PiraBit if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.

Scotty Burke It is interesting even when nothing much happens, which is for most of its 3-hour running time. Read full review

Logan By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

Cristal The movie really just wants to entertain people.

dharper12 "Joe the King", was a king above the fools in the world.Adults have such a self centered way of the expectation of kid's motives and actions without considering the very basic situation they are coming from and this film confirms how stupid people really are. The school admin and teachers all knew very well about Joe's father, "you're just like your father", so the kid was labeled the first day he walked into that school as a loser. He was the school's scape goat.We like to believe our children are getting a constructive education and not a confession of home life humiliation. As a result, this wacko so-called teacher exercises her ego, hatred and anguish of her own life on his bare butt by spanking him in front of a shocked audience of classmates. Corporal punishment is sick but I guarantee mental tearing a child apart in front of peers happens everyday and is the most devastating of all. Sadly enough, Joe gets no support from mom or dad; just more emotional gouging. Gets me thinking, there are no bad kids, mainly bad adults who take their disappointed failures in their own lives out on less powerful people, especially kids.But you see how resilient Joe is. He just goes on living by his own kind of structure and I'm thinking, he's gonna blow, throughout the movie, but he is amazing. This kid had great potential, he just needed support, understanding, involvement and trust.We all need to stop and listen, there is a little bit of Joe in all of us.

Gethin Van Haanrath A slice-of-life about a boy growing up in the 1970s. He lives in a very working-class family where the father is either absent, abusive or drinking. Joe is the only one in his family who is trying to put it all back together but at the expense of his own work as a dishwasher and his school work. His attempts to help his family are often illegal like breaking into cars to get goods which he pawns for money. In turn he uses the money to replace his mother's record collection which his abusive father broke.It's a pretty good movie. The acting by the kids is pretty impressive. These were either already street kids well accustomed with the word 'Fuck' and its multiple uses or were simply good young actors.Val Kilmer is surprisingly good in this movie. He often is if the script is right. Ethan Hawke gives one of his usually good performances.

Wizkids1 Joe the King is one of the finest movies out there with all the elements to make it so. The acting is superb from every cast member, the writing, the cinematography and the pace are all excellent examples of the best of story telling. If you judge a movie by the story it sets out to tell, and the acting and writing to tell it, Joe the King rates a 10 out of 10, no question.I say this admitting that I picked up this movie thinking it would likely be one that I would watch for a few minutes and then shut off. You cannot do this with this movie - it draws you in from the first moments and carries you right through to the end.This is one of those movies that completely satisfies the viewer because every single actor in the movie, small part or large, does a truly excellent and noteworthy job bringing their characters to life. Noah Fleiss, Rob Bergenstock among many other young actors all give performances equal to those of far older, more seasoned actors, and for me, the viewer, that made this story come to life.Karen Young and Val Kilmer also give excellent performances. I have heard others criticize Kilmer's performance as the only 'weakness' in the movie, but in my view this likely Kilmer's best performance of any in his career. Anyone who has grown up with alcoholic and/or abusive influences in their lives will appreciate Kilmer's subtleties presenting his character. He is not only believable, but does an excellent job of bringing his character to real-life.This movie packs the impact and trials of youth as well as any more well-known movie such as "Stand by me". More, we are drawn in each character, large part or small, as "real".I highly recommend Joe the King - both as a great movie, and an excellent example of the work it takes to make a great movie where all parts; writing, acting, filming and more all come together to tell a story that grabs you from the beginning, and does not let you go until the credits are rolling.

me43 In the past 24 hours I've read "The Body" then watched "Stand By Me"; read "Sleepers" then went to rent the film at a local store. I spent a good while searching for their one copy, then drifted to the comedy section to pick up something light for afters. Spying a film with Kilmer's name on the cover, I picked up "Joe The King", & wondered if Kilmer'd gone back to his comedy roots. Ha! The only thing funny is how some joker stashed this stale downer in the comedy section!I popped in the video after finishing Sleepers and was amazed to find myself watching yet another decade of tortured boyhood. 50's, 60's, 70's, none of it fit in a "Happy Days" world. Now, thirty years on, and I wonder what horror stories the 80's and 90's have bred and who will get the funding to tell us all about it."Joe the King" doesn't quite work, for several reasons, least of which is the fact we can't really feel for him. Where are the likable characters? In every life, there are some, and films demand at least one or two. In this film, all the adults are mean or obtuse, oblivious to anyone but themselves. Whaley gave us stereotypes and the actors weren't challenged beyond them. John Leguizamo's character is a bright spot, but realism is blown by him not taking the kid's age into account. In real life he wouldnta talked to him like a balling, boozing buddy, the kid looks to be only 12 or so. Ethan Hawke could have made a difference if he had put in a little effort... showing his sandaled feet bypasses character development, implying warmth and understanding, but the gimmick is wasted by the flatness of his character. His not knowing what "pithy" means blows his credibility as an educated man in a position of power in a school. Gimme a break!Some scenes are heavy-handed, some merely sketched. (And what is the deal with Kilmer's mega-elbow?? It is framed for viewing, so why?) The level of back talk and profanity is also wrong for the era. Kids mighta had filthy mouths with each other, but exchanges with adults would have left them dusting off their pants after a quick trip to the floor. The title is not explained, and there is nothing at all to suggest why Joe is a King. His peeing in the food makes scant sense when he doesn't even tell his brother about it to ease his suffering. Music could have been a saving grace, but it is barely explored. This is a depressing film that may have exorcised somebody's demons, at least I hope it did. Basically, though, this film lacks respect, for its characters, its premise, and ultimately, for us.