Hoot

(Synopsis) Roy Eberhardt (Logan Lerman) is a teenager who loves living in the wide open spaces and mountains of Montana. Unfortunately for him, his father's job is forcing him to move once again, this time to a small town in Florida. As the new kid in school, Roy has the usual encounter with the school bully on the bus. While riding on the bus, Roy is also intrigued by a teenage boy who was running like the wind and passed the bus in his bare feet. The next day, Roy gets off the bus and tries to catch him, but loses him at the golf course. Roy eventually meets the boy, known as Mullet Fingers (Cody Linley). Mullet Fingers is a runaway living on an abandoned boat near the golf course and a vacant lot that is about to have a pancake house built on it. All by himself, Mullet Fingers has taken up the cause of protecting the burrow owls that are nesting on the vacant lot. If a pancake house is built on the lot, it will destroy the habitat of the burrow owls. Roy joins forces with Mullet Fingers and his sister Beatrice (Brie Larson) to save the owls.

(My Comment) This is one movie the whole family can see. The story is entertaining and heart-warming for all ages. You will love the music of Jimmy Buffett that was played throughout the movie. Jimmy Buffett produced and played a small part as the marine science teacher. This is a pro-environmental film that shows what can be accomplished by three teenagers using the act of civil disobedience. The film has lots of humor, and a message of saving the environment and some beautiful cinematography of Montana and Florida. And of course, don't forget the owls. (New Line Cinema, Run time 1:30, Rated PG)(6/10)

True, the plot is hectic and some elements could have been avoided (e.g. the bullying kid related ones), but elaborated characters and good performances (leading with Logan Lerman as Roy E. Eberhardt, Luke Wilson as Officer David Delinko, Tim Blake Nelson as "Curly" Brannit, Clark Gregg as Chuck Muckle, above all) make this movie rather catchy to follow - and more attention and praise. The protection of nature, particularly endangered species is so important that respective schooling should be started as early as possible. On the other hand, running away from a policeman and binding up a person could induce ambivalent feelings...

I can easily recommend the movie to families with schoolchildren, especially those living in urban areas. For those who find Hoot dull and plain: there are several different environmentally focused movies, On Deadly Ground with Steven Seagal, for example :)

PS Logan Lerman has really become a magnificent young actor, The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012) is an evident demonstration of this!

I am not going to lie and say Hoot is the best family film I have seen, but I am going to say I actually rather liked it. True, the pacing is a little too slow at times, the story perhaps a little predictable and some of the characters are rather clichéd particularly the bully. However, Hoot is beautifully photographed with lovely scenery and the cinematography was very nice. The soundtrack was a pleasant touch and had a somewhat nostalgic feel to it, while the dialogue is humorous and has some sweet parts too, the message is admirable and the direction is above-adequate. And the acting was good on the whole, Logan Lerman is an appealing lead and Brie Larson while petite is alluring and likable enough, while Tim Blake Nelson does a very good job with his role as does Luke Wilson. Overall, very nice and likable, nothing outstanding but it's not awful either. 7/10 Bethany Cox

This movie was pretty good. It had a nice upbeat tone throughout and was a pleasant experience to watch.

It's about a kid who moves to Florida and, in addition to being hassled as the 'new kid' at school, gets involved with learning the about the mysterious "barefoot kid" and some little critters in need of help.

What keeps this movie moving along are two things. One is great acting performances by Logan Lerman (lead role), Brie Larson (scary tough girl) and Luke Wilson (police officer). The other is the intrigue level the story maintains by slowly revealing things about the characters and the story.

All in all, this is a pretty nice, well-made, upbeat movie that just can appeal to both kids and adults.

It is great to see a film starring kids whose idea of "acting adult" is not engaging in sensuality. Instead, these kids see a problem in their community and take responsibility for helping to solve it. Hoot is a film aimed squarely at families looking for a fun day at the cinema. The production values are good, especially sweeping shots of Montana and Florida. The soundtrack by Jimmy Buffet is a perfect fit. The young actors are spirited and refreshing.

The plot, about a trio of kids who work together to save some burrowing owls from death at the hands of an unscrupulous pancake house empire builder, will engage kids. So many films make children appear powerless, it is nice to see a movie that shows children working hard to make a difference. And even though parents are absent or temporarily distracted, it was pleasant to see kids who want to follow in their parents footsteps and try to right injustices.

If you are tired of all of the self-indulgent story lines about children that fill the cinema, give Hoot a shot. Then take some time to talk to your kids about the adventure of serving others and caring about the world they live in. A positive message from a positive film.