Pups - Kein Kinderspiel

I chose to watch "Pups" because I'm a fan of Mischa Barton and Burt Reynolds, but I do have to say that I was disappointed by this movie. The main thing that bothered me was that it's very loud! So loud, that it gave me a headache. Why is it deemed necessary that Cameron Van Hoy's character "Stevie" needs to shout every single one of his lines? It gets very aggravating watching this kid rant and rave for the entire film. I agree with some of the other comments too, that "Pups" just doesn't seem to flow together. It drags at points, gets repetitive, and tiring to watch. I also agree that these kids were presented as too filthy minded for kids their age. The point would have still gotten across, even if the kids were less vulgar with their speech and attitudes. I ended up rating "Pups" a "5" because it's far from the worst I've ever seen in film, but it was no where near as good as I hoped it would be. If you're a big fan of Mischa or Burt too, then watch it like I did just so you can say you've seen it, but don't expect that "Pups" will end up being one of your favorites.

I was about to turn the TV off and go to bed, then I saw some interesting movie on TV about two kids robbing a bank. First off, thank God someone finally casts actual 13 year olds to play 13 year olds (generally speaking, movies cast at least 3-4 years over what the actual age is, therefore high school seniors are 22 year old men and women which make it very hard to believe). The children were great actors for the most part. The message they were trying to say was a bit diluted, because it was obvious the child had a mental issue, and that clouded his own decision making abilities, yet the wheelchair man continually tried to make him out to be a product of the 1990's, and play it off as though he didn't have a choice. This is exactly what the media tries to do, is ignore the fact that the kid has a serious issue and blame it on the video games and the music he listens to. Amazingly, the Kurt Loder interview was intelligent and I don't think his "character" (if you can call it that) tried to reveal that image with the sequence. The very ending sequence was extremely powerful, and I think that should be the message and not who is to blame for the situation--the message should be what CAN happen if we don't change our ways. That's what happens if we don't start parenting responsibly and don't put any effort into raising a child the proper way, and indentifying mental issues before they go too far.

This film was worth seeing. It tackled the issue of gun violence among youths head-on and was very witty and thoroughly entertaining. Cameron Van Hoy, as Stevie, puts forth a tremendous performance and has amazing presence in front of a camera, bringing to our attention the very real anger and emotion of this young, fragile looking boy. Rocky, a young Mischa Barton, is very full of wit and is very corrupt in her innocence as well, and their dialog is clever and amusing. Their relationship projects the idea that they have grown up too fast, which makes sense in today's world. The emotional connection that each of the hostages (who's individual characters are also developed very well in this movie) make with each other and with Stevie and Rocky is heartwarming, and the way this movie comes together is brilliant and shocking. Considering that it was so low-budget, i think everyone involved did a fantastic job. It even has Burt Reynolds. My rating: 7/10

I respect what Ash was trying to do with this movie, and the guerilla film making style could have worked. To make a great movie, you don't need a huge budget, fancy distribution, or heavy promotions; but you do need a good script.

When you're trying to watch a film that realistically depicts the angst of today's youth, cliche lines like "what about when you touched me down there?" only detract. Trouble is, this film is filled with cliches that tend to take away from the message.

The film also would have done better to just be honest instead of trying to prove it's cool factor. I mean, Kurt Loder??? The idea of having Kurt freaking Loder in a movie sounds more like the idea of a bunch of 50 year old balding executives wearing suits in a boardroom trying to be "hip" and "cool" than that of a director who actually is hip and/or cool. In fact, that pretty much sums up a lot of this film: it tries to be cool instead of just being cool. It almost seems like a big budget film trying to pretend it was made by a young hipster director on a tight budget.

Then, why is the lack of professionalism sorely evident in the lackluster acting and weak script? The kids probably could have done a decent job with more time and coaching, but this seems like it was shot in a single day. The raw talent is there, it just isn't polished. The same can be said for the film making itself...I even saw the boom mic in one shot.

Pups is a decent movie that could have been great. There are seeds of truth in Pups and a fair amount of honesty. You just have to be willing to weed through the cliches, rammed down your throat morality, fake coolness, and Kurt Loder to see it.

Obviously, the studio didn't think much of this movie. The DVD isn't even widescreen. If you want to see a movie that is cool without trying so hard to be, then definitely watch Clerks or Doom Generation. If you want to see an average movie that perhaps offers a glimpse into the angst of teens without telling the full story, Pups is a decent romp. If you can imagine a younger version of SFW, that's pretty much what this movie is.

Oh, by the way....Burt Reynolds, your career called. It said it's jumping off a cliff.

I thought of Pups as a good movie. So what if it has bad acting. So what if they blur out F*** in every sentence. I liked it! I know most people hate it, and I know why and I respect your Opinions, but some people need to be a little open minded sometimes. Misha Barton is a great actress...but she was so bad in this film. And believe it or not....Burt Renolds was good in it. Has This world gone mad!!!

My Rating: 8/10