The Collector Offers Nothing In Originality

Horror movies have always been of a particular interest to me, they make my heart pound and my pulse race, I love the way I feel sitting through a good horror movie. Unfortunately "The Collector" the newest slasher type movie by the writers of Saw IV, V and VI didn't make my heart race or my pulse pound, it just made my head pound. It was loud and gives little insight to making a story that anyone can follow, it is written just like the Saw movies, little is revealed about the characters, the plot is rushed and so thin you can see through it. We get little plot, little substance and little believability. Oh we do get trap after trap, and we also get loads of blood. If that's all you want in a horror movie, you will love this movie, if you require something of substance, this movie will be a huge disappointment.

Handyman Arkin (Josh Stewart) knows that the owners of the huge home that he has been working on are going on an extended vacation, he also knows that there is a hidden safe in the bedroom behind a mirror, he also knows in that safe is a huge uncut diamond, so big that he can pay off the debts his wife has incurred to some nasty loan sharks. Arkin takes what little pay he has to his wife, Lisa (Daniella Alonso) he buys a bear for his daughter Cindy (Haley Pullos) and tells his wife he needs until midnight to get the rest of the money for her. The home is owned by Michael (Michael Reilly Burke) and Victoria (Andrea Roth) the two younger children Jill (Madeline Zima) and Hannah (Karley Scott Collins) are horror movie victims waiting in the wings. When Arkin goes to his boss, the man who he steals for, he tells Roy (Robert Wisdom) he needs to get the diamond that night and he needs the money right away, like that night.

When Arkin goes to the property he is walking in the yard and is confronted by a huge dog, one that wasn't on the property before that night, the dog takes a huge bite out of Arkin's ski mask. I was waiting for the hole to get bigger and smaller or to disappear all together. Does he not think that the owners have no dog, and therefore where did this dog come from? No he doesn't. Arkin next gets into the house and goes upstairs to the bedroom where the safe is, he hears a door open and someone coming up the stairs, it is the collector (Juan Fernández) a madman who decides he wants to add to his twisted collection. He collects people and when he decides who he wants he goes and takes them. The rest of the family are just fodder, he kills who he doesn't want. Arkin is able to slip past the collector and get downstairs, he finds several new locks on the back door. Locks that were not there earlier that same morning when he was at the home. When the collector goes back downstairs Arkin decides he can make it back upstairs and retrieve the diamond after all. Of course he changes his mind when he hears screams coming through the air vents. Arkin goes to investigate and finds Michael in the basement tied to a chair. Arkin also finds Victoria handcuffed to a bathtub (HUH) this is a miracle since bathtubs have no place to handcuff any one to. Michael tells Arkin there is a gun in the safe, he also tells Arkin the combination to the safe, Arkin goes back upstairs to get the gun and while he is there he helps himself to the diamond. Victoria asks him where Hanna is, that she is in the house somewhere hiding.

The problem with the gun is there are no bullets and the collector is a knife expert, and he has worked some more magic, he has set several dozen elaborate traps throughout the whole house. He has boarded the windows and set traps outside that as well. One room is full of bear traps set to spring, one room has acid poured on the floor, that eats through Arkins shoes but yet doesn't eat through the wooden floor. One trap after another is found and avoided by Arkin, when Jill and her boyfriend Chad (Alex Feldman) come back to the house it adds a couple more victims for the collectors traps to actually work on. Here we also get the boob shot as the couple make out while the collector watches, when he is finally seen he dispatches Chad right away, Jill he wants to play with before he kills her. Leaving her tied to the stairwell, the collector leaves and Arkin comes and cuts the barbed wire off her, Jill is so scared that she runs from Arkin and right into one of the set traps.

