Pijamada

Kids are running out of classrooms, shrieking and throwing papers in the air. A pop track pumps while the ubiquitous slow-mo panning camera follows the wannabes watching the popular girls strutting the corridor. That's right, school's out for summer in yet another John Hughes-inspired teen-flick.

You can loathe it, you can tolerate it, but I confess to a secret fondness of the genre. Although it's cluttered with ordinary films, this homogeneity is part of the unique comfort a teen comedy can offer. They're films to watch when you're sick, where bullies get their comeuppance, and moral codes are simpler than in an adult world. And kids enjoy them too.

Sleepover begins with Julie (Alexa Vega) inviting three friends for a slumber party to celebrate graduating from Junior High (Year 8). Of course, her former best friend Staci (Sara Paxton) can't come – she's a teen queen now. Sporting a superior blonde 'Farrah' reminiscent of nasty Caroline (Haviland Morris) in Hughes' Sixteen Candles (1984), you just know that Staci's a bitch with a heart of gold. She and her catty trio of 'Mean Girls' challenge Julie and her buddies to a scavenger hunt. The winners get the coveted lunch spot at high school next year – and the passport to popularity.

Julie, Hannah (Mika Boorem), Farrah (Scout Taylor-Compton) and Yancy (Kallie Flynn Childress) sneak out of the house, avoiding Julie's renovation-mad dad and bribing her slacker brother. They're aided by three irritating Ashton Kutchner-aspirational types, chased by a rent-a-cop and come to rely on a tiny electric car that needs constant recharging. Plus Julie has to steal her secret crush's boxer shorts. Producer Chuck Weinstock came up with the idea of Sleepover because his previous projects were too adult in content for his six and nine-year old children to watch. But there are some edgy aspects in Sleepover that wouldn't have been included in the 1980s teen films it pays homage to. For example, 14-year old Staci has to fend off sexual advances from her high school beau – a rarity for girls that age in Hollywood films, although possibly not in real life. And in a later scene Julie has to persuade her teacher to buy her a drink called "Sex on the Beach" at a nightclub to win the competition. Though these elements are ignored in the broader context of the film, and may be inappropriate, they certainly make Sleepover more interesting.

Although pleasant, Sleepover isn't one of the better examples of the genre. It's a disposable girly tween twist on Ferris Bueller's Day Off, but buoyed by Vega's strong screen presence. You know you shouldn't enjoy it, but you're probably going to. **½/***** stars.

Im usually a fan of chic flicks....it is my favorite genre in fact....but this one was terrible. The message at the end for young girls was a terrible influence on our youth out there, the way curvy girls are portrayed sends a bad message as well, and it was pretty boring overall. Not a great movie lol

I thought this movie was quite enjoyable. It's a bit like a female version of Ferris Bueller, without the destructive male testosterone (the worst thing the girls can expect if caught is not to be able to go on a trip to Hawaii with the family). Even though everything is predictable (the dorky guys who save the day ... more than once, the popular girl getting her comeuppance, the "fat" girl learning to love herself, etc.) you don't seem to mind because the characters are well-developed and so, well, likable. It's not going to challenge you to use your brain much, but for a few hours of fun, this isn't bad. Will appeal especially to pre-teen and teen girls.

I wasn't expecting much from "sleepover", other than Alexa Vega, so good in the "Spy Kids" movies for Robert Rodriguez, I didn't know anyone in the cast. So i found my self smiling, laughing and even nervous to see if Julie Corky (Vega) and her friends would win out.

This was a really cute Tween comedy that wasn't loaded with sexual references or violence. It may list language on the DVD box but I sure didn't heart anything objectionable. Alexa Vega is in full bloom here literally and figuratively, she really carries the picture, you simply root for her right away and really care that she finally realizes just how cool she is! Her friends are a bit generic and the girl playing Yancy, the chubby one, could use some acting lessons, but thats OK.

Of note besides Vega is Sam Huntington, who does a really nice job as Julie's older Bro. He brings some very witty observations to the film. I would have liked sharper writing and more actual sleepover scenes in here, rather than all the hijinks. That said, at least Vega makes the hijinks entertaining. all in all I thought this was a pretty good film. Miles above such teen tripe as "Raise Your Voice" or "Crossroads". Cheers for Alexa Vega though, its her movie and she makes it all worthwhile.

It took me a long time to see this movie, but I finally did when my sister got it as a gift. Although the movie had its incredibly corny moments, and the plot was obviously written to entertain a preteen audience, I did find the movie enjoyable. There will be times during this movie when you will just have to laugh, and there will be times that you nod as you remember similar antics of your own. The characters are lovable and realistic, even if some of the messes they get into may not be. Granted, there will also be times when you just have to roll your eyes at the cheesiness. Overall, I found the movie very cute and very entertaining;just don't send your boys to watch it.