The Popcorn Guide

The Popcorn Guide

Popcorn Rating System

Movie Rating Guide

Unpopped Kernals = Terrible Movie = 0 - 1.5 stars
Burnt Popcorn = Bad Movie = 2 - 4 stars
Plain Popcorn = Ok Movie = 4.5 - 5.5 stars
Kettle Corn = Good Movie = 6 - 7 stars
Buttered Popcorn = Very Good Movie = 7.5 - 8.5 stars
Movie Theater Popcorn = Awesome Movie = 9 - 9.5 stars
Bag Of Half-popped Kernals = Hall of Fame = 10 stars
Showing posts with label R. Show all posts
Showing posts with label R. Show all posts

Saturday, June 14, 2008

Semi-Pro (2008)


Title: Semi-Pro (2008)
Genre: Sports Comedy
Rating: R (language, sexual situations)
Running Time: 100 minutes
Director: Kent Alterman
Starring: Will Farrell, Andre Benjamin, Woody Harrelson, Andrew Daly, David Koechner, Andy Richter

My Take

When I heard that Will Farrell was making a basketball movie I must admit I was excited, but not as much as I once would have been. After getting excited for his previous sports related movies - Kicking & Screaming (2005), Talladega Nights (2006) and Blades of Glory (2007) - and ultimately being disappointed, I expected much of the same immature and gay humor. What I got instead was the best Will Farrell movie since Anchorman (2004) and one of the funniest sports comedies I've ever seen. The story is goofy like most of Will Farrell's movies, but the absence of the usual gay comedy was a pleasant change. Will Farrell was his usual hilarious self and he doesn't need to change in my opinion as long as he can stick with good and hilarious scripts. I know what I'm going to get out of Will Farrell, but this movie proved to me that he can be in a great movie without changing what makes him such a great comedic actor. The supporting cast was solid and the movie was great entertainment. I wish they could have eliminated a couple words which would have easily made it a PG-13 rating. With an R rating, several young adults were not able to watch and several adults probably avoided it assuming much more of the raunchy usual. Those who missed this movie missed out on a hilarious comedy that actually has very little objectionable content. I was pleasantly surprised by this movie and like it so much that I'm considering buying it and watching it again. "Love Me Sexy" is one of the funniest songs I've heard. I give this comedy two thumbs up and hope that Will Farrell continues making movies like this in the future and less movies like Blades of Glory.

Ranking the Top 5 Best Will Farrell Movies (That I have Seen)

  1. Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy & Wake Up Ron Burgundy (2004)
  2. Elf (2003)
  3. Semi-Pro (2008)
  4. Wedding Crashers (2005)
  5. Old School (2003)

Honorable Mention

  1. Talladega Nights (2006)
  2. Starsky & Hutch (2004)
  3. Bewitched (2005)

Ranking the 5 Worst Will Farrell Movies (That I have Seen)

  1. Melinda & Melinda (2004)
  2. Kicking & Screaming (2005)
  3. Blades of Glory (2007)
  4. A Night at the Roxbury (1998)
  5. Austin Powers Series of Movies (1997-1999)

Dishonorable Mention

  1. Stranger Than Fiction (2006)
  2. Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2001)
  3. Zoolander (2001)

Movies I Haven't Seen/Not Included

    • Several of Farrell's older movies
    • Boat Trip (2003)
    • Winter Passing (2004)
    • The Wendell Baker Story (2005)
    • The Producers (2005)
    • Curious George (2006)
    • Step Brothers (2008)

I want to hear from you. Disagree with my lists? What are your favorite Will Farrell movies? Are you tired of seeing Will Farrell comedies? I want to know what you think!

Popcorn Rating

movie theater popcorn


Tuesday, April 8, 2008

Sweeney Todd (2007)


Title: Sweeney Todd (2007)
Genre: Musical
Rating: R (Bloody Violence)
Running Time: 116 Minutes
Director: Tim Burton
Starring: Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman, Timothy Spall, Sacha Baron Cohen, Jaime Campbell Bower

My Take

Tim Burton and Johhny Depp have done it again. They have made a unique movie that appeals to the masses, and Sweeney Todd might be their best movie to date. Let me begin by saying I don't like musicals, and in fact I hate musicals generally speaking. The only musical I liked before Sweeney Todd was Sound of Music. Sweeney Todd is a musical, but it is not your typical musical. Of course with Burton and Depp you know you are getting anything but typical. In any musical, vocals and soundtrack are essential and it was rock solid in Sweeney Todd. Depp proves again with his singing in this movie he is the most diverse actor of his time. I think Depp has the ability to take on any role and make it fantastic. The story in Sweeney Todd was told in a brilliant way and kept me engaged throughout. The nature of the story is grotesque, but somehow Burton was able to make light of even the darkest of situations. I think this is part of what I liked so much about the movie. It has lots of bloody violence, which keeps me from recommending this to anyone and everyone.


