Pyjama Party

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.

It took me a long time to see this movie, but I finally did when my sister got it as a gift. Although the movie had its incredibly corny moments, and the plot was obviously written to entertain a preteen audience, I did find the movie enjoyable. There will be times during this movie when you will just have to laugh, and there will be times that you nod as you remember similar antics of your own. The characters are lovable and realistic, even if some of the messes they get into may not be. Granted, there will also be times when you just have to roll your eyes at the cheesiness. Overall, I found the movie very cute and very entertaining;just don't send your boys to watch it.

I thought this movie was quite enjoyable. It's a bit like a female version of Ferris Bueller, without the destructive male testosterone (the worst thing the girls can expect if caught is not to be able to go on a trip to Hawaii with the family). Even though everything is predictable (the dorky guys who save the day ... more than once, the popular girl getting her comeuppance, the "fat" girl learning to love herself, etc.) you don't seem to mind because the characters are well-developed and so, well, likable. It's not going to challenge you to use your brain much, but for a few hours of fun, this isn't bad. Will appeal especially to pre-teen and teen girls.

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.

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.