User reviews

Nothing wrong with this movie really. I don't think people treat this movie fairly. It's a sweet little entertaining comedy, that is not hilarious but at all time a pleasant one to watch.

Normally director John Pasquin really doesn't make great comedies but I think I can say that this is a good movie and probably easily his best.

Yes, of course the movie has morals in it that are bittersweet and make the movie also predictable. Nevertheless, I think the movie delivers its messages well and not so much in a preachy kind of way. It helps the messages of the movie come across and therefor the movie is an effective one.

As a matter of fact; everything in the movie works out quite well. This includes the love-story, the movie its dramatic elements and the characters themselves. The movie is a good balance of fun and entertainment and some more serous and dramatic family plot-elements, that of course never divert from the movie its fun and pleasant elements.

Not too much about the story really, it's actually kind of silly and hard to believe but it serves as a good basis for the movie to tell its story. The characters and actors in the movie are definitely good enough to make the movie more fun and entertaining to watch. Tim Allen fits the role and the movie has a great supporting cast with actors such as Greg Germann, Patrick Warburton and James Belushi in some good and fun comedy roles.

It's easily a movie I would watch again.

7/10

http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/

Tim Allen is a very talented comedian, so I feel almost all his movies are worth seeing. So far, the only one I dreaded was "Jungle 2 Jungle." "Joe Somebody" has everything you would expect in a family comedy and the story is predictable. But the point is it's a fun movie to watch and I was quite entertained.

Julie Bowen (from "Happy Gilmore" and TV's "Ed") plays Allen's love interest. God! She's one of the most beautiful actresses in Hollywood! I hope to see her in more and more movies. My heart just melts everytime I see her on screen. Jim Belushi is hilarious as Allen's martial arts personal trainer/out-of-work action star. I guess that's an inside joke, spoofing his own movie career...LOL. But I love Jim, he's truly an underrated comic actor. If you want to see him in other funny performances, I suggest you see "Taking Care of Business" and "Return to Me." What did disappoint me was the lack of screen time for Patrick Warburton. He's only in the film for about ten minutes! Warburton is another truly talented comic actor--we all loved him as Puddy on "Seinfeld"--and he's definitely going places. He literally doesn't get to say any funny lines in this movie. That sucks! That's why I'm really, really looking forward to the release of "Big Trouble," also starring Allen and Warburton, where hopefully we'll get to see a lot more of Patrick.

Like most family films, the third act becomes serious and the comedy sags, because this is the point where they're supposed to deliver the "message." And like most family films, the message is delivered in a deliberately corny fashion. I'm sorry, call me a pessimist, but even if you're going to deliver a message there should be a sense of reality to it. "American Beauty" was a film with a message--in fact, a bunch of messages--but it was delivered in a very unpretentious, realistic manner without fearing the audience's reaction.

In the opening of the film, we establish that Allen is a loser. Why? Who the heck knows? But for some stupid reason, everyone around him--whether it's at work or around town--doesn't even bother to acknowledge he exists. He says hello, but no one says hello back. And suddenly, just because he plans on fighting the most hated man in the workplace, everyone thinks of him as a god? Maybe this could happen in the sixth grade. But in an upscale working environment? I don't think so. Even adults can be shallow, but that's ridiculous.

So don't go into "Joe Somebody" expecting to be enlightened or touched in any way. Just go in for the laughs--and if you're a guy, also go in to see the beautiful Julie Bowen. There's an incentive!

My score: 7 (out of 10)

Serious? ....No.

Lighthearted? ....Yes.

Funny? ....Yes.

Full of morals and clichés? ....You bet.

But it's the Bullied verses the Bully and most of us, especially those of us who might have been in similar circumstances, like these kind of movies; don't we? Obviously this movie isn't meant to be taken too seriously and Tim Allen pulls it off nicely and, along with the support characters, they combine to make this one of those movies you can enjoy without having the feeling you have to barf.

OK, folks, I've read almost every comment on here regarding this movie, and all I can say is... some of you just haven't got a clue. No, it's not a blockbuster comedy, but it wasn't intended to be. So, OK, clearly, this movie isn't for everyone... well, there isn't any movie made that appeals to EVERYONE, no matter how good it is. The point is this: This movie was very enjoyable. It does not try too hard, it makes you love or hate the characters appropriately, has a nice, fun (albeit somewhat simple) story, and is all around a nice, light-hearted film that the entire family can enjoy together. If you're not into family movies, then skip this one, otherwise, I definitely recommend it.

I like Tim Allen and I hate to see him selling himself out like this. Here he's playing an average joe (named Joe! Haha the irony!) who gets beat up outside work one day by a meanie co-worker (played by the brilliant Patrick Warburton, one of the most underrated comedians out there).

Feeling like he has lost his dignity and manhood (and the fact that it occurred in front of his preteen daughter doesn't help any), Joe decides to fight back - by training extensively and preparing for the Next Big Fight.

