Pyjama Party

Oh, dear. Oh, dear. I hardly know where to start.

Sleepover is a typical tween movie: girls go for sleepover, mean girls propose scavenger hunt, hijincks ensue, obligatory make-out scene, etc.

I am close to the 8-to-13-year-old age demographic to which this movie aspires, and even I find it boring and a waste of time. My little sister, who is 9 and who 'should' enjoy it, thinks it is boring and a waste of time. But I'm not here to tell you what my family thinks of it.

First off, there is some simply horrendous over-acting, especially by Sara Paxton (Staci). I would understand if this were a high school play, but this is a multimillion-dollar film. Alexa Vega (Julie), who was the movie's main selling point, has two facial expressions: Worried and Mildly Angry. Her best friend Hannah, played by Mika Boorem, is the only person who seemed to know how to show emotion. I know these are supposed to be good actors, but... they sure don't show it.

On top of that, the whole plot screamed 'CLICHE' and consisted of contrivance after contrivance. Most of the dialog was simply terrible ("Hey, what's up? Your face is so glad-looking!"). This is a relatively new director, but there is simply no excuse for things like this. Dialogue can be fixed with a Sharpie marker 10 minutes before a shoot. There is no excuse.

3/10.

I watched it last night ( October 15th 2020) as I was in the mood for something light and funny. The movie was that but definitely a early 2000's film. It was fun but awkward to watch today. It also made me realize just how many movies around that time were centered around middle school students acting and doing things much older than they should be ( hooking up!?, aren't they supposed to be playing 13- 15 year olds?) kinda like every show on disney today.

I wasn't expecting much from "sleepover", other than Alexa Vega, so good in the "Spy Kids" movies for Robert Rodriguez, I didn't know anyone in the cast. So i found my self smiling, laughing and even nervous to see if Julie Corky (Vega) and her friends would win out.

This was a really cute Tween comedy that wasn't loaded with sexual references or violence. It may list language on the DVD box but I sure didn't heart anything objectionable. Alexa Vega is in full bloom here literally and figuratively, she really carries the picture, you simply root for her right away and really care that she finally realizes just how cool she is! Her friends are a bit generic and the girl playing Yancy, the chubby one, could use some acting lessons, but thats OK.

Of note besides Vega is Sam Huntington, who does a really nice job as Julie's older Bro. He brings some very witty observations to the film. I would have liked sharper writing and more actual sleepover scenes in here, rather than all the hijinks. That said, at least Vega makes the hijinks entertaining. all in all I thought this was a pretty good film. Miles above such teen tripe as "Raise Your Voice" or "Crossroads". Cheers for Alexa Vega though, its her movie and she makes it all worthwhile.

Kids are running out of classrooms, shrieking and throwing papers in the air. A pop track pumps while the ubiquitous slow-mo panning camera follows the wannabes watching the popular girls strutting the corridor. That's right, school's out for summer in yet another John Hughes-inspired teen-flick.

You can loathe it, you can tolerate it, but I confess to a secret fondness of the genre. Although it's cluttered with ordinary films, this homogeneity is part of the unique comfort a teen comedy can offer. They're films to watch when you're sick, where bullies get their comeuppance, and moral codes are simpler than in an adult world. And kids enjoy them too.

Sleepover begins with Julie (Alexa Vega) inviting three friends for a slumber party to celebrate graduating from Junior High (Year 8). Of course, her former best friend Staci (Sara Paxton) can't come – she's a teen queen now. Sporting a superior blonde 'Farrah' reminiscent of nasty Caroline (Haviland Morris) in Hughes' Sixteen Candles (1984), you just know that Staci's a bitch with a heart of gold. She and her catty trio of 'Mean Girls' challenge Julie and her buddies to a scavenger hunt. The winners get the coveted lunch spot at high school next year – and the passport to popularity.

Julie, Hannah (Mika Boorem), Farrah (Scout Taylor-Compton) and Yancy (Kallie Flynn Childress) sneak out of the house, avoiding Julie's renovation-mad dad and bribing her slacker brother. They're aided by three irritating Ashton Kutchner-aspirational types, chased by a rent-a-cop and come to rely on a tiny electric car that needs constant recharging. Plus Julie has to steal her secret crush's boxer shorts. Producer Chuck Weinstock came up with the idea of Sleepover because his previous projects were too adult in content for his six and nine-year old children to watch. But there are some edgy aspects in Sleepover that wouldn't have been included in the 1980s teen films it pays homage to. For example, 14-year old Staci has to fend off sexual advances from her high school beau – a rarity for girls that age in Hollywood films, although possibly not in real life. And in a later scene Julie has to persuade her teacher to buy her a drink called "Sex on the Beach" at a nightclub to win the competition. Though these elements are ignored in the broader context of the film, and may be inappropriate, they certainly make Sleepover more interesting.

Although pleasant, Sleepover isn't one of the better examples of the genre. It's a disposable girly tween twist on Ferris Bueller's Day Off, but buoyed by Vega's strong screen presence. You know you shouldn't enjoy it, but you're probably going to. **½/***** stars.

Think of Ferris Bueller's Day Off and Adventures In Babysitting mixed together and you got Sleepover. Young kids may want to see this because of Alexa Vega of Spy Kids fame. But this is not for young kids under 14. Alexa Vega is going quite well from quite kid to beautiful teenager. She is up there with Lindsay Lohan, Amanda Bynes, and Hilary Duff. This story starts out with Julie(Alexa Vega) and her friends, have a sleepover in a celebration of there last day Junior High. While there are having the time of there life. They all getting a sudden visit by the school mean girl named Staci(Sara Paxton) who presents them with a little scavenger hunt. With Staci and her gang. And thus begins a night of moments of misadventures. Enjoyable to say the least. It is basically up there with Mean Girls and New York Minute. This movie is just for pure enjoyment. But it is not still not for kids under 14.