Harry and the Hendersons is one of the lost ‘80s classics. If you’ve seen it, you assuredly have fond memories. If you haven’t, you probably never knew it existed, and without a DVD release until now, it’s hard to blame you.
Regardless of who has actually seen this small family masterpiece, it’s a memorable film with a great creature design by Rick Baker, solid performances all around, and the right mix of humor and drama. The story is about a typical Seattle family suddenly stuck with a giant bigfoot for an unwanted pet.
There’s a significant amount of subtle and non-subtle commentary on animal rights. In fact, that’s the main reason for the Hendersons choosing to keep the creature they accidentally hit with their car. Much of the humor in the film comes from Harry’s antics and adjustment to suburban life. Portrayed by Kevin Peter Hall, notable also for his performance as the Predator, Harry has an astounding amount of emotional ammunition to use as needed.
In fact, the film works as it does solely because of Baker and Hall. Everything hinges on the believability of the creature, and it’s so flawlessly crafted, even as the bigfoot creature takes on human characteristics (he loves The Addams Family) the audience never loses the illusion that he’s an animal away from his home. The human story is filled with general characters, particularly Margaret Langrick stuck in the role of a rebellious teenager with little else to do. The film also dies down in the middle after Harry escapes and the film moves into a sub-plot about a desperate hunter attempting to track down the creature.
While purely family fare, the youngest may be better off waiting a few years yet. William Dear’s direction can put the creature in an extremely terrifying light, particularly during the first full reveal in a dark kitchen. The rest of the film will captivate everyone in the audience.
Some may also find the message too pushy, though if that’s the case, you’re looking far too deep into this light-hearted fare. Taken for the fun romp it is, Harry and the Hendersons withstands the test of time. It remains as enjoyable as it was back in 1987. 
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