Of course Arkin finds Hanna and sets about rescuing her, he puts himself in harms way in order to get her out of the house. The fight between Arkin and the collector is violent and bloody. The two start outside and end up inside the house, Arkin has what must be the worlds greatest threshold to pain because he does stuff to himself that would have beaten most men. Of course seeing that this movie is written by the men who wrote the last couple saw movies we expect to have nothing explained, nothing definitive happen, we expect to have mystery and lots of questions. We do get the mystery, like who is the Collector, I know they tell us which person he is but who IS he? Why is it that he does what he does? How long has he been collecting people? see we get the questions too. The movie is a big disappointment to true horror fans. if you like the saw movies get ready for the new franchise, because the collector is here, and unfortunately he may be here for a long time.

I give The collector a 0 and on my avoidance scale a 4, this is one movie that gives you nothing but blood, blood and more blood. The only difference between the collector and jigsaw, is the collector gets his hands dirty, where Jigsaw allowed you to make the choice, live or die it was up to the person, here the collector kills you if your not the one he wants. The movie is loud and that's to mask that there is simply no plot to this movie, Hollywood thinks that movie goers just want action and gore, that may be, but make it real.

The Collector is rated R for Pervasive Sadistic Bloody Violence, Language and some Sexuality/Nudity

Running time is 1 hr. 25 mins.

A Deadly Trip To Hawaii

Cliff and Cydney (Steve Zahn and Milla Jovovich) are an adventurous young couple celebrating their honeymoon by backpacking to one of the most beautiful, and remote, beaches in Hawaii. Hiking the wild, secluded trails, they believe they’ve found paradise. But when the pair comes across a group of frightened hikers discussing the horrifying murder of another newlywed couple on the islands, they begin to question whether they should turn back. Unsure whether to stay or flee, Cliff and Cydney join up with two other couples, and things begin to go terrifyingly wrong. Far from civilization or rescue, everyone begins to look like a threat and nobody knows whom to trust. Paradise becomes hell on earth as a brutal battle for survival begins in A Perfect Getaway.

Cliff is a talented new screenwriter, at least according to him, and the film plays with that a bit by embracing the mechanics of the well-crafted mystery script. (As one person says of the path they're on, "There are a lot of twists and turns ahead.") So, you want possible villains? Director David Twohy provides plenty to choose from. Could the murderers be those trashy hitchhikers Cliff and Cydney almost gave a lift to -- and who end up following them on the trail? Could they be the owners of that back-country supply store, who stared real hard when Cliff pulled out his bankroll?  Maybe. More probable are Nick and Gina (Timothy Olyphant and Kiele Sanchez), a down-home couple who seem far too familiar with knives and crossbows and gutting animals, and tend to stare off into space when no one is looking. So who are the real killers? Your guess is as good as mine. Well, mine is probably a little better because I've seen so many of these movies, and I can never watch one without trying to solve it; it's a compulsion, like doing the daily crossword. And yes, I figured this one out, too, although not as prematurely as I solved the recent "Surveillance." But after I did, I felt as if Twohy hadn't quite played fair. I can't say how without giving the whole thing away, but let's just say that instead of doing things to deceive the other characters, the villains do some things to deceive the viewers. That said, Twohy, who also made the underrated "The Arrival" and the Vin Diesel-fueled "Pitch Black," has a feel for dialogue and some novel situations (although a slow and arty third-act flashback drags things down). He's got a feel for good actors, too.

Zahn has been a consistently entertaining personality for awhile now, whether it's in oddball comedies or peculiar performances on "The Tonight Show." He brings a nice, everyman quality to Cliff that wins our sympathies instantly. Jovovich is too perky and screechy as Cydney -- I wanted to chase her with a chainsaw myself after about five minutes -- but Sanchez is fine as the damaged Gina, and Olyphant gives a hugely charismatic performance as Nick. I don't know why the 41-year-old Olyphant isn't already a movie star. He's handsome and has a roguish charm; he had a long run on HBO's "Deadwood," but he's never quite connected in films the way he could. It's unlikely that A Perfect Getaway will make a very large difference. For his part, Zahn has a small and quirky following (and there are a few "Resident Evil" geeks who will watch Jovovich in anything), but that's not enough to break this film out of its sturdy genre niche. Which is fine. A Perfect Getaway provides some scares, some gross-out moments and a corkscrew plot; you can see it in theaters now, or catch it on DVD sometime next year and probably be moderately entertained either way. Just don't think too much about that final twist. This gets a mediocre 3 on my "Go See" scale.

