Look Who’s Talking Now! (1993) was chosen by Chris, rounding out the unlikely trilogy that began as a surprise hit in 1989. By the early ’90s, the Look Who’s Talking franchise had already proven its commercial appeal, and TriStar Pictures was keen to keep the momentum going. This third entry shifted focus behind the scenes, with original director Amy Heckerling stepping away and Tom Ropelewski taking over directorial duties. John Travolta and Kirstie Alley returned following the success of Look Who’s Talking Too, while the production leaned heavily on the established brand recognition rather than reinventing the formula.
The film was produced during a transitional period for Hollywood family comedies, as studios increasingly relied on sequels, celebrity voice work, and broad humor to attract audiences. A major production emphasis was placed on the voice performances, enlisting high-profile actors to give personality and comedic timing to the animal characters through extensive ADR sessions. Despite a solid budget and the continued involvement of its star leads, Look Who’s Talking Now! faced franchise fatigue upon release and struggled to recapture the box-office success of its predecessors. Today, it’s remembered as a curious example of early-’90s sequel culture — a film driven more by brand familiarity than creative necessity, and a reminder of how quickly novelty concepts can wear thin.
If you enjoy the show and would like to support us, we have a Patreon here.
Referral links also help out the show if you were going to sign up:
Trailer Guy Plot Summary
From the creators of a blockbuster comedy franchise… comes the one where the pets finally take over.
The family is back, the chaos is louder, and this time the dogs have something to say. With celebrity voices, slapstick mayhem, and 90s family-friendly insanity turned up to eleven, Look Who’s Talking Now! lets the animals loose — commenting on love, loyalty, and household madness like only talking pets can.
Look Who’s Talking Now! — when the fur flies, the truth comes out.
Fun Facts
Look Who’s Talking Now! was the final film in the Look Who’s Talking trilogy, bringing the franchise to an end after three movies in five years.
The movie marked one of the rare times Danny DeVito and Diane Keaton voiced animated characters together, even though neither appears on screen.
The dogs’ mouth movements were created using subtle animatronics and careful editing, rather than full CGI, which was still limited in the early 1990s.
Despite mixed reviews, the film performed strongly on VHS and rental charts, continuing the franchise’s popularity in the home-video market.
The movie received several Golden Raspberry Award nominations, including Worst Screenplay and Worst Supporting Actress, reflecting its critical reception.
Look Who’s Talking Now! was released during a wave of early-90s “talking animal” movies, alongside films like Homeward Bound and Bingo.
This installment shifted the franchise’s focus more toward family-friendly animal comedy, a move that divided fans of the earlier films.
The film has since gained a nostalgic cult following, particularly among viewers who grew up watching it repeatedly on VHS and cable television.
thevhsstrikesback@gmail.com
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
The Burden
The Burden is a documentary series that takes listeners into the hidden places where justice is done (and undone). It dives deep into the lives of heroes and villains. And it focuses a spotlight on those who triumph even when the odds are against them. Season 5 - The Burden: Death & Deceit in Alliance On April Fools Day 1999, 26-year-old Yvonne Layne was found murdered in her Alliance, Ohio home. David Thorne, her ex-boyfriend and father of one of her children, was instantly a suspect. Another young man admitted to the murder, and David breathed a sigh of relief, until the confessed murderer fingered David; “He paid me to do it.” David was sentenced to life without parole. Two decades later, Pulitzer winner and podcast host, Maggie Freleng (Bone Valley Season 3: Graves County, Wrongful Conviction, Suave) launched a “live” investigation into David's conviction alongside Jason Baldwin (himself wrongfully convicted as a member of the West Memphis Three). Maggie had come to believe that the entire investigation of David was botched by the tiny local police department, or worse, covered up the real killer. Was Maggie correct? Was David’s claim of innocence credible? In Death and Deceit in Alliance, Maggie recounts the case that launched her career, and ultimately, “broke” her.” The results will shock the listener and reduce Maggie to tears and self-doubt. This is not your typical wrongful conviction story. In fact, it turns the genre on its head. It asks the question: What if our champions are foolish? Season 4 - The Burden: Get the Money and Run “Trying to murder my father, this was the thing that put me on the path.” That’s Joe Loya and that path was bank robbery. Bank, bank, bank, bank, bank. In season 4 of The Burden: Get the Money and Run, we hear from Joe who was once the most prolific bank robber in Southern California, and beyond. He used disguises, body doubles, proxies. He leaped over counters, grabbed the money and ran. Even as the FBI was closing in. It was a showdown between a daring bank robber, and a patient FBI agent. Joe was no ordinary bank robber. He was bright, articulate, charismatic, and driven by a dark rage that he summoned up at will. In seven episodes, Joe tells all: the what, the how… and the why. Including why he tried to murder his father. Season 3 - The Burden: Avenger Miriam Lewin is one of Argentina’s leading journalists today. At 19 years old, she was kidnapped off the streets of Buenos Aires for her political activism and thrown into a concentration camp. Thousands of her fellow inmates were executed, tossed alive from a cargo plane into the ocean. Miriam, along with a handful of others, will survive the camp. Then as a journalist, she will wage a decades long campaign to bring her tormentors to justice. Avenger is about one woman’s triumphant battle against unbelievable odds to survive torture, claim justice for the crimes done against her and others like her, and change the future of her country. Season 2 - The Burden: Empire on Blood Empire on Blood is set in the Bronx, NY, in the early 90s, when two young drug dealers ruled an intersection known as “The Corner on Blood.” The boss, Calvin Buari, lived large. He and a protege swore they would build an empire on blood. Then the relationship frayed and the protege accused Calvin of a double homicide which he claimed he didn’t do. But did he? Award-winning journalist Steve Fishman spent seven years to answer that question. This is the story of one man’s last chance to overturn his life sentence. He may prevail, but someone’s gotta pay. The Burden: Empire on Blood is the director’s cut of the true crime classic which reached #1 on the charts when it was first released half a dozen years ago. Season 1 - The Burden In the 1990s, Detective Louis N. Scarcella was legendary. In a city overrun by violent crime, he cracked the toughest cases and put away the worst criminals. “The Hulk” was his nickname. Then the story changed. Scarcella ran into a group of convicted murderers who all say they are innocent. They turned themselves into jailhouse-lawyers and in prison founded a lway firm. When they realized Scarcella helped put many of them away, they set their sights on taking him down. And with the help of a NY Times reporter they have a chance. For years, Scarcella insisted he did nothing wrong. But that’s all he’d say. Until we tracked Scarcella to a sauna in a Russian bathhouse, where he started to talk..and talk and talk. “The guilty have gone free,” he whispered. And then agreed to take us into the belly of the beast. Welcome to The Burden.