Common Sense Media Review
By Tracy Moore
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Low-budget '90s slapstick with mildly risqué scenes.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 10+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Invisible Dad
What's the Story?
Doug (William Meyers) and his dad, Andrew (Daran Norris), have just moved to a new house and a new town where Dad has landed a new architecture gig. Doug finds a strange machine in the garage that turns his dad invisible just as his dad lands a big account to prove his design skills. Now Doug and Dad must find a solution to this problem while keeping everyone, including Doug's teacher, who has a crush on Dad, in the dark.
Is It Any Good?
By conventional standards, this is a terrible movie. The acting is green and strangely overdone, the plot is amateurish, and the invisibility is barely a notch above hats and jackets held by fishing wire. There's a 1990s risqué quality to the film, with a son obsessed with pretty women in bikinis splashing in pools and characters drinking throughout. It sets a new low bar for movies featuring invisible characters, but there's also a so-bad-it's-good charm here in the sheer spectacle of the slapdash way it's put together. Parents may groan, but young kids might appreciate the silliness.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about movies where characters are invisible. Why do you think they're so popular?
What would you do if you were invisible? What would be the bad parts about it?
Have you ever seen a really good movie about invisibility? What was it? How does it compare to Invisible Dad?
Movie Details
- In theaters : November 16, 1997
- On DVD or streaming : March 23, 2015
- Cast : Karen Black , Charles Dierkop
- Director : Fred Olen Ray
- Studio : FilmRise
- Genre : Comedy
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic )
- Run time : 90 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : Rated PG for mild sensuality, language and violence
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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