Hottoceame The Age of Commercialism

Stoutor It's not great by any means, but it's a pretty good movie that didn't leave me filled with regret for investing time in it.

Peereddi I was totally surprised at how great this film.You could feel your paranoia rise as the film went on and as you gradually learned the details of the real situation.

ChicDragon It's a mild crowd pleaser for people who are exhausted by blockbusters.

Prismark10 I believe this was shown on Cartoon Network in the USA and its aimed at the tweenage audience that the Disney channels do well aiming at.Tommy seems to be a perennial bullying victim at High School but his tormentor Matt under the threat of suspension befriends him and joins him to enter a cooking contest where Tommy could earn enough money to save his grandmother's pizza shop.Matt's brother Kyle is cooking a deal where the pizza shop is part of a redevelopment plan and gets his brother, Matt to sabotage the competition. However it seems Matt and Tommy might have bonded but Tommy's friend Sarah is suspicious.The is a lot of double dealing going on in the plot and some of the characters are flawed so its not all black and white but my word this film is giving mixed messages.The High School needs to be closed down given how much bullying goes on there, it needed to build its own hospital wing to treat its victims.At the end of the film one of the characters who has cynically sabotaged, hurt people, manipulated people seemed to have faced no consequences of his actions. A strange outcome for film with an anti bullying message.Some of the acting is fine, some of its broad. Its a low budget film but the script lacks polish and it would had been more focused if he Disney channel had made it.

rickdobbis Message movies can be a bore but not contest. A good cast and a refreshing twist on encouraging positive behavior with a very timely cooking contest at the core Contest is like a sports movie with food! As in most sports movies you may well guess the ending, but you may be surprised, and the journey is with it. Young actors and a fresh group go filmmakers make this a new entry that will hopefully reach the target audience. This is a good film for families to see together. But as teenagers and young adults may balk at that prospect parents can be comfortable with this as a date night special for their teenagers. The cast is attractive and the romance angle is well played. Contest delivers a message without being preachy and that is very welcome.

spidervintage-etsy Very well done movie. I watched this with my grandchildren who liked the movie very much. The message was loud and clear and finely portrayed by an ensemble of good actors who were very appealing. I highly recommend this for ages 6 through teens. The end of the film was impressive as it showed both of the main characters had experienced changes and matured through the process of getting to know one another. Although I have watched many movies with my grandkids, I had never seen any of the actors before. It's clear that many of them are going on to careers that will give them more and more exposure. The movie was well directed by this first-time director and is to be applauded.

jenny_andrus-393-281219 I saw this film at the Mill Valley Film Festival and loved it. It's well-crafted and well-acted, and I think kids will actually enjoy watching it. I say this as someone who works with kids as a librarian in a K-8 school. It has all the components: appealing characters, dramatic moments, and a satisfying conclusion. All in all, a very nice story arc that will hold the viewers' interest and leave the door open for discussion. The movie's greatest strength was in the way the relationship between the three leads developed over time. It provided a more nuanced view of bullying, taking into account that the bully is usually someone who has been bullied himself. The cast of young actors were all appealing and talented. I imagine we'll be seeing more of them. The sound track is also excellent. After watching so many mindless (or violent) films for kids, it's refreshing to watch something that succeeds in getting a positive message across without being didactic or clichéd.