A Nice Place To Getaway, But It's Not Perfect

Action movies are a real treat for action junkies, it feeds the need, it gets the pulse racing and the heart pounding, a really good action movie can take you for the ride and force you to want more. Unfortunately this type of movie is rare and when it does come along it's like a breath of air, when " A Perfect Getaway" opens you don't sense that your in for that breath of air but that your in for a disappointment, well you don't get the breath of fresh air but you won't be totally disappointed either.

Cliff (Steve Zahn) and Cydney (Milla Jovovich) are an adventurous young couple celebrating their honeymoon by backpacking to one of the most beautiful, and remote, beaches in Hawaii. Hoping from one small island to the next, they find this to be a perfect place of seclusion, until the couple run into Nick (Timothy Olyphant) who joins up with them as they walk the path to a secluded beach. Nick is heading to a small cove where Gina (Kiele Sanchez) is waiting for Nick's return. Along the way to the beach the three come across three girls from Kansas City, (Katie Chonacas), (Natalie Garza) and (Lindsay Halladay) who are talking about a murder that happened on another island, they are scared and wonder if it's safe to continue. Nick and the newlyweds decide to go on. When they get to the cove and find Gina, they become fast friends, Cliff has had a run in with another couple hiking the trails, he at first wanted to give the couple a ride, but Kale (Chris Hemsworth) kind of frightens him. Cleo (Marley Shelton) is Kale's girlfriend and right away you wonder if they can be the killers. When cliff is confronted on the path by Kale and Cleo, he is scared, but is rescued by Nick who it turns out may be special forces, or he may be a killer.

The couple wonders just how far they can trust their new friends, it seems that Nick is able to kill anything, he and Cliff go out into the woods one rainy evening to look for some food, when they are out alone Nick tells Cliff that someone is watching them. Cliff runs into the people in the woods and it is someone from the town they just left, Cliff left behind some permits and they wanted to ensure he wouldn't have any trouble with the patrols. Finding the beach at last the two couples are enjoying themselves when Cliff talks some other beachcombers into letting him borrow two kayaks so he and Nick can go out and explore some caves. Here is where the truth about who is and isn't the killer comes out, a fight for survival ensures for the innocent and the chase is on. The innocent and evil fight it out on the beach, on the cliffs and along the path. One of the women is able to get a phone call off to 911 and then has to fight to stay alive, running away from the killers, the woman runs into a group of men looking for there kayaks. The killer tries to explain what is going on, but is forced to take matters into his own hands, thanks to the never ending supply of ammunition that is common place in most action movies, he is able to dispatch several men and continue to pursue the women. The man who was left for dead shows up and defends her, the two fight but a police helicopter shows up and the women on board who is a partner of the other killer tells the police sniper that the killer is down there.

A standard action ploy is to introduce the red herring, this movie has that, we get the perfect suspect, we get the evidence that supports that, but if you have seen action movies before you know the most obvious suspect is never the bad guys. How this movie will end is clear to see, it is so obvious that you may feel its another ploy, it isn't. The plot is told through flashbacks in black and white, to bad they don't tell us why these people are nuts, just throw in the drug use and suggest that is why they do what they do. Make the bad guys evil but tell us why.

I give A Perfect Getaway a 2 and on my avoidance scale a 1, this movie has nothing that you will miss out on if you wait to see it four months from now, the scenery is beautiful, the cast is strong, the plot, well its just one standard cliche after another.hold off on this movie, there will be plenty of time to enjoy this one, maybe during one of your own perfect getaways.