He employs the services of a guru (Jim Belushi) to help him learn forms of karate and what not, so he can take down Warburton.

The movie is kind of lame insofar that it seems very childish - that's partly the point but, on the other hand, it promotes a bad message to kids. Of course the moral at the end of the story is, "Don't fight." But we spend an hour and a half of revenge-filled fantasy getting there.

It's not a particularly bad film, but neither is it particularly good. I hate to see Tim Allen selling himself out like this because I think he's a fine comedian and this puts his talents to waste. Anyone could play this role. There's a reason it's called "Joe Somebody." Now here's a good idea: put Patrick Warburton in a good movie for once, and give Tim Allen a good role.

This film contains a nice little blend of comedy,and heart touching warmth,with Tim Allen starring as a somewhat meek and timid office executive,who often gets stepped on and overlooked.After getting knocked down by the company bully in front of his young daughter,he decides to toughen up and make the world take notice.This is a cute story with a good message about not forgetting the most important things in life. This isn't Tim Allen's best effort,but the film is watchable enough. Lending good support are Jim Belushi as an ex-movie actor/martial arts instructor,and Julie Bowen,who always seems to lend a nice touch to a film(I recalled her from Happy Gilmore),as the love interest.Good film,but don't look for greatness.

I don't know if it was because I watched McHALE'S NAVY the previous night but I was charmed by JOE SOMEBODY . Agreed it's not a movie that will be winning much in the way of awards but isn't as bad as some people are making out . It get's off to a good start in the opening shot where Joe thinks a sexy brunette is waving to him only to find she's waving at someone else . Come on guys admit you've made the same mistake . It's also one of those romantic / family comedies that gets the balance right between pathos and humour without becoming jarring or unfocused . When Joe talks to Natalie his angst ridden daughter on the phone it is a touching scene helped in no small part by a musical score similar to THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION

My only real complaint is that the screenplay can't keep up the momentum but that's not a unique criticism since most movies of what ever genre suffer from sagging about two thirds the way through so the only real disappointment is why didn't the producers hire Steven Seagal as Chuck the martial arts movie star . It's impossible not to notice who Chuck is supposed to be and if we had Seagal lampooning himself then this would have been a minor comedy classic

"Joe Scheffer" (Tim Allen) works in a large corporation and is going through some tough times. Not only has his wife, "Callie Scheffer" (Kelly Lynch) left him for another man, but to make things even more humiliating, he is beaten up in the parking lot of his company in front of his young daughter, "Natalie Scheffer" (Hayden Panettiere). Too ashamed to return to work he is visited by a corporate counselor by the name of "Meg Harper" (Julie Bowen) who inadvertently gives him the idea of challenging the corporate bully "Mark McKinney" (Patrick Warburton) into a rematch. Suddenly, he becomes the rising star in the company and his behavior changes accordingly. Anyway, although this film started off pretty good it didn't seem to add anything new or interesting after the first 15 minutes or so. It was like one long joke which just dragged on for 98 minutes and it got old quickly. And while I liked the performance of Julie Bowen, and I certainly didn't think her presence or that of Kelly Lynch hurt the scenery in any way, neither of them was able to elevate this film enough for me to rate it any higher than I have. Slightly below average.

I wanted to see this film in the first place because it was filmed partly in my neighborhood, and in the second place because I am a fan of Tim Allen. His fans will want to see this film. There were not that many big laughs, which makes it more romantic than comedy. Likeable characters keep this film moving.

Tim Allen has since made some pretty dodgy films (Christmas with the Kranks,Wild Hogs) but here he is on top form in a comedy that manages to mix humour and heart.

The first half in particular is actually very dramatic and allows Allen to play a character with more depth than I think he had previously. As an audience we really buy into Joe's story and want him to make his daughter proud.

The second half falls back into being more of a standard Tim Allen comedy and is at times very funny. He has lovely chemistry with Julie Bowen and the gentle romance between the characters is one of the strengths of the film.

The message about Joe having to fight his co-worker in order to get redemption is a bit questionable for a PG certificate but if you stick with this film during some of the slower sections you'll find yourself watching one of the best Tim Allen films to date.

This is an excellent family movie, if you have the disc you will want to watch it a second time in a day or two. It is worth having in your collection, you will want to go back to it time and time again.

Tim Allen is lovable and does an excellent performance. Julie Bowen also excellent and lovable. The supporting actors and direction were superb.

A great underdog movie turning top-dog with a couple scenes that were stretching the imagination. (please excuse the cliché's they are unavoidable.)

To make this review submission-able I have to add this last line. I think it deserves a better score than 5.5

This movie came as a surprise for me, it was much funnier than expected. Joe Sheffer (played by Tim Allen) is tired of being a loser, and decides to do something about it. That involves engaging in a fight with a bully at his work. This is a good starting point for the movie, and it follows up in a good way with many funny moments. Even though James Belushi isn't exactly the best actor around, I think his appearance in this movie was really great. As a former (and now totally forgotten) B-action movie star, his character had played in movies like "Maximum Punishment", "Quick Kill" and "Master of Justice". That was hilarious.

