Cudalbu R
Feels lacking
Rated 2.5/5 Stars •
Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars
01/04/25
Full Review
david
I’d rather eat at Mother Paula’s Pancake House than see this movie again
Rated 0.5/5 Stars •
Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars
05/22/24
Full Review
alexandra d
must see for environmentalists! light hearted, fun watch
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
01/29/24
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Benjamin J
This movie deserves a mere 0.5 stars in my book. Its predictable plot and lackluster execution make it a forgettable family film.
Rated 0.5/5 Stars •
Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars
09/20/23
Full Review
Jacob B
Honestly, the only reason I bothered seeing this movie from Walden Media, riding high off of the massive success of Narnia a year earlier, was because of the cast. There's Percy Jackson, Captain Marvel herself and Phil Coulson in the pre-Marvel days except this time they aren't on the same side here. And now that I've seen Hoot...I'm not really sure why I bothered. The environmental message is important and I respect that and Logan Lerman is likeable enough as the main protagonist but honestly, Hoot is rather stale and boring, but at least it was short. It's not funny, exciting or heartwarming, the characters are quite bland, the direction is impersonal and the execution of its message is cheesy as hell. Maybe the original book handled the themes more tactfully but we're not focusing on that now, are we? Sadly, Hoot just doesn't stand out at all in the sea of family films that were everywhere in the 2000's with the only reason worth checking it out for is to see what Logan Lerman, Brie Larson and Clark Gregg were up to before they started appearing in larger-scale projects.
Rated 1.5/5 Stars •
Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars
09/08/23
Full Review
Danny P
In the seemingly bottomless category of "uneven films," "Hoot" is a unique case.
On one hand, the wildly over-the-top acting by Luke Wilson (Delinko), Tim Blake Nelson (Curly), Clark Gregg (Muckle), Eric Phillips (Dana), Damaris Justamante (Mrs. Matherson) and Jessica Cauffiel (Kimberly/Mother Paula) borders on the bizarre, even for what is ostensibly a children's movie. Their portrayals belong in a Looney Tunes cartoon from the 1940s, the kind that featured roadrunners racing off of cliffs and canaries outsmarting cats.
Contrast that with the oddly underplayed, oh-so-mellow acting by Neil Flynn (Mr. Eberhardt), Kiersten Warren (Mrs. Eberhardt) and, especially, Jimmy Buffet (yes, that Jimmy Buffet) (Mr. Ryan), who all seem to be floating around in a much different film universe, one that is far more slow-paced, serious and grounded in reality.
And then there's the aggressively mean-spirited -- dare I say hateful? -- portrayal of Beatrice by Brie Larson, who persists in calling Roy Eberhardt (Logan Lerman) by the pejorative, emasculating nickname of "Cowgirl" for much of the movie -- even AFTER she's decided he is an ally to her and her brother (Cody Linley as "Mullet Fingers"). (And, side note: Is it realistic that Linley's character's true first name wouldn't be mentioned even once by his sister or his new best bud? No, of course it isn't.)
Meanwhile, the tone of the film's "main" subject matter -- protecting endangered burrowing owls -- is WAY too serious for a movie aimed at pre-teens who are also supposed to giggle at all of the "Home Alone"-type pranks being pulled on the adults. (And about those antics: Kidnapping? Felony vandalism? Fleeing and eluding the police? Trespassing? Seriously?)
And yet, and yet, and yet...
There are two things that save "Hoot," and somehow render all of the above issues essentially moot:
One: The luminescent, almost hypnotic vibe that Jimmy Buffet's songs give the film, particularly with the "Floridays" montage scene with Roy and Mullet Fingers. That, and the cinematography, make Florida seem magical, unadulterated and alluring in almost every shot.
And two, and most importantly: The acting and character portrayals turned in by Logan Lerman as Roy, and a bleached-blond Cody Linley as Mullet Fingers. (And also, in a minor role, Lerman's real-life best bud Dean Collins as Roy's school friend Garrett, who -- like Lerman and Linley -- turns in a strong, even-keeled performance.)
I don't believe that "Hoot" is "really" about owls. I believe it is about friendship, and more specifically, best friends... friends without ulterior motives.
I've read a few stories online about the fan theory that "Hoot" is actually about two gay teens, Roy and Mullet Fingers; these articles cherry-pick out various scenes that they believe have a homoerotic subtext, such as Roy bandaging Mullet Finger's leg, or helping carry him to the hospital.
I watched "Hoot" again with that theory in mind... and I don't think that's what's going on.
No, I think what's actually happening with Roy and Mullet Fingers is rare, G-rated, hetero and innocent: the budding of true friendship between two males in their mid teens.
How many films have you seen where one teen character actually says to another of the same sex (and I'm paraphrasing): "I know you did that because you care about me"? I mean, honestly, I can't even recall dialogue like that in a "Lassie" film, much less a 21st century movie.
But somehow, it all comes across as genuine and heartfelt. It's as if Lerman and Linley decided to block out the "noise" of all of the cartoonish acting going on around them, and simply turn in honest, believable character portrayals.
While I don't think the script does Lerman any favors by having him "chase down" Linley's character at the outset for implausible reasons, once Roy and Mullet Fingers start to become friends, "Hoot" suddenly hits its stride.
Most "teen" films today insist on portraying all teen boys as sex-crazed (hetero) maniacs, and slotting them into neat stereotypical categories (e.g., jocks, nerds, burnouts, etc.).
Did you know that, pre-World War II, it was actually considered "abnormal" for teen boys (in movies, and in real life) to chase girls... and boys who did were considered effeminate and abnormal? Teen boys were expected to hang with their buddies; girls could wait until college or later. Fast-forward to today, when that kind of closeness between teen boys in films (and in reality) is viewed with suspicion, and must be tempered with plenty of macho talk about chasing girls, even among pre-teens.
Teen buds today can't have any physical contact whatsoever expect the rare fist-bump, and certainly can't admit that they care about each other. It's easy to see, then, why some might assume that Roy and Mullet Fingers are "falling in love," and that the burrowing, skittish owls in "Hoot" are some sort of weird metaphor for wary, closeted gay teens.
And, who knows, maybe that's exactly what's going on here; and if so, that's OK, too, I guess.
I don't think so, though. I think that director Wil Shriner has captured something rare and special in "Hoot": the birth of an unpretentious, untarnished, genuine friendship. No ulterior motives; no macho posturing; no gay panic; and no overcompensating... just friendship.
And watching that rapport between Lerman and Linley unfold on screen makes "Hoot" much more compelling than you might think.
"Hopin' for a breath... hopin' for a break... hopin' for the give without the take..." -- Jimmy Buffet, "Floridays"
Rated 4.5/5 Stars •
Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars
08/14/23
Full Review
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