Barely Lethal

Not all movies can be epic.

I went into the theater not expecting much, even though such actors as Sam L. Jackson and Jessica Alba names appeared on the movie poster. The movie has a really cool concept:

Sam L Jackson trains an army of underage girls to be government assassins, but his most skilled agent, number 83 seeks to regain her childhood by becoming a normal teenager after her last mission gave her the opportunity to fake her own death.

It's been a while since I've seen Jessica Alba in a flick so it's cool to see her in this as the villain, though the movie centers more around Number 83, played by Hailee Steinfeild and how a teenager who does not know how to be a teenager learns how to be one. This plot turned the big named stars like Jackson and Alba's role in the movie into nothing but overblown cameos. You can actually tell from the way it's filmed that both of them were just collecting a pay check.

Barely Lethal had the makings of a great teen comedy. It had an interesting concept that the filmmakers were able to show off in the movie. It was put together nicely with action an comedy that made for a fun flick, but it won't go down in history with the John Hughes flicks from the 80s or American Pie franchise.

But I still found it worthy to take a look at.

After a viewing at 1am I am pretty satisfied with the overall film, I didn't go in to this expecting a life altering message or acting that would move me, for what it is the film done the job; light, airy, a predictable yet enjoyable watch.

The main draw to this film was the cast, I enjoyed Hailee Steinfeld in Enders Game and thought the somewhat masculine performance would carry well, her commitment was visible and seemed genuine (as much as could be) in the role of a deadly teenage girl. Sophie Turner being another name that caught my eye sadly didn't live up, I feel disappointed with her acting, getting the underlining sense it was half arsed-although the American accent may have been a factor in throwing off her game as well as living up to the stereotypical 'agent' robotic personality. The acting was OK.

This isn't a film I would personally run to tell my friends about, partly due to the shame of a 22 year old man liking chick-flick-esque films but mainly due to the rushed style of structure. The screenplay let this one down, rushed and again, half arsed. The small roles such as Jaime King's annoyed me slightly too but that could be a personal thing.

All in all my verdict is, surprisingly, worth a watch. I never really swear off watching something a second time but this will be one I won't be thinking about again until it shows up on film4. Don't expect too much and you'll have a 'nice' hour and forty minutes :)

I decided to watch this movie because Samuel L. Jackson was in it. I found it on Netflix and had not even heard about it prior to stumbling upon it. I read the synopsis, but wasn't overly reeled in by it, as it had that teenage-generic-action-comedy vibe to it.

I will say that "Barely Legal" actually turned out to be far better than I had initially hoped or thought it would be, given the synopsis for the movie. And it turned out to be rather entertaining. Sure, it had those sappy moments that are seen in these particular movies, but it worked out well enough.

The storyline, despite being so generic and predictable that it was oozing off of it, actually still turned out to be entertaining for what it was. This doesn't challenge the viewer intellectually, so just unwind, lean back and enjoy the ride.

They had some good performers in the movie, and it was nice to see Jessica Alba in the role that she had. And of course Samuel L. Jackson was good, just a shame that he hadn't a more prominent role to play. Hailee Steinfeld actually turned out to be a rather good choice for the lead, as she definitely stood her ground and performed well.

All in all, you know what you are getting yourself into here with a movie such as this, and the movie does play on every available trick that has been seen before in similar movies. But it still worked out quite well.

I'm not sure why this one is being slammed so much. I thought it was silly, fun entertainment. Totally harmless fluff but what's wrong with that? Hailee Steinfeld leads a great cast, none of whom disappoint. Nice to see Sophie Turner in a role light years away from Game of Thrones. I thought Jessica Alba and Sam Jackson were both good. Alba seems to be having the time of her life. Rachael Harris and Rob Huebel are both hilarious. Jason Ian Drucker is a little scene stealer. He's great every time he's on screen. I loved his part in the final battle. It's somewhat reminiscent of the Spy Kids movies but less annoying and not as much cartoonery. Yes it's by-the-numbers in most respects but it's just trying to entertain, not reinvent cinema as we know it. Most of the complaints I see are from people saying the movie "could have been more/better." Well you just described 99% of movies. There's always room for improvement. Why don't we just judge it by what it is not what we wish it was? I think it's a fun lightweight teenage action comedy that has appeal for young and old alike. And that's enough for me.

Hey, chill out all you Roger Ebert wannabees. This is a simple teenage comedy, but it is fun so just relax and enjoy it...it's called entertainment no Oscar trash. I thoroughly enjoyed this film, devoid of f-bombs, drugs, profanity and propaganda...it's simply a comedy if you can remember what those were like. AND for lovers of puns...you'll get this flick.