Steve Pulaski
Joe Somebody is one of those movies where we're supposed to believe it's a movie for kids based on its PG-rating and do not consider the story, plotting, or events as something that will interest youngsters. I know if I was nine or ten years younger and saw this film, I would've been bored to tears. Its moral-heavy nature, bland ideas, and two-dimensional characters would've been of no interest to me. This is likely why I sought out films like Clerks and Rat Race, instead of Joe Somebody, to find a more exciting source of entertainment. At age six, you couldn't drag me to this film.And thus, I sought it out when I was older for a cockamamie fulfillment on my curiosity's behalf. All I can say is that I've made much worse decisions in my life - much wiser ones too. Joe Somebody is a wholesome, competent exercise in family filmmaking, yet its premise is dull, its drama is lukewarm, its messages/morals are jumbled, and we end on a hokey note with the only thing to truly think about being the asinine, cutesy little "twist" (employing that word loosely).Tim Allen stars as Joe Scheffer, a hard-working everyman who is recently going through divorce, suffering a distinct lack of appreciation at his cubicle-job, despite ten years of employment. One "Take your daughter to work" day he's anxiously going to show his little girl (Hayden Panettiere) the people there, but the problem ensues from when he tries to park in his lot. The spot is taken by a narcissistic oaf (Patrick Warburton), who shouldn't even be parking in the lot because it's reserved for those who have worked at the place for ten-plus years. When Joe tries to confront the man, he is punched twice in the face, being shamed in front of the office and his daughter. Even though it's relatively early in the film, this scene works as we truly sympathize with Joe and his predicament. Can you imagine such a disrespectful, unnecessary blow (no pun intended) to your ego, let alone one in front of someone who looks up to you? The scene, in a loose sense, is kind of heartbreaking.However, sympathy is short-lived and familiarity begins to breed contempt faster than Joe's face returns to white and not red. Desperate for respect, yet too humiliated to come to work, there Joe sits in his home, drinking heavily and bleaching items in his home like a maid with OCD. With motivation from Meg Harper (Julie Bowen), his attractive coworker, Joe decides to get back on his feet, only this time, taking a ramshackle self-defense class taught by Jim Belushi, playing a hack action movie star.What unfolds is a predictable, unmemorable state of affairs involving Joe being taught how to defend himself, conquer fears, and be a more assertive male. There's nothing wrong with this story (when put with a sly writer and a confident director, it could've been quite the time), but what makes the story airless and impotent is the abrupt identity crisis it has with itself during the final act. Joe plans to fight the same idiot that punched him in an open field, which makes sense seeing how he was humiliated and is now being taught to be defensive. But wait; Meg believes it's wrong and Joe is how he is and manipulating your natural personality is wrong.Now we've walked into not only a morality issue, but a thematic issue all together. What moral is Joe Somebody communicating? Is it wrong to fight back in a situation where you've been humiliated and ashamed, or is it right to let everything go? The film shows both in a positive, life-affirming light. So which one do we walk away with? Having a movie go back on its theme is a crucial blow to not only its likability, but also, its purpose.As far as performances go, Allen is okay in his role as Joe, kind of uninspired and rather unremarkable, much like his character, and Bowen's value stems only as her role as a good love interest here. Other than that, performances can't be the saving grace here.Joe Somebody was directed by John Pasquin, who manned the camera in two other Tim Allen projects, those being The Santa Clause (unseen by me) and the loathsome Jungle 2 Jungle. While Pasquin is clearly intentioned on making this a favorable parable, it quickly spirals into predictable situations and uninspired banter between characters who are nice enough to spend fifteen to twenty minutes with, but ninety-eight minutes begins to stretch the line of tolerance.Starring: Tim Allen, Julie Bowen, Hayden Panettiere, Patrick Warburton, and Jim Belushi. Directed by: John Pasquin.
jjohnhood
So our hero is just too honourable to fight...The baddie gets off free, (he'll think about forgiveness later...) all ends with sweetness and light, and the unicorns exchange nuzzles and kisses......Welcome to Wussville, population - USA.Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan - at least the Roman Empire went down fighting,the USA gets Tim Allen brushing away a (manly) tear.So this guy goes into a biker bar and gets thrown out on his rear end. He goes to Japan and studies three years with the best karate expert in the world - by the end he can break paving slabs with his bare hands. So one night he strolls back into the biker bar - and this time he gets hurt so bad they throw him out right across the street. As he lies there in the blood and mucous - he reaches out and breaks a paving slab with his bare hands....Worst movie ever - thanks Hollywood.
Kenneth Johnson
I have the distinct impression that this film was the victim of studio-dictated edits. A terrific premise - someone who suddenly seems to earn the respect of his peers by trying to become the type of person he believes others want him to be rather than simply being himself - that was not fully realized. There is good casting and there are characters I wanted to know more about, but there were too many loose ends and too many questions left un-answered. The Director - John Pasquin - has shown in previous efforts like "The Santa Clause" and "Jungle 2 Jungle" for Disney that he is capable of helming a good story. Therefore, I have to assume the Studio folks at Fox decided to make some cuts for running time.More background for Tim Allen's character would have helped us to understand why Joe is the kind of person he is, and possibly why the marriage failed. There was exposition that both Joe and his ex (Kelly Lynch) still have deep feelings for each other, and that a reunion of sorts might be in the offing. Joe's ex-wife is shown expressing greater and greater interest in his new personae, and we are led to believe that there will be some kind of emotional showdown eventually between Joe, his ex, and his new love interest. That plot line is just suddenly dropped, and in the end the ex-wife is sitting in a theater with her former husband and his girlfriend (Julie Bowen), and everything is just peachy keen. Huh? Didn't Joe give his ex-wife grief over kissing her new boyfriend in front of him, but thirty minutes later it's just fine for him to be doing the exact same thing? There was no satisfying resolution to their relationship situation, aside from the daughter (Natalie Scheffer) warning her mother not to be too quick to break her father's heart again. There had to have been some scenes shot where these characters find some way to work out their relationships, but if this was done, they were left on the cutting room floor and we are left with unanswered questions.There was also no satisfaction in seeing Joe's boss, or the company as a whole, receive some comeuppance as a result of an obviously flawed, and certainly illegal, human resources policies. Was Greg Germann's character at least fired by the company, and Joe's work ethic rewarded with a real position in the company? Did Joe continue to work for this company, or seek his fortunes elsewhere? Did the co-workers who embraced Joe before the fight day come to understand his choice, and decide that he is still an "Ok guy", or did the entire office drop him like a bad habit? Maybe a "Directors Cut" will answer these and many other questions.Also, if Jim Belushi's character was intended as a partial-parody of Steven Seagal (as it would seem), then don't hold back - bring on the barbs! Belushi's character was great, but it needed fleshing out as well as more screen time. Where did this guy come from? Former military? Did he only work in action films, or did he have another career before retreating to his storefront Dojo? He suddenly shows up in the daughter's play at the end, but we are left to wonder how and why.While overall this is a fun movie to watch, it could have been a better film in the end with even an additional fifteen minutes of story to clarify plot lines and character development.