A Perfect Getaway is rated R for Graphic Violence, Language including a Sexual Reference and some Drug Use

Running time is 1 hr. 35 mins.

He Wished That He Had all Of The Answers

The Answer Man is like a great big breath of fresh air on the first nice day of spring. It is a story with characters who feel real, as they try to find real answers to real problems. Yes, occasionally there is a brief moment that feels slightly sitcom-ish, but even those bits didn't spoil the fun for me, because somehow they felt in keeping with the weird, unpredictable, quirky nature of life. Writer/director John Hindman has managed to create a comedy/drama about faith in a chaotic world that manages to stay grounded rather than going over the top philosophically. The approach befits his idea that the true "answers" in life are not written on flashing neon signs; indeed, they are usually much more subtle. Jeff Daniels plays writer Arlen Faber who, twenty years ago, penned a massively influential book called "Me and God," in which he claimed the Lord spoke to him and provided him with answers to life's big questions. The impact of his work was so immense that it scared Arlen, and when we first meet him, he's a bitter, angry recluse who continues to hide from his own admirers. His editor (Nora Dunn) attempts to lure him out of hiding to help promote the 20th anniversary of his book, but he refuses to cooperate in any way.

Arlen's life is changed when he meets two people. The first is Elizabeth Danson (Lauren Graham), a single mother/chiropractor who just opened her own business and treats him for a back injury. Arlen, against all odds, is smitten with her. Elizabeth initially does not know who he is, but when she finds out, he is more than happy to play the role of sage, as he figures it will impress her. The other person is Kris (Lou Taylor Pucci), a young used bookstore owner who is just out of rehab and trying to save his shop while maintaining sobriety. Kris's father is also an alcoholic, which breeds a certain type of resentment he doesn't know how to deal with. After meeting Arlen in his store, Kris makes a deal that allows him to ask questions about Life, which the writer does his best to answer. Or, at least, he fudges it. The Answer Man doesn't have a lot of major "stuff" happening in it; instead, this is the kind of movie where the pleasure comes from watching the characters bounce off one another. Thankfully, these characters bounce in very interesting ways. Why is it that Arlen starts to tear down his walls for these two? With Kris, it has to do with some level of identification. He recognizes another lost soul. This is not to say that he always treats the guy well. Arlen fights his newfound sense of burgeoning compassion, for reasons that become clear near the film's end. Elizabeth manages to have a similar effect, but for different reasons. For the first time in a long time, Arlen discovers that he actually wants some sort of companionship. That he can directly shape her image of him - rather than her having preconceived notions of his "gift" - is enticing. In her own way, Elizabeth has a lot of questions too. She's pushing a healthy lifestyle on her young son that she herself does not lead, and she is unable to figure out how to tell him that his absentee father is never coming back. You get the sense that all these characters are trying to figure themselves out, and somehow understand that the others can help in that process, even when the ways that might happen are unclear. Arlen doesn't really pull the old softie switch that we might expect; he's a miserable S.O.B. for much of the picture, yet Elizabeth and Kris are as drawn to him as he is to them.

