Reviews

This movie fails, but it fails in an interesting way.

First of all, it's not a film. It's an unsuccessful attempt to permanently record a stage play, masquerading as a film. The director seems to have no clue to the techniques, nuances and flexibility possible with film.

Instead, 90% of the "action" takes place on two very contrived stage sets. The characters are merely stereotypes. The "action" consists of each character delivering a long soliloquy on their philosophy regarding sex. However, the writer is so self-absorbed that every point of view is that of a young male "player." Ultimately, this is a few hours of audible naval-gazing. Instead of presenting different points of view, this feels like an inner dialogue from one really immature, boring guy.

The female characters are especially shallow and unbelievable when they talk about sex, which is all anyone does in the movie. They are clearly women speaking words written by a clueless man who is developmentally about 25 years old.

The director also doesn't trust his actors to convey complex emotions on film. That's unfortunate, because there are some fine actors in the film, who are capable of much more. Instead, the performance are so "big," the gestures so exaggerated, that they seem a parody of stage acting. Only Sean Astin's nice-guy character manages to escape this curse, appearing understated by comparison.

Whenever the script calls for strong emotion on screen, the director goes into a series of cartoonishly distorted quick cuts. Again, this indicates a lack of trust in the actors, or respect for their abilities.

If any of these tactics worked, they would be interesting artistic choices. Unfortunately, they don't, and there's nothing interesting about this movie.

This may not be the worst movie I've ever seen, but it's certainly in the bottom three. I hate to say it because they gave me a free ticket, but the film manages to be both creepy and incredibly boring at the same time. It's a cheap rip-off of 1984's The Karate Kid, without karate, a kid, or Pat Morita. (Yes, it's that bad.) I kept hoping the main character's leg would shatter into a million pieces, as in the opening scene, so I could leave the theater.

It's really too bad, because I hoped that the marketing ploy of giving away thousands of free tickets would prove successful, so other films would repeat it. But, this movie is not worth my time, even when the ticket is free.

It says a great deal about how bad this film is when I say that the best scenes involve shots of men's gymnastics. I'm sure it's a demanding sport, but it's not visually the most exciting thing that ever happened on film.

I never developed any empathy for or rapport with the main character. In fact, although I don't usually approve of on-screen violence, I kept hoping he would crash his motorcycle head-on into an 18-wheeler, just to put us both out of our misery. Pride is a better sports movie. The Shooter is a better action flick. Namesake is a better exploration of spirituality and cultures. I finally left the theater and went home to do something fun like organize my linen closet -- the movie is that bad!

An upbeat, positive feel-good sports movie that will also appeal to non-sports fans. Fun and hopeful without being sentimental. The audience was reluctant to leave the theater when it was over -- they wanted the movie to continue. An uplifting movie based on actual events. The tragic, shocking plane crash that killed 75 people is deftly handled off screen. The director showed commendable restraint in not creating a gory crash scene. Instead, the film focuses on the emotional trauma the crash inflicts on the entire town. The only injuries graphically portrayed in the film occur on the football field. This film emphasizes the fact that you don't have to win a bowl game, to be a winner. Okay, there is about 60 seconds near the end that is over-sentimental, but I guess the director was entitled. Be sure to stick around for shots of the movie stars with their real-life counterparts.