Joe Somebody is one of those cookie-cutter mediocre films where we can predict the ending long before it actually happens. Not only that, but our 'hero' (Tim Allen) is unconvincingly made into a better person as the film progresses (what the hell?). He starts out as a nobody, who wants revenge on a bully who humiliated him, but becomes a somebody after proclaiming revenge and then refraining from fighting the bully. Along the way, he falls in love. (Get it? That's why they call it Joe Somebody). I think I have seen this plot line many times before, only I don't know where.

Another issue with this 'comedy' that I have is that there are only two real laughs to be had: One where Joe (how American!) reveals that he has steel balls and a line where Jim Belushi says: "It was maximum punishment to watch it." (after a film called Maximum Punishment) I didn't cringe at the film, but I got nothing out of this film either. I was living in the hope that Joe would beat the hell out of the bully, but of course I knew in my heart that he wouldn't and of course, he didn't. The romance is (for me anyway) meant to be awkward, but I felt no emotion when seeing Julie Bowen and Allen interact.

The acting is OK I guess, but let's face it, anyone can play Tim Allen's role as a nobody. Ditto Julie Bowen's role as the love interest and Patrick Warburton as the bully. Every time I see Tim, he's starring in a sub-par or worse film: look at Christmas with the Kranks. Shame.

Overall, this is not a terrible movie, just a sub-par one. If you like predictable, half-baked, forgettable comedies, then this is for you.

2/5 stars

I don't understand the negative reviews. This is a good movie, well written and pretty original. Great dialogue. The top value of this movie is Julie. Julie and her character are the core of the value of the story and of the serious joy of watching. I won't forget that dance either! (Yes, I am a guy.)

I really didn't know much about Joe Somebody before I saw it except that it starred Tim Allen as an average Joe who wants to fight a guy who hit him in front of his daughter. But from that it looked like a good concept that more or less resulted to work as a family film and/or for fans of Allen. It's predictable in spots, but it actually brings some actual realism here and there which you definitely wouldn't expect here (and Allen isn't a bad actor here). B or B-

Here in the UK we have the famous BBC. With the BBC there's something that serious film lovers are aware of. Namely that BBC1 shows what are considered to be duff movies late at night during the working week. The reason for this is that children are in bed and so are the adults who have to get up in the morning, thus viewing figures are not of any great importance. And mainly, the BBC gets to fulfil it's showing quotas for film's they have the rights too but wish they hadn't. So when I saw that this Tim Allen starrer was showing at midnight on a Monday night, I didn't expect much other than an average time filler of a movie. So it proved.

It's a safe parable piece about male egos, bullies and the reaction of others to violence. Hell there's even a little romance in there to make sure the piece stays on the warm side of the safe haven bed. Tim Allen turns in an engaging performance as the guy beat up in front of his young daughter who then gets some martial arts training with the intention of beating said attacker to a pulp. Once the word is out that he is going to fight this guy, everyone starts to react differently to him. Co-workers want to play squash with him, his ex now finds him sexy, you know, that sort of thing. Naturally the ending doesn't hold any great surprises, this is a message movie and its message is delivered with all the subtlety of a thunder storm. But it is watchable, family friendly stuff. Even if, when all is said and done, its vanishes quickly from the memory about two seconds after the credits have rolled. 4/10

That this movie didn't do better than it did at the box office is more an indictment on our culture at large than on the film itself. Genuinely funny (as much as is appropriate for family, sans some the language), it portrays in a simple way a simple message: that, while change and growth are good things, they shouldn't come at the expense of being yourself. If I could have advised "Meg" (played by the always-alluring Julie Bowen), I would tell her that she's right about the big fight between "Joe" and "Mark", but that she should try to understand that, as a guy, it's important for Joe to learn to fight and to at least show up. No, Joe didn't need to beat the snot out of Mark to be a good man--he already was one--but a guy can't back down from challenges. I think that Joe, by showing up and being ready to fight if needed, ended up handling it the best way he could have. And he got a very cute lady--as well as new sartorial skills--to boot!

A lot of the reviewers for this movie wrote that it was "not a very good movie but..." A lot of the reviewers wanted to like this movie, as did I. A number of them even said it was a clean family movie. However, by trying to be a "clean" movie that kids could watch, with a strange "sappy" ending that just didn't fit (at all), and being a believable drama about midlife crisis, failed marriage, workplace violence, and corporate ethics, they ended up with a movie that often seemed far too tedious for young viewers, and not genuine for older viewers; in trying to appeal to everyone, they missed the mark to appeal to anyone. Which is why I think most reviews stop short of saying they simply didn't like this movie, and say it was easily forgotten only seconds after turning it off. It had potential, and Tim Allen is an amicable actor to watch. But he's had far better films to his credit.