Spare Parts

Strange how these sort of "feel good" films -- based on actual events -- used to be more commonplace... and now have somehow become an endangered species..? SPARE PARTS is a serious film. By that I mean they used name stars and gave the film a full 2 hour running length. (Lately you can tell more about a film by the length than any other statistic -- the ones that clock in at exactly 1:25 are usually done on the cheap, intended to be sold to TV right away).

It might not win any Oscars but it is solid entertainment with no hiccoughs or offbeat moments.

For this reviewer, the oddest thing was identifying the "glue." In every story there is a character that the audience comes to identify with, and the actions of this key character often set the tone for how the audience will respond to the whole story.

What was interesting here is that the "glue" was Marisa Tomei, who is both the conscience and the heart of the film -- yet she does not have as much camera time as some of the other characters. She does an outstanding job of grounding the story, from beginning to end.

Highly recommended.

I love movies about science.

This was a very cool underdog story, similar to underdog stories found in sports movies, but this time, the sport is a science competition in which four Hispanic high schoolers dare to dream big by entering a robotics competition on a college level, and they end up surprising themselves most of all.

Based on a true story, when it comes to the competition itself the filmmakers got to keep it real. Their win was not perfect, but for me that's what made this the perfect underdogs become Victorious movie.

And for being his first semi-dramatic role, Gorge Lopez was the funniest I've ever seen in a picture. His name came first as the biggest star (despite having Jamie Lee Curtis and Marisa Tomei as his costars), but he was the supporting actor, cheering on these four boys as they achieve greatness beyond what their environment thought they could.

It's good to see and uplifting film, even better when it's about reality

Okay, I admit it. I'm a robotics nerd. I managed a high school robotics team for three years and watched on the side-lines while my son participated on another team for four years. So, of course I went to see the new movie "Spare Parts" about the Carl Hayden High School Robotics Team that participated in a college-level underwater robotics competition and beat M.I.T. I've met Coach Freddie, and I've attended robotics competitions and meetings at Carl Hayden High School. There was no way I was going to miss this movie.

Having said all that, here are the reasons ALL OF YOU should see this movie. If you live in Arizona, you should see this inspirational movie about something that happened in your own state. (Yes, sometimes good things do happen in Arizona.) If you are an educator, a parent, or anyone who works with kids, you should see this movie to remember what can happen when we inspire kids and give them a chance to show us what they can do. If you're a nerd or a techie - just go see it! It's a show with a lot of heart, the right amount of humor, and some good acting and writing, too.

I had no idea what I was going to watch except for the fact that it would be some kind of inspirational movie inspired by true events. Well, by the time I was done watching it, I had tears in my eyes, smile at my face and a prayer in my heart! This movie shows what a true attitude can do for oneself. Talent and money isn't everything. If one believes that one is putting one's heart and soul in a project, God will take care of the rest. The acting is flawless and every character has done a remarkable job in keeping the viewer engaged for the entire length of the movie. A soulful, family movie in these times is very rare and this is one of such gems!! I recommend everyone of you to watch it and experience God's way of enlightenment.

PS: Had I known basics of Robotics, I would have rated it 10 on 10!

The movie is based on a true story about the undocumented high school students from Arizona, who participate in underwater robotics competition and compete against top universities in the Nation. With limited budget, but with creative minds and a desire to win, they manage to build a decent robot and manage to impress the judges with their presentation. I am a robotics coach and I took my robotics team to watch this film. Definitely a must-watch especially if you are a coach, teacher, student , or parent. The students also enjoyed it a lot and got inspired. The movie also has very good soundtracks and has funny scenes.