Hoot

Fun to watch although falling short of a real hoot, this latest in a barrage of family movies largely succeeds at keeping the kiddies entertained and their parents from nodding off.

Hoot is flatly directed by talk-show-host-turned-sitcom-director Wil Shriner, but the young actors are spirited and appealing, and the movie's low-key anti-establishment posture is vastly preferable to the knee-jerk fulminations of a Michael Moore.

What's subversive about the movie is that it comes off as squeaky-clean, when in fact it's irresponsible. Worse, it's not that interesting.

Any charm and character ascribed to Carl Hiaasen's bestselling book have been homogenized in Wil Shriner's flat screenplay and direction.

Squeaky-clean, family-friendly opus.

Earnest, playful and eco-friendly, Hoot is a worthwhile visit for the tween set, but parents may role their eyes more than once at this flightless film.

Don't let the Carl Hiaasen pedigree fool you: Hoot is an Afterschool Special too crummy to give a hoot about.

Doesn't really hold up to the book, but is a good adaptation. Captures the spirit and is an overall enjoyable movie with good young actors and a good story.

From the filmmakers of the clever adventurous western film "Holes" bring us another film adaptation called 'Hoot' Starring Logan Lerman, Brie Larson and Cody Linley. Director Will Shriner's adapted screenplay is not well made and the film misses elements in Hiaasen's best selling novel, Lerman does a B level acting and Luke Wilson looks clueless as an officer (I could imagine better actors playing this role). Fans of the book will be disappointed as I was watching Shriner's flat direction ruin the adaptation. But the film's message is caring and important for children, the film looks gorgeous but the film falls flat like a pancake don't let Hiaasen's film fool you! Grade C-

Based on a preteen-friendly novel, Hoot follows a quiet boy, freshly transplanted from a happy life in Montana, to his new home under the Florida sun. There, he runs afoul of bullies (a majority of the school population is unreasonably aggressive) and joins a small team of environmentally-conscious peers in sabotaging the construction of a new pancake restaurant. A parliament of burrowing owls has taken up residence on the land, you see, so the kids aim to make life difficult for the construction crew in hopes the whole deal will fall through. Somehow, they imagine, a sack of wild snakes will dissuade the forklifts but ignore the nearby family of conveniently meal-sized fowl. It's a weak, Disney Channel-quality adaptation at best, despite the presence of a few recognizable actors. Tim Blake Nelson is the long-suffering construction manager, constantly rubbing his palms together and bemoaning "these darn kids" like a cartoon villain. Luke Wilson is his closest confidant, a dopey sheriff who aims to do good but falls for every lame trick in the book. Mr. Margaritaville, Jimmy Buffett, cameos as a chill middle school teacher (he also provides the ill-suited music) and a very young Brie Larson shows charisma but rudimentary acting chops in a large, early supporting role. Hammy performances, awkward editing, amateur production values, one-dimensional characters and plot holes for miles... whoah, even for lightweight kiddie fare, this is a bad one.