Riding on the success of his "teen idol" status from co-starring in the sitcom The Hogan Family and following his lead role in the awful sequel, Teen Wolf Too, Jason Bateman returned to television to play the lead role in this teen thriller.

Bateman plays Toby, a normal high school kid who's fairly popular and plays keyboard in a rock band. He's sent away to a music camp for the summer by his parents where he proceeds to rebel by doing such horrendous things as knocking people's sheet music over and calling them 'twerps'. On top of that, his band mates have recruited Megan (Chynna Phillips, who found success as part of the pop group Wilson Phillips and who's parents were co-founders of musical group 'The Mamas & The Papas') to fill in while Toby is gone and his dad (Tom Skerritt) has been acting a little bit strangely.

Not wanting to waste his vacation in the stuffy camp, Toby soon decides to take off during the night and return home. But in the meantime, dad and family have been visited by the Justice Department and placed into witness protection meaning that Toby returns to a literally empty house (even the furniture is gone). On top of that, he ends-up being chased by mob heavies while trying to figure out where everyone has gone.

Moving Target is a total product of its decade. It's dated, completely harmless and about as forgettable a timewaster as you might expect. It belongs in the same group of TV movies from the late 80's such as Crash Course and Dance 'Til Dawn where a recognizable teen face (or, in the case of the two mentioned, an ensemble cast of teens) from a popular series would be given the lead role in a "movie of the week" to try and pull in younger viewers. The baby faced Bateman is pretty "meh" in the lead and the villains (led by Jack Wagner, a vet of soap opera General Hospital) never really feel to pose much of a threat. On top of that there's not much in the way of action here (no, the scooter chase doesn't count!) and there's an unintentionally funny finish that has Wagner's character menacingly sporting an Uzi.

Three years later the basics of Andy Tennant's script would pop-up in the similar Patrick Dempsey thriller, Run (in which he's on the run from the police and mob after accidentally killing a mob boss' son), though I'm pretty sure the writers of that didn't use this for ideas or inspiration.

Tennant has gone on to be the director of such romantic pap as Hitch, Sweet Home Alabama and Ever After while director Chris Thomson would stay busy helming numerous made-for-TV thrillers (including Trucks, the second filmed version of Stephen King's story of the same name). Bateman would forever cement his name in pop culture, and forever gain my respect, by co-starring in the hilarious (and too soon cancelled) Arrested Development and make memorable bit roles in such fare as Dodgeball). (Chris Hartley, 1/7/07)

Directed By: Chris Thomson.
Written By: Andy Tennant.

Starring: Jason Bateman, John Glover, Jack Wagner, Chynna Phillips.