Unfortunately for those who can't stomach bloody violence, you can't simply close your eyes at a certain spot because the blood is frequent and not always predictable. That said, the blood is not realistic, and it is so over the top that it is comical. I found myself laughing hysterically during much of the movie. Depp was not the only actor of note in Sweeney Todd. Alan Rickman also put in a solid performance as well as several others. The reason I know this is a good movie is because I have been thinking about it even days after I've watched it. I want to watch it again, and I rarely watch movies twice. I even own some movies that I've only seen once. When I woke up this morning and started shaving I started singing... "Pretty women..." Thankfully I didn't cut myself shaving. I don't know that I can ever go to a barber again. I don't know how exactly, but once again Burton and Depp have made something of a masterpiece that only they could pull off. The bloody violence could keep some away, but there was no nudity or sexual situations and minimal bad language to speak of, so it was generally clean if you take away the blood. I strongly recommend this movie. I will watch it again.

Popcorn Rating

Movie Theater Popcorn

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Psycho (1998)


Synopsis

Title: Psycho (1998)

Genre: Horror

Rating: R (Violence, sexuality/nudity)

Running Time: 105 Minutes

Director: Gus Van Sant

Starring: Vince Vaughn, Anne Heche, Julianne Moore, Viggo Mortensen, William Macy, Robert Forester

Plot: A woman steals $400,000 and drives off with the money. She runs into an old motel off the main highway and meets Norman Bates. Norman runs the motel and has some obvious quirks about him. The woman would soon wish that she never made a stop at that motel.

My Take

This movie clearly lacked originality. In fact, it was pretty much a direct imitation of the original psycho. What was the purpose? The only difference was that this version was in color and there were different actors. The original Psycho was classic and I guess Gus Van Sant didn’t want to mess with ‘greatness’. The movie doesn’t worry about keeping realistic because the original didn’t worry about keeping scenes realistic. I did notice an obvious editing mistake: The house is on the right of the motel but one of the shots had it on the right.

What About Vince?

I thought Vince did an exceptional job as Norman Bates. He may have played the psycho role just a little early when he was in the long dinner scene with Anne Heche, who it should be noted also did brilliant in my opinon. Although I think he gave too much of his character away too early, I think that is a directorial mistake as opposed to Vince’s mistake. I guess he could argue the point, but ultimately that is probably up to the director. I thought Vince truly shined in this movie. One of his best performances for sure.

Should You Watch???

Watch if you haven’t seen the original, but if you’ve seen the original you’ve already seen this movie. There is nothing new here. Psycho is a movie classic and the updated version is not much worse than the original. I actually really enjoyed it if I’m going to be quite honest. It’s been a while since I saw the original and I thought that while it’s not the most realistic or horrifying movie, it is a classic. While imitation is not original, it doesn’t hurt or diminish the original. If anything, it is a huge complement that they kept everything the same. I would watch this movie again because I really enjoy horror films and Psycho is a classic in my eyes even if it isn’t the best movie.

Popcorn Rating

Kettle Corn

Monday, February 18, 2008

Clay Pigeons (1998)

Synopsis

Title: Clay Pigeons (1998)
Genre: Dark Comedy
Rating: R (Adult Situations, Violence, Profanity, Adult Humor)
Running Time: 104 Minutes
Director: David Dobkin
Starring: Vince Vaughn, Joaquin Phoenix, Janneane Garafolo, Georgina Cates, Scott Wilson, Vince Vieluf
Plot: Out in the country of Montana, an ordinary guy is mistaken by the FBI as a serial killer. As several people close to him wind up dead, he ironically is the one there to report to the sheriff’s office, which is hilariously naïve. The actual serial killer, Lester Long, eventually befriends Clay and it is a roller coaster of a ride from there.



My Take
Clay Pigeons was a directorial debut for David Dobkin. Before Clay Pigeons, he gained notoriety as a music video director. Another person involved in the movie but not mentioned is Ridley Scott who was the executive producer of the movie. Now I’m generally not a fan of black comedies, but I actually liked this movie. Often times black comedies are extremely weird and the plot makes no sense at all. Often times black comedies have no comedic moments whatsoever, but while Clay Pigeons had its weird moments I was able to follow the story and there were some comedic acting and dialogue. I am a big fan of both Vince Vaughn and Joaquin Phoenix so maybe that is part of the reason why I liked this movie. I also like Vince Vieluf. He does a perfect job as the dumb deputy Barney. I very much enjoyed watching this film.

