The 4:30 Movie

Kevin Smith FINALLY gets his mojo back in this one.

For the first time since Red State, or arguably Tusk, the film is shot with some sense of inspired visual creativity. The promise of the filmmaker Kevin Smith could be that was seen in Clerks II finally gets to fully bloom. The confused editing and flat cinematography that haunted Yoga Hosers and Clerks III is finally gone, and not only is it very pleasant to look at, but the slick charisma of Kevin Smith's characters has finally returned.

The worst offender might be that certain jokes and pieces of expository dialogue repeats itself a little too much for my taste, and the humor leans more towards the laid back low-brow style of humor prevalent in Mallrats, and less towards the frenzy of snappy zingers of Clerks or Dogma.

Where The 4:30 Movie truly shines, however, and becomes something truly special and memorable, is it's authenticity. The love story feels so personal, sweet and vulnerable, told with a unique voice that only Kevin Smith could pull off. The banter and chemistry between Brian and Melody reminds you of those truly charming, flirtatious interactions from Clerks, Chasing Amy and Clerks II.

Smith does something you might have never expected to see in one of his films, which is to completely let go of his dialogue on ocassions and completely surrender the film to the score by Bear McCreary, which gives it an eerie and bittersweet feeling of stepping into a nostalgic dream.

All in all, The 4:30 Movie feels like a beefed up version of Mallrats, with a very loose hangout movie structure that more than anything captures a vibe and a feeling that makes you go "You know what? That was very sweet. I'm glad you shared that with me, Kevin".

If you've been a fan of The Askewniverse since the 90s, and might've felt like he disappeared into a cloud of weed smoke for a while, I do wholeheartedly recommend you check this out. It didn't always connect with me comedically, but the voice you remembered that Kevin Smith used to have back in the 90s is so back, with a far more cinematically confident vibe this time. It starts and ends so strong, with scenes that most definitely deserve to be on the highlight reel of this man's career.

Everything you could possibly love or hate about a Kevin Smith movie is in here, and whether or not if you're fan, I think it's worth celebrating that unlike certain films he's put out recently that almost felt like a passive-aggressive attack on the audience, this is probably the first time since Zack & Miri Make A Porno that I can confidently say to myself that "THAT was a Kevin Smith movie!"

The film starts and ends with a very, very weak "rom com" storyline. In total, this accounts for perhaps 15-20 minutes of the film's total run time. In between that, there's a good hour+ of just pointless, repetitive 80s references and "jokes" related to the future. The base "rom com" storyline isn't really very interesting or engaging, but that's really a minor aspect of the film.

Imagine... You travel back to 1986... and make as many statements that will prove to be inaccurate in 40 years... That's the BULK of this film.

While there's a very weak base story, most of the film is just trying to crack jokes about things that will eventually be proven true after 1986... example "There'll never be another Star Wars. Can you imagine.. they make tv series based on minor characters?!?" Those kind of "jokes". Only POSSIBLY slightly amusing because anyone watching this film would know different. They aren't "jokes" or "funny" in themselves.

The film is a series of repetitive 80s references, using only the most prominent trends of the 80s that were annoying then -- and in EVERY conversation, multiple times -- seems Smith was hard-pressed to write a single line of dialog that wasn't either referencing the 80s or miserably attempting some "joke" based solely on some future truism.

This appears to be a film targeted at 13-15 year olds.. who will miss all the (way overused) 80s references and, once in a blue moon, MIGHT find the statements about the future amusing.. but that's stretching things.

Oddest thing was the reference to needing to be 18 years old to see an R rated film.. That's never been true. It's always been 17, not 18. It states it right in the MPAA rating screen at the beginning of a film. All my life it's been 17.. and I'm the same age as Smith. Really? I mean Smith is in the film industry and he gets this wrong?? Kind of shows how much thought was put into the script.

I didn't find this film funny or even slightly amusing in ANY way... and it wasn't that interesting. This is quite possibly Kevin Smith's worst film ever. I typically love Kevin Smith films. I'll NEVER sit through this one again.

----- Pass ------

Brian David is in love with Melody Barnegat and asks her out to catch a 4:30 show of Bucklick, an R rated comedy film. He hadn't spoken to her for an year after he had got too scared while making out with her in the pool. She has decided to give him another chance but Brian's best friend Burny is not at all happy with this development as he along with Belly wanted to do theater hopping all day. Things take a turn when Belly is banned for life by egotistic theater manager yet they sneak him in. Their day's plan gets to be reshuffled to accommodate Melody but things take the worse turn when all 3 get banned. How does Brian and Melody's date turn out to be on this messy day? How does the friendship triumph over the egotistical manager? How the movies play an impactful role in all of this, forms rest of the story.

Kevin Smith has once again reached out to his actual comfort zone to deliver yet another film that is instantly relatable. For someone who loves movies, sharing that emotion with his audience and connecting with it, isn't much of a challenge. This might not be Clerks or Mallrats, the characters still drive the story and they do the trick. Belly eats his up his big moment and it works really well. All the nostalgic film references and ofcourse overly repetitive jokes about films and celebs' future while knowing the predictions turn exactly opposite, are still fun. The simple story of theater hopping and the aim to make it to the 4:30pm show with constant challenges thrown in the form of the theater manager while emphasising on the friendship as well as first love, Kevin Smith is at ease in terms of making. In the end, that little conversation between Brian and Usher, is what truly stayed with me - we are filmmakers, we just haven't made our movie yet. For all movie lovers, it is worth catching The 4:30pm Movie.

"4:30" is Kevin Smith's latest addition to his filmography, and it presents an interesting mix of elements that might leave audiences divided. The film revolves around its leads, who, while undoubtedly central to the narrative, come off as insufferable at times. It's a shame that Smith seems to struggle with creating truly likable characters, especially when compared to his earlier works where his characters resonated deeply with audiences.

In contrast, where "4:30" truly shines is in its side characters. These supporting roles inject much-needed charm and depth into the movie, saving it from becoming a complete letdown. It's in these moments and interactions that the film finds its rhythm and provides some enjoyable and watchable scenes.

While "4:30" may not reach the same heights as some of Smith's earlier classics, it still manages to surpass the last few lackluster entries in his filmography. There's a sense of improvement evident in this movie, a glimmer of the filmmaker revisiting his strengths and rediscovering what made his earlier works so beloved.

Despite its flaws, "4:30" offers a glimpse of Smith returning to form, albeit with some hiccups along the way. The pacing, dialogue, and character development may not be as polished as fans would hope for, but there's a raw honesty to the storytelling that is hard to ignore.

In conclusion, "4:30" is a mixed bag. While the leads may come across as insufferable and the writing lacking its past charm, the film is buoyed by strong performances from its side characters and an overall improvement in quality compared to Smith's recent endeavors. It might not be a perfect movie, but it shows promise and hints at a potential return to form for the filmmaker. With a rating of 5/10 stars, "4:30" is worth a watch for fans of Kevin Smith, but it may leave some wishing for more of the magic that defined his earlier works.

Couldn't sit through the 2nd half of the movie, except of one joke where a character wishes death upon another was the only moment that made me giggle, other than that everything was so unnatural and cringe, not even guest appearances of Justin Long nor Jason Lee could have saved it. Clerks and Mallrats fans stay away and rather go see Chasing Amy on a loop, this is borderline criminal on pair with his Yoga Hosers attempts at humor. I dont know what the cause behind this trend, age? Times of political correctness? If that's the case I would appreciate more attempts in vein of Tusk and Red State going forward. Stick to horror genre Kevin. Thanks your fan.