What I liked most about The Answer Man is that the characters do not learn big life lessons; instead, they learn small truths that have wide-ranging repercussions. Human emotional and spiritual growth seldom (if ever) comes in tidal waves, but rather in a series of small ripples. The movie knows that, and suggests that people often look directly to God for answers when, in truth, He gave us each other to funnel His answers through. It's interesting how Hindman has crafted such a religious movie that doesn't necessarily feel like one. There's no preaching and no proselytizing, just acute observation. Jeff Daniels is one of the great actors of our time, although he too rarely gets credit for it. His performance as Arlen is one of his finest. Daniels doesn't shy away from the ornery, mean side of the character, yet possesses enough inherent likeability that we side with him, even when he's being an ass. I think a lot of actors would have been tempted to over-dramatize Arlen's spiritual crisis. Daniels avoids that, giving us a more honest portrait of a guy who knows nothing, except for the fact that he knows nothing. The supporting actors are just as good. Lauren Graham specializes in capturing the domestic dramas of everyday women. She gives us an Elizabeth who is confident in what she wants for her kid, and less so in what she wants for herself. Lou Taylor Pucci is currently one of the "It" poster boys for independent film, and for good reason. He makes all of Kris' angst authentic without ever turning mopey or annoying. Olivia Thirlby and Kat Dennings also appear, playing Elizabeth's assistant and Kris' co-worker. Both make an impression in smaller roles, as does Tony Hale, who portrays one of Arlen's most fervent devotees. The Answer Man has moments that made me laugh out loud, moments that touched me, and things I identified with. There's a real charm to the picture, in that it locates great meaning in the little things: the ways people listen to each other, the tiny bits of healing that lead to more later on, the knowledge that love and friendship are powerful antidotes to sorrow and heartbreak. The Answer Man is an indie that may not get a very wide release. Be on the lookout for it, or remember the title for when it comes to DVD. A lot of movies - especially ones that deal with any kind of weighty subject - try to bludgeon you with profundity. It's nice to see a terrific little film that's confident enough to just give us simplicity and truth. This gets a 3 on my "Go See" scale.

He's The Man With The Answers To Life's Mysteries

Hollywood has been willing to take a chance with unknown directors, some have been successful while others make direct to video trash. Now first time director John Hindman brings a rare gem to the silver screen, a small market independent movie that is touching as well as entertaining. "The Answer Man" is a movie that gives its heart and soul and asks for nothing in return. There are only a few movies that can make you laugh and move you at the same time, this movie may well be one of them. The movie doesn't push religion or anything else, it just asks you to believe in it's message and take it for what it implies, that no one man has the answers to life great mysteries.

Arlen Faber (Jeff Daniels) is the self imposed reclusive author of Me and God, a book that has redefined spirituality for several generations, and his follow up books have all been translated into hundreds of languages. On the eve of the 20th anniversary of his still wildly popular book, Anyone who reads it thinks that Arlen has all the answers to life's problems, but these days the author barely ventures outside of the house. Arlen is still sought after as the man who has all the answers, but he of course doesn't want to be bothered. Arlen suffers from an ailment that reduces him to crawling across town to a doctors office for treatment, the doctor, Elizabeth (Lauren Graham), is a single mother struggling to raise her seven-year-old son, and Arlen is taken with her simple way of making life magical. Arlen also runs into another man, Kris (Lou Taylor Pucci), fresh out of rehab, he is still wondering why he bothers with everything, Kris has a father who is also an alcoholic. He owns a used book store that Arlen comes into to try to sell some books, when Kris can't buy them Arlen tries to just leave them on the shelves.

Elizabeth has done such a great job on fixing Arlen's problem that he keeps going back, when he works up enough courage he asks her if she would like to go for a walk with him, she agrees and they walk around, ending up back at Arlen's house he shows her his collection of monster memorabilia, she tells him to spread it around the house instead of keeping it locked away in a small cabinet. When Kris feels his life has hit rock bottom he confronts Arlen and tells him he will take a couple of books if Arlen can answer his questions. Arlen agrees reluctantly, Kris comes back everyday with another question, and Arlen gives him the books when he is done. Arlen takes Elizabeth out several times and even meets her son Alex (Max Antisell) this one kid exudes charm and charisma where no other character does, his performance is one of the best in the film.