What About Vince?
Vince played a very weird character in this movie. He played Lester (the molester) Long who was a serial killer who stabbed numerous woman to death. This role for Vince was different then his past roles which was nice to see. He was a cowboy who had a strong accent and had a very strange persona. While I liked him, I found his fake laugh to be annoying. I concede that it did add to the quirkiness of his character, so I’m sure it was intentional, but it was a little over the top. Other than that though, I liked his performance. He is starting to show some versatility and his performance in this movie has not gone unnoticed by fans of him and the movie.

Should You Watch???
This movie is not for everyone. Firstly, note the rating as there is some sexuality, violence and profanity. Secondly, not everyone enjoys the black comedy genre. I am usually included in that crowd, but for some reason I found myself enjoying the subtle comedy and plot twists. If you are looking for something a little different, check it out. If you are a fan of black comedies, chances are you’ll absolutely love this one.

Popcorn Rating

Kettle Corn

Monday, February 11, 2008

The Locusts (1997)

Synopsis

Title: The Locusts (1997)

Genre: Drama

Rating: R

Running Time: 125 Minutes

Director: John Patrick Kelley

Main Actors: Kate Capshaw, Vince Vaughn, Jeremy Davies, Ashley Judd, Paul Rudd

Plot: A young drifter, Clay Hewitt, wanders onto a ranch run by a bossy widow named Delilah Potts. Clay asks for a job on the ranch and discovers Delilah and her son have deep problems. Also released under the title A Secret Sin, The Locusts marked the feature debut of writer and director John Patrick Kelley

My Take

I don’t have much to say about this movie. It is not terrible, but there are few redeeming qualities about the film at the same time. Ashley Judd looks good and Vince Vaughn does a good job with his part. You might remember Jeremy Davies (Flyboy) from Saving Private Ryan. He’s become known for playing the role of a victimized and conflicted young man and he did a decent job. Kate Capeshaw played her role as b*tch well. Smoking was so prevalent in the movie that it became part of the storyline; it was annoying to me. Nothing stood out to me as being great or really even good for that matter. I won’t give anything away and I won’t go into why it is, but I will say that the ending was simply awful. I felt depressed for after the movie in part because of the story and in part because I wasted two hours of my life watching the film.

What About Vince?

Vince Vaughn had a starring role and did a good job. He plays the drifter who was looking for work and found it at a ranch. He befriends the son of the widow at the ranch and much of the movie is about their relationship. He does a good job playing the cool and concerned friend. He has past problems of his own and does a decent job showing emotion, although I don’t think anyone will call that his strong suit as far as acting is concerned. I liked Vince in this movie, but his performance was not so great that I’d say you need to watch the movie for his performance.

Should You Watch???

Umm… I guess you should watch if you think Ashley Judd is hot and that is good enough for you. I guess you should watch if you are doing a movie month on Vince Vaughn. I guess you should watch if your cable goes out, you have nothing else to do, you have two hours to waste, and an extra two hours of sleep doesn’t entice you. In all other instances, I’d say you don’t want to watch this movie.

Popcorn Rating

Plain Popcorn

Monday, February 4, 2008

Swingers (1996)


Synopsis

Title: Swingers (1996)

Genre: Comedy/Drama

Rating: R

Running Time: 96 Minutes

Director: Doug Liman

Main Actors: Jon Favreau, Vince Vaughn, Ron Livingston, Heather Graham, Brooke Langton

Plot: This is a story about Mike, a guy who left his girl in New York when he came to LA to be a star. It's been six months since he left his girlfriend and he's not doing so good. So his best pal Trent and some other friends try and get him back in the social scene and forget about his 6 year relationship.

My Take

This is the definition of the dating scene during the 90’s. It is the most down to earth, true-to-form movie I have ever seen. Although I personally didn’t hit the party scene much, it does bring back memories of my college days. It’s not something I really desire to go back to at this time, but at the same time it was a great experience. Swingers is hilarious, but it is also an excellent story about relationships. What’s the last time you could say that a movie was hilarious with a great story in the same sentence? Swingers was shot on a small budget, but it was done expertly. The swing music was great and it actually brought back swing music in the late 90’s. Everything about this movie, in my eyes, was simply magnificent. I’ll talk about Vince’s performance in a bit, but Jon Favreau and company did an excellent job as well. Great job by director Doug Liman. Everybody was awesome. I own this movie, and it is one of the few movies that I will go back and see over and over again. Several scenes stood out, but especially the last scene, which may be the best last scene in any movie. Swingers is awesome. In fact, it might be my favorite movie of all time. That’s my take.

