplicably repair things around the apartment. however, the title of the film "batteries not included" is taken from the line spoken about one of the extra terrestrials DELIVERING A STILL BORN. a still born robot that is brought back to life, but we were shocked that such a strong theme would be considered family friendly.the main romantic intrigue in this film is between a pregnant woman who already has a boyfriend and a drunken artist who kisses her and paints her naked against her wishes. eventually someone is hired to burn the building down, but the woman with dementia is still inside the house so the original gang leader has a change of heart and saves her life. he goes to visit her in the hospital only to be rejected by the woman, as she has finally realised that he is not her son and that her real son is long dead. the gang leader leaves the hospital, throwing the flowers he has brought her into the bin, and walks away into a life of seemingly having nothing - no friends (he has been ditched by his gang), family (this is alluded to in his reactions to the old woman's attempts to make him a part of her family) or material wealth (he has been fired for not successfully emptying the apartment so that it can be demolished). all the deeply human problems of this film are magically "fixed" by a huge hoard of the alien robots rebuilding the apartment. yet it doesn't seem so great that the old woman returns there to live instead of going into a home, as her husband is overwhelmed and depressed by having to live with her deteriorated mental state.heartwarming, what?!

Residents of a building under threat of demolition from developers get an answer to their prayers in the form of tiny mechanical aliens.Firmly embedded in the trench that houses a number of 80s fantastical alienish pictures, *batteries not included is a bit worn around the edges yet still keeps its head above average waters thanks to its unbreakable charm. There is something so joyous about watching bullies {here in the form of vile developers and their hoodlum enforcers} getting a dose of their own medicine, and although the outcome here is never in doubt, it's still an amiable enough ride that manages to lift the spirit and close the picture out with a big cheesy grin. Boasting the solid Hume Cronyn and Jessica Tandy in the leads, we are in very safe hands, and it may well say Matthew Robbins name on the directors chair, we are in no doubt that producer Stephen Spielberg has his stamp all over this one.Safe family viewing, 6/10

I am a diabetic and this was just too much sweetness for my system.I know there are some that consider Miss Daisey (Jessica Tandy) and Hume Cronyn to be some kind of national treasures, but they were just a couple of old people who get all gaga over some mechanical beings from outer space. It was really difficult to watch them.I have to admit that Elizabeth Peña and Dennis Boutsikaris were the best part of this movie, even if he did remind me a bit of an actor I hate. I know that's not his fault, but it detracted from my enjoyment of his performance.All-in-all this belongs on the Disney Channel so it can be avoided by those who can't take too much sugar.