HOOMANIA

Accidentally breaking a window, seven-year-old Kris Atwood flees the wrath of his parents by bicycling to an elderly inventor’s house where he stumbles onto a bigger-than-life game called HOOMANIA, enabling him to learn a valuable lesson about wisdom.

Before Kris treks into his adventure, the inventor explains the game rules: “The object is to get from the start to the Gates of Wisdom without (straying) from the Path of Righteousness. If you goof up, you get a dodo bird card. Get three cards and you lose the game. And you get 15 minutes to do it in.”

The fun starts when Kris moves his peg on the board, zapping him into a three-dimensional world complete with wacky characters, both good and mischievous, who assist or hinder Kris in his race to Mount Wisdom. Skipping down the Path of Righteousness, Kris meets Derek and Earl, a British-speaking green face in a Derby hat and his squinty-eyed, pinkish bald pal. They tempt the boy to steal the king’s treasure from underneath his chair, which later costs him a Dodo card.

Subsequently, Kris meets the Jack of Cards, who gives him a five-speed, red turbo speedster. Racing off, Kris takes a detour into Pinball Boulevard, where he enjoys the action yet ends up clanging into huge bells to avoid the metallic ball. Rebuking him is the Dodo bird, who squawks “a fool and his rocket are soon departed. Fools despise wisdom and instruction. A fool is big-headed and careless. Sound like anybody you know?”

With two Dodo cards to boot, Kris hitches a ride from a captain sailing through the ocean in his fish-shaped rowboat. “Wisdom ain’t easy, Lad. But you’re catching on,” he says.

With land ahoy, Kris wanders ashore into a rainbow land of candy and chocolates. He is tempted by gluttony and sluggishness, but manages to flee from them. Suddenly, the timer rings, forcing Kris to rush to Mt. Wisdom just as the drawbridge closes.

Safe inside, Kris is welcomed by a cheering crowd. Trumpets blow as a wise, chubby owl descends from his perch and recites a poem about wisdom. The furry friend admonishes Kris to go home to his parents, adding that “the game is over, but the lesson in wisdom has just begun.”

Through his fantastic adventure, Kris learns that wisdom means making responsible choices towards his parents and friends, as well as an inner desire to please God.

HOOMANIA, prized as the Best Children’s Film of 1986 by the Academy of Christian Cinemagraphic Arts, is wholesome entertainment that resounds the truth of Proverbs 9:10: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy one is understanding.” Well-made and imaginative, HOOMANIA captivates children while teaching them important lessons about life. In fact, HOOMANIA is so creative that the lack of a big network budget is soon forgotten as children root for Kris to win the game.