Arlen understands what it is like for Alex, Arlen has just lost his father, and Alex's father has walked out on them, when Alex asks him how long two weeks is, you heart will ache for him. Elizabeth is with Arlen when Kris comes over, he has just suffered a loss of his own and he doesn't know how to react to it. Arlen can't find the words, so it is up to Elizabeth to help Kris in his time of need. Elizabeth sees Arlen for what he is, she tells him she has to leave, Arlen realizes what he has done and when Elizabeth calls him to go pick up Alex he is more than willing, but when she comes to thank him, Arlen once again just confronts her with his idea of what she should be doing for Alex. Elizabeth doesn't want his advice and walks out.

Arlen comes to his senses and remedies the situation, he asks forgiveness of the people he cares about and by doing this he opens himself up to exposure. He makes the first public appearance in his life. His fans show up but when Arlen tells them he don't have the answers, everyone is heartbroken, Elizabeth leaves the store but is followed by Arlen. Of course the ending is the sugary sweet happy ending that Hollywood thinks we all want to see. Maybe we would like to see the truth reflected once in a while, life isn't easy, the answers are not always there and happy endings, if they come, are as rare as four leaf clovers.

I give The Answer Man a 3 and on my avoidance scale a 1, this movie is light on emotion and heart but it has depth, some of the characters are introduced and we never see their real potential, it's like here I am and nothing more, Arlen is the heart of the movie but his character is the weakest by far. This is still a good movie to watch, it doesn't require you to do any thinking, it leads you from point to point and requires nothing from you.

The Answer Man is rated R for Language

Running time is 1 hr. 35 mins.

The Little Band That Could

When gifted singer-songwriter Charlotte Banks (Aly Michalka) asks new kid in town Will Burton (Gaelan Connell) to manage her fledgling rock band, she appears to have just one goal in mind: go head-to-head against her egotistical musician ex-boyfriend, Ben(Scott Porter), at the biggest event of the year, a battle of the bands. Against all odds, their band develops a sound all its own with a real shot at success in the contest. Meanwhile, romance brews between Will and Sa5m(Vanessa Hudgens), who plays a mean guitar and has a voice to die for. When disaster strikes, it's time for the band to make a choice: Do they admit defeat, or face the music and stand up for what they believe in in Bandslam.

A pleasant surprise on several levels, the film tells the story of Will (Connell), a geeky kid with an unpleasant life in Ohio. How unpleasant? He jumps up and down with delight when he finds out that his mother has a new job and they're moving to Lodi. Nothing against Lodi, mind you -- home of the Misfits and the Bada Bing. But when was the last time you saw a Hollywood movie in which someone was excited about moving to Jersey? As I said, "Bandslam" is a pleasant surprise. Not just for Garden State boosters, either. For one thing, the plot, in which Will helps the school's prettiest girl (Michalka) start a band while being simultaneously drawn to the school's quirkiest girl, Sa5m (Hudgens), is nicely skewed. Basically, it's the standard teen picture -- girl torn between bad boy and nice guy -- with a gender switch.) For another, the film itself is clean without being cloying. Authority figures aren't predictable simpletons (Will's mom, played by Lisa Kudrow, is funny, but not foolish), and the high school romances are limited to a few awkward kisses. There are no four-letter words, drugs or bathroom jokes. Perhaps that isn't such a shock; the movie is from Walden Media, a company that specializes in family fare like the "Narnia" series. Yet it's done so skillfully that even jaded teens may have too much fun to realize they're watching a PG movie. Admittedly, some of the film doesn't work. Parts could be funnier, or faster; a crucial dating mistake that Will makes seems more a product of the screenplay than his character.

But the movie gets a lot right. For starters, it cast real muscians (Connell and Michalka are both professioanlly involved with music), rather than actors who'd look foolish bursting into song. And that cast is effective. Connell is sympathetic as the geeky Will; Michalka is dangerously pretty as the school's Queen Bee. And the overexposed Hudgens is pleasant in a change-of-pace emo-girl role. But the most valuable player in Bandslam is Kudrow. Playing Will's concerned, overprotective, but still good-humored mother, she brightens up every scene. She's the definition of a great supporting actor. Bandslam is hardly the definition of a great movie, but it is pleasant and bright and doesn't insult its audience's intelligence. And that's as rare and welcome as a well-crafted three-minute pop song. This isn't just for the teens. I'm sure grownups will find something to cheer about in this movie as well. Very well put together musical dramedy. This gets a 3 on my "Go See" scale.

