Parrain mais pas trop

I'll admit, this isn't the kind of movie I normally watch, but I ended up really enjoying it. It takes on the subject of bullying without being preachy. I feel like the film makers really added a fresh perspective, and the final product is top tier.

This really is one the whole family can enjoy. Kids will get the jokes, and there's enough humor in there with a wink and a nudge that the grown- ups will enjoy, too. The premise of the movie itself is hilarious, and the writing never fails to deliver the laughs. And smart casting choices meant that the actors can actually pull off the punch lines! Perfect for a rainy evening in with the whole family.

I found out about this movie when the writer and executive producer, Marilyn Anderson, posted about the movie in a film industry Facebook group I am also a member of. I knew my son would enjoy it because of the type of film it was regarded to be similar in style to, but I thought I would be groaning silently to myself as I have with other movies he has watched.

This was further from the truth. Not only was my son laughing out loud, my husband and I found ourselves genuinely laughing along with him. The actors were great in line delivery without over acting to make the movie cheesy. This is the type of movie we would pay to see in movie theaters.

My son has already watched this two more times today since our first viewing last night and as we have 5 more days of rental (Thanks, Amazon!) we will be sure to see it at least a dozen more times this week. Needless to say, when the DVD comes out, we will be purchasing a copy. I highly recommend this to everyone, whether you have kids or not.

This is quite possibly one of the top ten worst movies I have ever seen. The acting, especially by the dad, is absolutely horrific. But my 7 & 11 year old thought it was good (not great). My wife and I cringed so many times that when I started counting after 30 minutes, I lost track by the end of the movie. I cannot believe the high reviews which is why we watched it in the first place. A very LOW budget film. The plot is bad. The acting is bad. The directing is bad. It really is bad. The message in the end, however, is good. And while the pieces fall together, I will add that my youngest, who laughs when she farts said she thought it was good.

I have to say: this film really surprised me. Not sure why I even decided to watch it. And the FILM DELIVERS! I really love 'message' pictures that deliver without pounding the pulpit, and I love them even more when they get their message across with humor!

Cleverly written; the story moves along without a hitch; the basic plot line is incredibly funny; the casting was really perfect; the performances are well done; kids will 'get' the jokes; plenty of humor for adults too.

It's a pretty perfect little Indie flick. And if you're looking for family fair, this is an amazing candidate.

"How To Beat A Bully" is a new film that kids from about 7 to 12 will probably enjoy. It has very broad humor and there are lots of scatological references in the final 15 minutes of the film. I can picture in my mind kids rolling in laughter because of the rude jokes and silly situations. As for everyone else, the film is problematic. The acting and writing are such that most adults simply will turn off their brains or leave the room to let the kids enjoy it without them. As for younger kids, they probably won't understand much of the plot...though they, too, will probably love all the poop jokes near the end.

When the film begins, Cory and his family are packing up and moving from New Jersey to California. Not surprisingly Cory is not excited about the move but it becomes worse when he begins at a new school...where are plenty of bullies who are more than ready to make his life miserable. His father insists that Cory can talk his way out of any bully problems by using his words and Cory takes him literally. He soon orchestrates events to that the kids think Cory's father works for the mob. Soon, the kids' parents also begin believing the guy is a mobster. So, although Joe is only an insurance salesman, folks thing that he's an enforcer and 'insurance' is what folks have to pay in order to stay healthy! Eventually, however, this causes serious problems when a group of real mobsters think Joe is one of them...and by the end of the film things get very, very serious...seriously deadly. So it's up to Cory and his friends to save the day...presumably because calling the police would have been too difficult.

As I said already, the film has very broad humor and will not appeal to most adults. It clearly is thinking about things that kids would like however....rude, nasty jokes about farting, defecating and the like! If you don't mind your kids watching stuff like this, I'm pretty sure they'll enjoy it. For anyone else, however, if could be a very, very long movie.

By the way, like many new movies, the reviews that first are posted on IMDb are curious. I wouldn't even talk that glowingly about most Disney films...so why all the 10s?