Adventures in Babysitting review

High-achieving but super-structured Jenny and free-spirited but irresponsible Lola are both competing for the same photography internship. They have accidentally switched phones, and so Lola receives a babysitting request intended for Jenny. She needs the money, so Lola poses as a friend of Jenny, and accepts the work. She’s overmatched by the task, and chaos breaks out in the home; Jenny learns of this, and hoping to salvage her reputation, she brings the kids she is babysitting at another home in an attempt to help Lola restore order before the chaos is discovered by either set of parents. 

However, one of the teens under Lola’s care has decided to run away, which sets off a chain reaction putting the babysitters and kids into more and more difficult situations, including being pursued by some low-level criminals, and being forced to rap on stage about babysitting. Most of their problems could have been solved if they had called the parents to ask for help, but Jenny is too scared to do so; after some close calls, the kids and babysitters make it home and the parents are none the wiser. Jenny even has time to bring the whole crew to a concert so that she can greet a boy that she likes. 

An ending scene suggests that at least one parent has an idea of what happened.

Adventures in Babysitting might appeal to kids ages 6-9 or so, and parents could use the opportunity to point out how a safe adult would have reacted, had they been asked for help. No adoption connection in this one. The characters feel a little clichéd, and some kids much older than 9 – and their parents - might find it hard to stay interested. The young kids who might enjoy it probably could use some parental guidance, regarding the characters’ attempts to hide their needs and problems from the adults.

Adventures in Babysitting will premiere on the Disney Channel at 8 PM (Eastern/Pacific) on Friday night, June 24.