What About Vince?

This is Vince’s best performance to date. In fact, I think he could go on to star in movies for the next 50 years and he would still be remembered for his part in Swingers. He does simply an amazing job as Trent. This was undoubtedly a springboard for his career.


Should You Watch???

There is quite a bit of language in the film, so that could turn some off I guess. This is a guy’s-guy movie. I can’t speak on behalf of the women, but I will say that this movie will hit home with every young man. It’s so much more than a simple comedy. This movie is about relationships more than anything else. Girls you should be able to watch this one and enjoy it as well. You might learn something about guys unless of course you already have us all figured out. Do yourself a favor and watch Swingers. Guess what? It’s back-to-back Hall of Fame movies. Don’t expect that streak to continue.

Popcorn Rating

Bag of Half-Popped Kernels

Sunday, January 27, 2008

3:10 to Yuma (2007)


Synopsis

Title: 3:10 To Yuma (2007)

Genre: Western

Rating: R

Running Time: 122 Minutes

Director: James Mangold

Starring: Russell Crowe, Christian Bale, Ben Foster, Peter Fonda, Gretchen Mol, Logan Lerman, Luke Wilson

Plot: Taking place shortly after the civil war, famous outlaw Ben Wade is captured and escorted to the 3:10 train to Yuma. Wade's vengeful gang makes things hazardous for those transporting the outlaw.

My Take

This is a remake of a movie by the same title exactly 5o years ago. It was directed by James Mangold, who was the director of Walk the Line, a very good movie about the life of famous country singer Johnny Cash. This movie also brought in some big name actors. Russell Crowe is good in everything he's in (although I didn't fall in love with all his movies: A Perfect Storm), and Christain Bale are the lead actors and do a brilliant job. I had not heard of or seen Ben Foster before this movie, but he did a great job in this movie. I think his beard made him scary and intimidating. I think I said "yikes" when I first saw him. He was the best supporting actor in my opinion. Marco Beltrami received an oscar nomination for his musical score and sound. The costume design team did a very good job making the movie look and feel like an old western movie that follows the classic Western storyline. I liked the acting, directing, sound and the scenery. I didn't like everything about the story or the execution of the story. The movie is entertaining enough, but it is not a movie I would rave about the next day.

Should You Watch???

If you like classic western movies with plenty of gun fighting in the southern desert, I suspect you'll fall in love with this movie. The Western movie genre has been dead for quite some time it seems and this should be refreshing to those who like those movies. The story is a classic Western plot, but it left me several opportunities to say "now why would they do that?" The tone of the movie is sad, so if you are like my fiance, that will turn you off to this movie. What can you expect from a Western movie? I'm not a big fan of Westerns myself, but I really like the actors in this movie. I think it is worth the watch unless you can't stand to watch an old fashioned gun fight.

Popcorn Rating

Buttered Popcorn

Thursday, January 24, 2008

Checking Out (1989)


Synopsis

Title: Checking out (1989)

Genre: Comedy

Rating: R

Running Time: 95 Minutes

Director: David Leland

Main Actors: Jeff Daniels, Melanie Mayron, Michael Tucker, Kathleen York, Ann Magnuson

Plot: Jeff Daniels stars as Ray Macklin who is deathly scared of illness and mortality after seeing his friend die from a heart attack.

My Take

I caught this movie playing on cable because I saw Jeff Daniels was starring in a comedy. The only other comedy Jeff Daniels was in that I have seen was Dumb and Dumber and I loved that movie, so I thought I’d give this one a try. There were a couple funny moments, most within the first couple minutes, but for the most part it was not real good. In fact, it was more like Dumb and Dumberer than it was Dumb and Dumber. Jeff Daniels definitely needs Jim Carey.


Should You Watch???

This movie is a goofy-funny movie but not extremely goofy. If you like those types of movies, you might like this movie, but I don’t think this movie is very good even for a goofy movie. They could have very easily made this movie PG-13 by avoiding a couple words and maybe a scene or two, which I think would help, because I think the teen crowd might like it more than the adult crowd might. This movie is obscure for a reason. You will be just fine if you never see this film.


