Movies with 'dorks' as its main characters and movies celebrating geekdom are a bit of yesterday's thing in my opinion. There was a short lived revival a couple of years back but personally, I'm really done with the genre. They just don't do anything new or creative anymore, which is the main reason why I wouldn't be too sad if this turned out to be the last movie of its kind.

It's a big problem that basically all this movie is filled with are a bunch of big and well known stereotypes. Not just about nerds but about high school and teenagers in general as well. That means that characters in this movie are either completely 'ugly' and dorky or 'beautiful' and popular ones at their school. It's OK to make fun of stereotypes, as long as there is a good idea behind it and is being a creative and funny one, with all of it. But I don't really feel that this movie is really trying to say anything with its story, making this a rather pointless watch.

I still kind of like the message that you should go after the girl that's interested in you and not the one that just happens to be prettier to look at but who isn't paying attention to you- and isn't interested in you at all but once you really start thinking about it...there is also something terribly offensive about this message. It basically tells you that if you're a 'nerd' and not the most popular kid in school, there is no way you can get any of the pretty and popular girls and you should stick to 'nerdy' and less attractive girls instead. But oh well, this of course is not the type of movie you should read into too much, since it above all things is a comedy. Not a very good or funny one but a comedy nonetheless.

It's the type of exaggerated comedy, in which none of the situations and characters come across like real ones. It's all a bit too forced at times, though the movie is not without its charm and it does still have its moments. It's not a movie that ever made me laugh out loud but it did bring a few smiles to my face.

The story itself, besides being a simplistic and generic one, has some more problems in it as well. I for instance really didn't like how certain characters were changing- and suddenly teaming up together, to each reach a certain individual goal. It all felt terribly unconvincing and it often didn't made much sense either.

It's not like I ever hated this movie but I just can't call it a very good one either. Within the genre itself, it's also definitely more of a weaker entry, that isn't ever doing anything new, clever or creative with anything. Maybe I would have liked this movie better if it got released 10 years ago, when being different and enjoy 'nerdy' stuff wasn't as accepted yet.

5/10

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Samantha (a dorkette) is in love with Payton (a dork) who is in love with Carrie (a cheerleader),who dates Clark (the football captain). When Clark seeks out Payton for secret comic book lessons, Payton sees his chance to be with Carrie. But Carrie's more interested in setting Payton up with Samantha. High School's complicated, huh? And what's Clark's secret? From: IMDb.com

Directed by: Salomé Breziner

Starring: Gaelan Connell, Charlie Stewart, Vanessa Marano and others

Current release date: September 27, 2013

Of course it's not the worst movie ever made but this still remains a very uninspired and underwhelming attempt at a sports comedy/kids movie/body switch type of flick.

They don't exactly switch bodies in this movie but rather talents. An 16-year old ends up with Kevin Durant's basketball skills, thanks to touching a magic basketball and saying magic words and electricity and whatever more. It doesn't really matter, since it doesn't really make any sense and it doesn't ever gets explained. You just sort of have to go along with it, or else this is obviously no the right type of movie for you to watch.

It's disappointing how much originality and creativity really got put into this movie really. It doesn't come up with anything new and the whole way the story progresses is extremely predictable.

Besides, it hardly ever develops anything. Character remain underdeveloped, relationships remain underdeveloped, plot lines remain underdeveloped. Every time you think something potentially interesting is going to happen, the movie completely abandons it and goes for something more safe, formulaic and fluffy instead.

Guess the movie indeed is trying to be too cute and doesn't allow any decent drama to ever develop. None of the characters really have any problems in this movie, or go through some life changing experiences. I don't even really know if this movie was trying to send out a message or anything but I can only assume it still tried, seeing how this is a kids movie. These type of movies always tend to have some sort of message in it, such as; don't give up on your dreams. Or when you train hard, you can accomplish anything you want. But I just don't know what's with this movie. It actually sends out some bad message, more than anything else really, if you would ask me. It's as if the movie is telling kids they can only be popular and hang around with the cool kids, as long as you're good at sports. If not, you're with the nerds, playing Dungeons & Dragons at the school cafeteria and have you other fellow schoolmates laughing- and making fun of you. I don't know, perhaps I'm taking things a bit too far and take this movie a tad bit too serious but simple fact remains that I just couldn't really find any good positive- or inspiring messages in it.

And I normally really do like sports movies and can even appreciate the bad ones. There is however nothing uplifting, spectacular or tense about the sports moments in this movie. It's not necessarily due to the way it got shot and put together but it's more all due to the buildup, which just isn't present at all. It's not like the movie is ever building up to one big or important game. Well, actually it is but the problem is that you don't ever know this when watching the movie. It's a sports movie, without ever really being about the sports really, which is an odd thing to note, seeing how much basketball is actually still being played in it and what a key part it plays in the movie.

And Kevin Durant, well, I wish him good luck with his acting career but I highly doubt he'll ever break through as an actor. He just has absolutely no charisma as an actor and besides, it never really looked to me like he was enjoying himself. I have to say that even Shaquille O'Neal in his small cameo had far more charisma and was way more fun to watch! And you know you are in trouble when the highlight of your movie is James Belushi as the coach and also the best comedy has to come from him and his son Robert Belushi, who's playing his assistant.

Perhaps not as bad as its current reputation but it's obviously still a bad movie to watch!

4/10

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Back in Kansas, Dorothy Gale decides to return to Oz in order to help her friends. From: IMDb.com

Directed by: Will Finn & Dan St. Pierre

Starring: Patrick Stewart, Lea Michele, Kelsey Grammer and others

Current release date: 2013

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(Review originally written at 8 August 2007)

Nothing wrong with this movie really. I don't think people treat this movie fairly. It's a sweet little entertaining comedy, that is not hilarious but at all time a pleasant one to watch.

Normally director John Pasquin really doesn't make great comedies but I think I can say that this is a good movie and probably easily his best.

Yes, of course the movie has morals in it that are bittersweet and make the movie also predictable. Nevertheless, I think the movie delivers its messages well and not so much in a preachy kind of way. It helps the messages of the movie come across and therefor the movie is an effective one.

As a matter of fact; everything in the movie works out quite well. This includes the love-story, the movie its dramatic elements and the characters themselves. The movie is a good balance of fun and entertainment and some more serous and dramatic family plot-elements, that of course never divert from the movie its fun and pleasant elements.

Not too much about the story really, it's actually kind of silly and hard to believe but it serves as a good basis for the movie to tell its story. The characters and actors in the movie are definitely good enough to make the movie more fun and entertaining to watch. Tim Allen fits the role and the movie has a great supporting cast with actors such as Greg Germann, Patrick Warburton and James Belushi in some good and fun comedy roles.

It's easily a movie I would watch again.

7/10

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