The Standoff

I expected bad, but this movie exceeded expectations. The acting, writing and directing were worse than local children's theater. And let's be honest: nobody goes to children's theater for the fine acting or intriguing plots.

Standoff was like that, but less cute, and the actors seemed to have two modes: yelling and angry, or stoned.

The saving grace is my kids will watch anything with sassy teens cracking terrible jokes, and they were generous enough to call it, unenthusiastically, "good."

Nothing like product placement for volvo's coupe model and a quick check for washed-out child star actors with expired contracts from children show production companies, complete with a script to match the mess lol

Actually super cute and has a feel - good ending. Characters are funny and relatable.

This definitely looks and feels like something you would see on the Disney Channel or Nickelodeon but the quality is slightly better all around, particularly the acting from the two leads. It's more charming than hilarious but I laughed out loud a couple of times. (Even the eye-roll worthy comedy was usually cute.) It's strength is really as a romantic comedy with some fun, quirky side characters. I can see myself watching it again - in fact, I'm almost certain I will, which is probably the most important thing I could say about it. Romantic comedies is probably my favorite genre but I am particular about them and this was one I really liked.

I gave it a 9/10 for that reason, though that's a high rating in terms of absolute quality. It was a subjective rating, which is what I tend to do. I figure when people come on here to read reviews or look at the average user rating, what they're wondering usually isn't, "Is this a good movie?" but "Will I like it?" So a lot of people will probably watch this and say it's not very good, but it matters that there are some people out there like me who will really love it. That's why I gave it a 9 and decided to write a review, especially since there weren't any written already.

I watched this movie because I'm a fan of Olivia Holt. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the Merrell twins were in The Standoff as well. I really liked the play on Vanessa and Veronica's Youtube in the movie. Plus their bubbly personality adds a lot to the movie.

Overall the acting was pretty good. There were a few spots that it could've been better. But for the most part it was decent.

The one thing I can't decide is if I like the plot or not. It's kind of a lame plot and the end is very predictable. Even with a lame plot I still enjoyed the movie. I liked the positive messages throughout and the contestants from all walks of life. Maybe the best way to put is this: The Standoff has more of a reality TV show feel as opposed to a movie. I think there are people who will enjoy this movie. But if you're looking for an outstanding movie that deserves an Oscar, this isn't it.