Popcorn Rating

Plain Popcorn



Saturday, January 19, 2008

Punch-Drunk Love (2002)


Title: Punch-Drunk Love (2002)

Genre: Romantic Comedy (?)

Rating: R

Running Time: 95 Minutes

Director: Paul Thomas Anderson

Main Actors: Adam Sandler, Emily Watson, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Luis Guzman, Mary Lynn Rajskub

Plot: The plot is to be weird. The movie follows a guy who has some kind of personality disorder.

My Take

This is a romantic comedy? Really? Doesn't that mean it is supposed to be romantic and funny? I'd even settle for romantic OR funny. Weird. I don't know if I was drunk when I was watching this movie, but I'm pretty sure the director was drunk while he was directing this movie. Paul Thomas Anderson was named best director for his work on this movie? Who the hell was presenting that award? I will make it a point to avoid ALL Paul Thomas Anderson films in the future.

Should You Watch???

This movie is not for the masses. I actually don't know who the target audience is for this movie. I really tried to like this movie. I really, really tried. I tried really hard to understand all the weird lighting, sounds, dialogue, locations, plot, etc. I gave this movie chance, but it's just not good. Avoid this movie at all costs.

Popcorn Rating

Burnt Popcorn

Monday, January 14, 2008

Munich (2005)


Synopsis

Title: Munich (2005)

Genre: Drama

Rating: R

Running Time: 164 Minutes

Director: Stephen Spielberg

Main Actors: Eric Bana, Daniel Craig, Ciaran Hinds, Ayelet Zurer, Geoffrey Rush

Plot: This movie focuses on the Israeli retaliation to the 1972 Munich games tragedy when Palestinian terrorists killed 11 Israeli Olympians.

My Take

If you plan on watching this movie, make sure you don’t have any plans for an entire night because this movie is long. Too long and slow for me. It is not that I can’t watch movies that are long, some of my favorite movies are long, but there is not enough consistency and flow in the story to keep me involved for such a long time. The acting by all accounts was good. The story was good and based at least loosely on historical fact. Spielberg did a good job directing, taking aim at another film surrounding important historical events in recent Jewish history. This was a very good movie, but I felt that it could have been better than great. It had potential to be exceptional.

Should You Watch???

Munich is aptly rated R, mainly due to graphic violence and some sexual content. No children should be exposed to this movie. It runs over 2 ½ hours long, so expect a long sitting. If the above mentioned things do not bother you, I suspect that you will not be disappointed with Munich. The acting and directing is good. The basic story was good, but could have been told in a more captivating and time efficient way. If you can stay actively involved as a watcher throughout the entire movie, you may even feel emotionally moved by the end. Give it a try if you have time, but make sure to watch the documentary, One Day In September, before you do so you have some historical background to the events leading up to this story.

Popcorn Rating

Buttered Popcorn

Wednesday, January 9, 2008

One Day In September (1999)


Synopsis

Title: One Day In September (1999)

Genre: Documentary

Rating: R

Running Time: 93 Minutes

Director: Kevin MacDonald

The Plot: Terrorists disrupt 1972 Munich games.

My Take

It’s a documentary. It is what it is. I thought it was well done. The fact that the lone surviving Palestinian was interviewed made it much more interesting than it would have been otherwise. This was a huge international event that will be infamous throughout history. This documentary helps shed some light on the subject. I look forward to watching the movie Munich now after seeing this documentary. Many things about this story are amazing to me. It’s scary how much damage a few people can make. Terrorism is real and very much alive today, and this documentary only strengthens my belief that terrorism is unacceptable in all circumstances.

Should You Watch???

If you are at all interested in history like I am, then you should watch. There are a few graphic images of the dead at the end of the documentary, but I’ve seen worse. In my view, real events are always more interesting than fictional stories. It’s a documentary, so it’s not like your normal movie. Know that before you watch, and you should benefit from watching this documentary. I would say you’ll enjoy it, but how can you really enjoy watching terrorism?

Popcorn Rating

Buttered Popcorn (Although I would think it’d be hard to eat popcorn while watching)

Wednesday, January 2, 2008

Reign Over Me (2007)


Synopsis

Title: Reign Over Me (2007)

Genre: Drama

Rating: R

Running Time: 128 Minutes

Director: Mike Binder

Main Actors: Adam Sandler, Don Cheadle, Jada Pinkett Smith, Liv Tyler, B.J. Novak

The Plot: Alan Johnson (Don Cheadle) runs into his old college roommate who lost his family in the 9/11 attack. The story is about love, friendship, and healing.





