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.

This was a thoroughly enjoyable ride from a fresh director and features great performances from three promising young actresses.

Hailee Steinfeld continues to show her versatility as Megan, a trained assassin who just wants to be a normal teenager. Dove Cameron gives a strong performance as the daughter of the host family. I hope to see her in many more movies. Sophie Turner plays Megan's nemesis and has less scenes, but shines in the ones she's in, especially in the end. I'm very much looking forward to seeing her in the title role of X-Men: Dark Phoenix.

The guys in this flick are mostly ornaments. Good old Samuel L. J. and Jessica Alba also play second fiddle here to the youngsters.

Definitely worth a watch. Some action, some high school drama, very much fun. Looking out for more from director Kyle Newman.

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 :)

Imagine rifling through your DVD collection and grabbing Salt, Get Smart, 16 Candles & Fatal Attraction and throwing them all into a blender. Aside from getting a lot of DVD splinters in your face, you'll get an experience like none other.

"Barely Lethal" is the story of a teenage girl who is a highly trained assassin but she can't survive a week in high school. The setup is brilliant. Almost satirical, but not quite, it takes us to the realm of utter absurdity, but underneath it all is a solid metaphor about the difficulties of adolescence. This is a timeless story which is why it's fun for all ages & demographics. I'm male and old enough that I saw "The Breakfast Club" in the movie theater when it came out ...and I loved this flick.

If you are prepared for some wild wtf swings in plot, tone, theme and presentation (or even better, if you can see it as part of this film's charm) then you might love this flick, too. In the Making-Of bonus features, you can see that the entire cast is having a blast and acting like teenagers during filming. This translates into great on-screen chemistry as well as some genuine silly fun. As 40-year-old Dan Fogler (the hilarious Mr. Drumm) says, "My maturity level definitely dropped a few points."

The comedy is mostly situational; in other words there aren't a ton of punchline gags & snappy zingers, but there are several great LOL moments worth the price of admission. There are also some wonderfully unexpected role-reversals, such as the scene where our nerdy heroine meets the cheerleader gang for the first time. And I saved the best for last: the climactic fight scene! Physically impressive, dramatically intense, and logistically HILARIOUS (it happens on the dance floor at homecoming), the action in this flick may be over the top, but that's sorta the point. A+ for originality in being the only teen romance flick in history which takes us to a knockdown, dragout, punchbowl shattering fight scene at a dance. If you can get past the "wtf" factor, you'll have a great time.

I needed a break from the real world and this did the trick. It just about clears average and is perfectly watchable. I thought some of the riffs on the tropes of teen comedy were amusing for anyone who'd seen the originals - although I have to admit I didn't laugh an awful lot. It is what it is: not every film can be an oscar contender.