Os Heróis do Pedaço

I took a group of young people who were the same age as the protagonists and it appealed to us all. I agree with the other post, the Wilson guy worked a thankless script into a great minor character. It is good to have a movie for a certain age demographic (too old for PG, too young for R). It also shows how they think and maneuver in junior high school. You had to love how well Jimmy Buffet did as the cool teacher. He kept us adults awake. The level of kids questioning authority was kept reasonable. Their motives were specific and not like some A.D.D. rebel. The setting and music were beautiful. Overall, if you enjoyed Holes, this is really similar.

It's a kids movie. I saw it a week early. If you're over 15, you will think it's a dumb movie. It's sort of like the thinking in 1971 when "Billy Jack" came out. I saw it again in 1975, and thought, "What a piece of crap." Anyway, it's a nice thought -- protecting the owls -- but the problem I have with the movie is that too much of it is illogical. While he is getting bullied, the main character sees another kid running barefoot. So he immediately thinks the barefoot kid is somehow connected to the vandalism that's taking place at the construction site. He immediately becomes friends with the girl, who had threatened him. She then tells her life story to him. Jimmy Buffett, as a teacher on the first day of school, is teaching a college course to a bunch of seventh-graders. A hospital begins treatment of the barefoot kid without bothering to contact his parents. A policeman just walks into a classroom without bother to contact the office. My son liked it. I didn't hate it. But I've seen better.

It is great to see a film starring kids whose idea of "acting adult" is not engaging in sensuality. Instead, these kids see a problem in their community and take responsibility for helping to solve it. Hoot is a film aimed squarely at families looking for a fun day at the cinema. The production values are good, especially sweeping shots of Montana and Florida. The soundtrack by Jimmy Buffet is a perfect fit. The young actors are spirited and refreshing.

The plot, about a trio of kids who work together to save some burrowing owls from death at the hands of an unscrupulous pancake house empire builder, will engage kids. So many films make children appear powerless, it is nice to see a movie that shows children working hard to make a difference. And even though parents are absent or temporarily distracted, it was pleasant to see kids who want to follow in their parents footsteps and try to right injustices.

If you are tired of all of the self-indulgent story lines about children that fill the cinema, give Hoot a shot. Then take some time to talk to your kids about the adventure of serving others and caring about the world they live in. A positive message from a positive film.

True, the plot is hectic and some elements could have been avoided (e.g. the bullying kid related ones), but elaborated characters and good performances (leading with Logan Lerman as Roy E. Eberhardt, Luke Wilson as Officer David Delinko, Tim Blake Nelson as "Curly" Brannit, Clark Gregg as Chuck Muckle, above all) make this movie rather catchy to follow - and more attention and praise. The protection of nature, particularly endangered species is so important that respective schooling should be started as early as possible. On the other hand, running away from a policeman and binding up a person could induce ambivalent feelings...

I can easily recommend the movie to families with schoolchildren, especially those living in urban areas. For those who find Hoot dull and plain: there are several different environmentally focused movies, On Deadly Ground with Steven Seagal, for example :)

PS Logan Lerman has really become a magnificent young actor, The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012) is an evident demonstration of this!

This movie was pretty good. It had a nice upbeat tone throughout and was a pleasant experience to watch.

It's about a kid who moves to Florida and, in addition to being hassled as the 'new kid' at school, gets involved with learning the about the mysterious "barefoot kid" and some little critters in need of help.

What keeps this movie moving along are two things. One is great acting performances by Logan Lerman (lead role), Brie Larson (scary tough girl) and Luke Wilson (police officer). The other is the intrigue level the story maintains by slowly revealing things about the characters and the story.

All in all, this is a pretty nice, well-made, upbeat movie that just can appeal to both kids and adults.