My Take

First off, Adam Sandler did a standout job in this movie. I knew Adam Sandler from great comedies such as Billy Madison and Happy Gilmore, but I think his performance in this movie is his best yet. I’m a big Adam Sandler fan, and I’m also a big Don Cheadle fan. He was great in Hotel Rwanda and I like him in this movie as well. He shows a little of his humor, which was nice. However, not all the acting was great. The two actors who played Adam Sandler’s inlaws gave perhaps the worst performance I’ve ever seen, especially the mother-in-law. Please, I could make better facial expressions lady! Thankfully they were minor characters in what I found to be an entertaining story. It was also funny to watch B.J. Novak’s, Ryan from The Office, character get scolded by the judge.

Should You Watch???

This is worth a watch if only to see Sandler’s performance, but it is much more than just him, and it is well worth the watch. The movie touches various emotions ranging from anger, humor, sadness and sympathy. It was not a perfect film and I think the director could have done a better job overseeing some details, but over all I thought it was a very solid film. It’s rated R, so it won’t be a kids movie. Adults should be able to appreciate this movie for the depth of the main character. We should sympathize with the anguish and pain he endures and be proud of the strong bonding friendship of a man who sees a former roommate in need of help.

Popcorn Rating

Buttered Popcorn

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Legends of the Fall (1994)


Synopsis

Title: Legends of the Fall (1994)

Genre: Period Drama/Romance

Rating: R

Running Time: 133 Minutes

Director: Edward Zwick

Main Actors: Brad Pitt, Anthony Hopkins, Aidan Quinn, Henry Thomas, Julia Ormond

The Plot: A early 1900’s story about three brothers, their powerful father, and a woman loved by all three brothers.

My Take

Legends of the Fall is a movie that I’ve been wanting to watch for a long time, and just now had the opportunity to watch. While I can’t agree with Duke basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski, who said that Legends of the Fall was his favorite movie of all time, but it was a very good film. The acting was very good. I thought Anthony Hopkins was the best. I am also a fan of Brad Pitt and he does a great job as usual. It’s just my luck that I happened to watch two extremely sad movies in a row. I will not go into detail, but you will not be cheering and laughing in this movie. It is over twenty years old and it is noticeable especially in the war scenes, but it doesn’t really detract from the over all movie. Entertaining story, albeit sad, and good directing with great acting equals a very solid movie.

Should You Watch???

Most definitely. There are some sexual situations, but they don’t show much. If you’re a youngster, you might need to close your eyes a couple times, but this is a must watch for everybody else.

Popcorn Rating

Buttered Popcorn

Sunday, December 16, 2007

Thumbsucker (2005)


Synopsis

Title: Thumbsucker (2005)

Genre: Drama

Rating: R

Running Time: 96 minutes

Director: Mike Mills

Main Actors: Lou Taylor Pucci, Tilda Swinton, Vince Vaughn, Vincent D’Onofrio, Keanu Reeves,

The Plot: Justin Conn is a teenager who has a difficult time with his peers. In response to all the anxiety in his life, Justin resorts to sucking his thumb. The boy struggles to find an identity for himself.

My Take

Thumbsucker is a unique film in many ways. The direction of the film was unusual, but not all bad. There were times when the screen went all pink and random images floated across the screen. This would have made since perhaps in certain situations, but it seemed out of place. I also thought that some of the scenes were too choppy and repetitive; it gave me the feeling of low budget. However, the acting in this movie was excellent! Vince Vaughn is one of my favorite actors and although he was not the main actor, I enjoyed his part. He plays as the teacher Mr. Geary and provides some humor in a story that is at times almost overwhelmingly sad. Lou Taylor Pucci does a good job as the troubled teenager, and the whole cast did a good job with their parts. Like I said earlier, the story is sad but it is also engaging. I think they used too much dialogue to explain the story instead of letting it come naturally, and the directing was a little too weird at times for my taste, but over all I enjoyed the film.

Should You Watch???

You should watch for the acting and for an engaging story. It is not uplifting and I did not like the teenage drug use or the profanity from young children. If these things in particular turn you off, then you might not want to watch the film but I will say that it is not like that throughout most of the movie. If you can look past some of these things and take the movie for what it’s worth, I think it’s worthy of a couple hours of your time. You will see how poor parenting can affect a child, and how anxieties in a child’s life can become overwhelming without faith, help and understanding from those who are closest to them.

Popcorn Rating

Kettle Corn