Highly Overrated But Still Good

An Exercise In Nonsense

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

Great story, amazing characters, superb action, enthralling cinematography. Yes, this is something I am glad I spent money on.

There are many good, original themes in this movie. They aren't deeply processed. On one side some of the details aren't necessary to the plot, on the other way don't explain them makes us feel like to watch half a movie. It's a fiction (many details are obviously unreal). Good as entertainment that make you think about. I don't like dance scenes anyway it's only my taste. Good, must to watch.

I went into this because I like Lucas Till. I have put off watching it for several weeks because I thought I would be wasting my time. I have so many movies and TV shows to watch and I just can't spend time on bad ones. This is not rated very highly on IMDb and that put me off.Well I was wrong! And any reviewer that says this is not a worthwhile movie failed to watch it. It is a little hard to watch because of the strong emotion but well worth your time. This is a movie with heart overflowing.It is a huge plot with lots and lots of character arcs. A whole town full of them. At first, you might think all of the townies are nutz but it comes out why and there is a good reason. Hundreds of them.I don't want to spoil the ride but this is one I might see multiple times and that's unusual. There is so much to it. The plot is tight. There are parallels in individual story lines of the characters that you might catch. They are not obvious but just watch this carefully, not while playing poker as I was at the start but really watch it. It will make a big impression on you. I guarantee it! Mike

My rating 5/10 is for some minor scenes throughout and mainly a technical rating.This was not a good movie. I felt like I was watching a Hallmark film with Step Up thrown in. Okay, this teenage boy who is a DJ 99% of the time and a 17 year old 1% of the time. He comes from a dysfunctional family. A mother who never wanted him (apparently) but quit drugs to take care of him but apparently she couldn't do that right because the guy takes care of himself yet he's a drug addict (since 12) and gets into a lot of trouble. So, he has a drug overdose and is sent to live with his father who actually comes off as this good guy but who left him and his mom after he was born, and you never really learn why.So the kid has to go to a counselor per court orders who is more screwed up than he is, and he meets a girl from a screwed up family because her older brother died in Iraq (we never learn anything about her own father, and where he is) but that's the norm in this highly diverse small town in North Dakota that everyone has lost everyone but they don't deal with the loss they just bury it.I'm sorry but I live in a small town of almost 7,000 people. So small that the nearest movie theater is in the next state up. We honor our dead. Whether they fought in a war, or not. I'm not saying that it's not possible for an entire town to all hold in their baggage collectively...well, maybe I am. It just seems so fictionalized for this film because of all the happy dancing going on! There was more dancing in this film than I thought there would be. It was more of a character in of itself than all the other things combined.Okay, the kid has parental issues which never seem to be resolved. He's the main character, and it felt like he was a third character in this film. His girlfriend, her family, her dead brother and his best friend (the counselor) actually seem to be the main focus of the film. Well, that and all the "dancing".There was just so many arcs in this film that only one of them gets resolved: the girlfriend's baggage (and by-way the counselor's), and cheesily I might add. What about the main character?!?!The kid gets beat up a couple of times by this jock and his friends but it's okay because the kid lost his own parents when he was little. That story: not resolved.Other cheesy things like: you can't watch a war film because people from this tiny town have lost people in a war and it's just too emotional. Well, if that's the message then don't watch this movie, that's all they talk about.This movie went nowhere. So bad.-Nam

Proving Hollywood is will to sell out war vets for ticket sales.I don't really know how to classify this film under any one particular genre. I guess it's more or less a teen-romance, but it has elements of other emotion based films. Anti-war stance, coming of age, bad boy turns good, dance off, and the classic redemption tale are all part of this jumbled mess. It's not great... yeah... it's just not very good either.Outside of the thematic issues, the characters are pretty awful. The main couple aren't really to be admired in this film. I found the young heart-throb to be a pretty awful person. I get that he has had a rough life, but a 18 year old NY DJ with drug issues and a whiny personality isn't someone who I felt any apathy for. His girlfriend isn't much better, and her acting skills were pretty off. She couldn't look a single person in the eye the whole film, which really throws off any of the argumentative scenes she's involved with. There is a scene where they are both hurling "WHO'S GOT THE HARDER LIFE," moments which is really just painful to watch. Josh Duhamel isn't half bad, as the PTSD recovering soldier returned home to council underprivileged kids. He's the only believable character.There is a massive problem with this film, as anyone who watched it through till the end will know. It has possibly the most redundant ending of any film I've seen. SPOILERS HERE:Outside of the relationship that is formed between the two main characters, they may have changed (SLIGHTLY) as individuals, but what about their real problems? You might think they have come to accept the death of a loved one, but what about the boy's relationship with his father and mother? The daughter's mentally ill mother, and her deepening depression? His drug addiction? It leaves all of these huge problems still hanging at the end. I know... movies don't have to summarize all the problems and should leave some questions at the end, but those are for IDEA films, and this is most definitely not one of those.Anyways, I rated it pretty low for it's use of war vets in a dance off, for WAY MORE BEATS HEADPHONES SHOTS THAN ARE NECESSARY (I don't know a single DJ who uses those, buy some freaking marshals man), and the constant references to Platoon. Which is a much better film. You're better off watching that.3/10