Bandslam Turns Misfits Into Overnight Sensations

Every so often Hollywood releases a movie that is kind of an inspirational story for teenagers, the stories all center around a teen with some tragedy in their past, and then the showcase a means that this person uses to overcome that tragedy and make friends and become popular. In the newest teen inspiration movie, "Bandslam" one such teen uses his knowledge of music to help form a misfit ragtag group of high school seniors into one of the most popular bands.

Will Burton (Gaelan Connell) is a misfit, he just doesn't fit in with any other group of kids at his high school, his mom Karen (Lisa Kudrow) asks him what would make him happy, he jokingly tells her to let him leave the school he is at and enroll in another school, she tells him that she has been offered a new job in New Jersey, so yes he will be enrolling in another school. Will is happy to be getting a new chance but then he realizes that he will be the same Will wherever he goes to school. When he gets to his new high school, Will notices that the kids are nearly the same here, they have almost the same clicks and groups that his last school had. Except here the students rally around an event called Bandslam, where student formed bands compete for a record contract. Will is in awe that the students are so rapt up in this contest, everyone except for Sa5m (Vanessa Hudgens) she tells Will that the contest isn't her thing. Will is immediately taken by her lack of enthusiasm, later that day in one of the classes the two share they are given a project where they have to describe who the other person is.

Will meets another girl, Charlotte Banks (Alyson Michalka) and Will isn't sure why this perfect girl would pay attention to him, but he doesn't object to her friendship, Will helps her out in a school daycare program and the two become friends. Karen of course doesn't like the fact that Will is now spending so much time with his new friends, Charlotte finds out that Will knows alot about music and asks him to come listen to her and some friends during a rehearsal in her garage. When Will gets there he finds the band in full swing, Charlotte and her two friends, Bug (Charlie Saxton) and Omar (Tim Jo). Will tells them that they could be good if they didn't try to out duel each other. Will tells Charlotte that she sings great. When Ben Wheatley (Scott Porter) comes and to where Charlotte works she tells them that she and her friends are going to compete against him at Bandslam this year.

Will tells Charlotte that if they want to win they have to form a new band, they look at other students in the school and they convince Kim (Lisa Chung) to play keyboards, Basher Martin (Ryan Donowho) to play drums, Irene Lerman (Elvy Yost) to play Cello and a host of others to play sax, trombone, and trumpet. Together they form a new band calling them I can't go on I'll go on. When the day draws near for Bandslam, tragedy strikes Charlotte family and Sa5m, who Will has been spending alot of time with and has grown closer to decides she will take over the lead vocals for the group. When the group gets to Bandslam, Charlotte comes to wish them luck, it seems that her new character and the reason she was friends with Will is a selfish one. Another near tragedy occurs when Ben Wheatley and his band perform the same song that Will's band was going to do. Of course the band regroups and comes up with an alternative song to sing. Whether the band wins or not isn't the moral of the movie, it's that kids of all types can join together and become not just friends but be support and help to overcome any obstacle, Sa5m tells Will to do what scares you the most, and at Bandslam Will confronts a personal issue that he has been trying to hide almost his entire life.

I give Bandslam a 3 and on my avoidance scale a 0, this is a very good movie to take the entire family to see, there isn't anything remotely offensive in this movie, it is the type of feel good movie that parents can go to and not worry about foul language or sexual themes. There is a sad aspect that comes is a part of the story line, that may not fully be understood by young children, but it is something that parents can explain and use as a means to ask how something like this makes them feel.

Bandslam is rated PG for some Thematic Elements and Mild Language

Running time is 1 hr. 51 mins.