There are so many aspects that are wrong about this movie. It reminds me of a long short film written by a student filmmaker and it looks like one too.
First, is the out of place product placement at the beginning of the movie for Ouija Occult Spirit Boards. It's clearly product placement, and I can only ask why, why push it on junior high and high school kids.
Second, is the need to try to target every racial and gender demographic possible.
Third, a very confusing mod podge of era's that looks like it's occurring in the 1970's or 80's from vehicles to decor, only to also have modern cell phones.
Fourth, it looks super low budget, like a student film. Student filmmakers generally have only a few thousand dollars to work with or less, so they utilize friends and families homes and local locations, without a budget for an art department to set the look. I've seen multiple student shorts during film school that look higher budget than this movie.
Fifth, poor acting from beginning to end.
Sixth, poor screenplay and story. Apparently this movie is a book adaptation. I never read the book, but I hope it was better than the adaption to film, because it was just a poor story.
Seventh, the worse cinematography I've seen in anything released under the Disney license since some of the 1970's Disney movies, when framing shots and scene choices were still in there infancy.
Unfortunately, it's just not that good of a movie. Not very funny, lots of predictability, some of the scenes presented a stereotypical systematic racial overtone about black students that was completely unnecessary.
I am giving it two stars, only because its not the absolutely worst movie I've ever seen, but it's down at the bottom.
The mouse must of been out of town when Disney produced The Slumber Party.
