Josie e as Gatinhas

First of all - this is not a meaningful movie. But it wasn't meant to be. I hate it when I hear critics slam a movie mainly because it doesn't fit into their favorite "Type" of movie. Some movies are made to sit through wincing - leaving you sore emotionally and some are light silly goofball creations that wont change the world, but sure are nice to just zone out with.

This movie will never turn Roger Ebert's crank...its silly and goofy and irrelevant....Its also over time revealing itself to have been at the time...subversive. This movie has a lot of little things about it that are becoming more relevant as the years wear on...

When this first came out I thought "An alright movie with catchy songs" This was before I myself got involved in the Music industry. After living through three bands and two contracts over ten years I would like to say this movie isn't as unrealistic as you may think. It is still a spoof, but close enough to reality to warrant another look. Originally waved away as being pure fluff I now find this movie creepily prophetic.

Since this movie was made we have witnessed the fall out of bands like Back street boys the breakdown of pop-stars like Brittany Spears and a slew of young actors & actresses separated from family & friends whose entire personalities have been written and designed by stylists and are seen battling like some weird "Fashionista" roman gladiators under the tutelage of sycophants and managers.

Media/pop culture, with its out of control emphasis on looks and weight over talent and personality, have resulted in actual government legislation regarding model weights and rampant anorexia amongst young starlets.

Musically there has been a huge increase in management interference (listen to Pink's first album regarding the pressures placed on a young singer to conform to a label's Vision) dictating how the artists shall look and act. If it hadn't been for the internet download revolution of Lime wire and such I think the Music industry would have happily continued to control what consumers were ALLOWED to buy and ALLOWED to see...

This movie was also made prior to the outing of "gay" boy band members Stephen Gately, Lance Bassit, Jordan Knight but the top selling song for the Boy Band "Du Jour" in this movie is the most homo-suggestive song I've ever heard. (Is it really called "In Through Your Back Door"?)

After all this fallout, the world of Josie & the Pussycats seems much less stupid to me.

Again...Not deep, but possibly prophetic...and fun to watch Just don't expect to feel moved. Its popcorn at its best - light and salty, not really a meal...its a snack and as that type of movie...shouldn't't be judged solely for its nutritional value... I'd rate it a 7

Pretty decent feel-good movie. Superb soundtrack, talented cast. Not a disappointment at all. Lots of energy in the young cast, humorous laid- back script, and good message.

Humorous at certain points and worth watching if your a teenage girl, or especially if you like all the conspiracy theory stuff =)

Is meaningful in that it puts emphasis on importance of certain things in our lives, leaves you wanting to download the track and has a light hearted attempt at portraying messages to young people without the boring political side.

Josie and the Pussycats is lively and funny at points. I would recommend this movie to anyone who likes movie's like Mean girls, Legally Blonde etc as it is humorous and meaningful, without being overly politically correct.

When Du Jour, a top boy band go missing after an "unfortunate" plane accident, manager Wyatt Frame decides that the time is ripe for him to go and find "the next big thing" to sell to the teen market. He discovers a failing girl rock group in a small town and offers them a deal without hearing them. Within hours they have been styled and dressed by the label and are ready to cut their first record. Within a week they are number one, have screaming fans following them everywhere and have a strange desire to buy products that they had no previous interest in. However Josie starts to notice something strange about all of this and is soon asking more questions than the label would like her to.

I hope my description above gives you an idea of the silly sense of humour that runs throughout this film because, although it could have been a sharp satire, it isn't quite as insightful as it could have been. Mostly this is down to the material - the targets are so easy (hell, pop music is practically a parody of itself in some regards) it is never sharp although it is pretty on-target for the most part. It doesn't help that the tone of the whole thing is that of a silly teen comedy rather than a satire and perhaps it was the strange mix of things that confused me a little bit and put me off it. Despite this though I still quite enjoyed it; it was amiable enough, was quite self-aware and was pretty funny at points. I can understand why many were put off it and it doesn't break any new ground but it is still pretty enjoyable and it was nice to see a teen movie actually try to do more than just pander to its audience (well, not much anyway).

The actors involved give some clue that the material is up to something despite the weaknesses – Parker Posey doesn't just turn out for every teen comedy that is around you know! The three leads are all pretty good – delivering the silly mood but also being in on the joke and into it. Cook is probably the least fun of the three but she does well to carry the narrative. Reid is fun in a simple ditsy role that made me smile and Dawson is as gorgeous as ever while still delivering an enjoyable character. Cumming is a bit annoying and he adds to the silly mood with his overly daft performance. Posey is fun and somehow manages to be daft but still effective in the role. The support are mostly in on the joke and the star cameos send themselves up well – Carson Daley and Levy particularly. Biggest surprise was that I liked Missy Pyle – normally she is terrible but here she works.

Overall this is a strange mix of pop satire and teen movie. This produces a rather silly tone, which may put some off, not helped by the fact that the easy targets do rather take the edge off the material somewhat but for my money it was refreshing to see this try to do what it did. I enjoyed the humour and the fact that the cast were all into it and, although it is not a great movie I would certainly watch it again.

I know that Josie and the Pussycats is a ridiculous adaptation of a silly comic strip. I know the jokes are dated and its look is firmly trapped in the 2000s. Despite all that, I enjoy watching this movie. It still makes me smile & laugh. I think the cast had a blast making this movie, and it shows. The songs are a lot of fun, too. It's not great cinema, but it's the kind of absurd amusement I need every now and then.

I never saw the original cartoon but decided to pick up 2001's "Josey and the Pussycats" because Tara Reid's such a cutie and it looked like some fun entertainment.

Yes, it's fun and the girls are attractive (also featuring Rachael Leigh Cook & Rosario Dawson) but, surprisingly, "Josey and the Pussycats" shoots for something deeper. As my title blurb points out, this is an amusing and potent satire on the power and manipulation of the entertainment industry.

Alan Cumming is outstanding as the villainous band manager who uses, abuses and throws away at whim. His opening scene with the fictional boyband Du Jour is worth the price of admission! Parker Posey is also good as his diabolical superior.

Ever wonder why all those musicians die in mysterious plane crashes, overdoses, etc. at the height of their fame? How about all those successful government cover-ups? How do artists with little actual talent and songwriting abilities become hugely popular while the truly talented artists languish in obscurity (like Meliah Rage)? Why do you sometimes have this insane drive for a Big Mac or Coke? "Josie and the Pussycats" explains all, lol.

As for the doofuses who complain about the product placement, they all live on Aduh Street.

The film runs 98 minutes.

GRADE: B