Don't be misled by the title: "People Soup" isn't about cannibalism. In fact, it's a short movie the whole family can enjoy.
In the 1950s, before he was a well-known actor, Alan Arkin wrote two stories that were published in the prestigious "Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction". One of these stories, "Whiskaboom", is a funny science-fiction yarn about an eccentric inventor who accidentally flattens himself. Somebody could make a good movie from "Whiskaboom".
Arkin's lesser story, "People Soup", is a cute fantasy about a boy and girl who start experimenting with various kitchen ingredients, eventually creating a soup which enables them to turn into various animals and objects.
After he became an established actor, Arkin decided to film his own magazine story. "People Soup" is a faithful adaptation of the original story, with the girl changed into another boy so that Arkin's two young sons can play the experimenters. The original story didn't have enough plot for a full-length movie, and sure enough "People Soup" is a short film that makes its point, earns a few gentle laughs, and then quits while it's ahead.
I recommend "People Soup" as a movie that adults and kids can enjoy together, but it's too short to form the backbone for an evening's video pleasure. Still, it's a good glimpse into a little-known aspect of Alan Arkin's many talents, and "People Soup" offers a very early glimpse of the young Adam Arkin as well. See it if
