The 4:30 Movie

Put aside this is from director / writer Kevin Smith and judging 'The 4:30 Movie' on it's own merits you still don't come back with much to show for it. Very few laughs, slightly annoying characters and knee deep life sentiment as the plot charts a course of young romance. A downward trajectory of a man who once made witty comedies continues via tired inspiration.

New Jersey teen Brian (Austin Zajur) rekindles with his crush Melody (Siena Agudong) as plans are made to sneak into the 4:30 showing of a R-rated film together (hence the title). In the meanwhile, he hangs out with his best friends on route to a day at the movies. Here friendships and a possible relationship will be tested by egomaniac manager Mike (Ken Jeong).

I'll give a cast of young actors credit for making their characters feel down to earth if nothing else. However a story tracing the directors early life is equal parts cliched and meandering. With nothing new to say, very few comedy setups it has the entertainment factor of an afterschool special and about as much emotional depth as one too.

This isn't about the 80's neither. Ditto society's affection for going to the movies (kids are sneaking into films they didn't pay for, but hey that's okay?). What does it have to say about growing up or interactions with the opposite sex? Nothing you haven't saw or heard done better. It's coda? Awfully close to self-aggrandizing as in "Here's my life! Look at me! I made it in Hollywood after all!".

A lot of critics think 'The 4:30 Movie' is a move in the right direction for Smith and I couldn't disagree more. This was a tale in boredom and eventually I gave up hope it would get better. A handful of cameos don't elevate things. With nothing insightful, no killer dialog and few laughs the hardcore fans are saying this is a return to form. It really ain't.

It seems Kevin is afraid of himself.

Let me explain, we got a bit of the old Kev back in Clerks III, with great dialogs, tons of laughter and an elegance and profoundness to the lines that rivaled his early work.

It wasn't Red State (by far Smith's undefeated Magnum Opus) but at least it looked like he was starting to come back.

And then we get this movie that while cute, it felt like it was afraid of having an edge. 3 or 4 jokes cut through but the rest? Geez...

There's only so much that cameos can do if you don't have anything to say. And Kevin Smith does t seem to have anything important to say... or he's afraid to say anything at all.

Does he think they're going to mock him? Does he think the audience will not "get it"?

He was on his way to be a great writer and a great filmmaker, and for the most part I think he still can be. But he needs to get out of his own way, dig deep and say what he really wants to say.

That or he ran out of things to talk about because he has been podcasting for more than a decade.

Watch the movie for completionism. But that's about it.

It sucks! It doesn't JUST suck, it's actually kinda bad and I LOVE Kevin Smith! Like I get legit excited to see his stuff but Im super disappointed - do without spoilers, the entire first act is essentially talking about sneaking into an theatre, and idk if he's trying to explain a very simple concept to people born after 2000, or it's just 'Chuffa' ( 1. See Kevin I am a fan! I remember your Bruce Willis story when you directed him in Cop Out and 2. Shout out to Bruce Willis, thank you for the years and years of entertainment) - but take that in addition to flagrant attempts at manipulation of human nostalgia (which has become a way to leaned upon crutch after it hit big with Stranger Things) and it comes across as very desperate and simplistic in a very, almost offensive way - and oddly enough it was billed as" Kevins most personal film to date " (well it sure has enough of his friends in it ffs) (who can't act I might add, but it isn't endearing) but yet it's not autobiographical either soooo.... And yes I spoke directly to Kevin earlier cause I know he's gonna read this, I KNOW this because having read the day one reviews here on imdb, I can see that several of them are made from, let's say... 'inside the Smith camp' if u get my drift - and again listen I love the guy and have enormous respect - I WAS 16 in 86 so this has extra meaning to me and I should be susceptible to the nostalgia draw - but it's not enough and I think he knows it - I'm sorry, I expected better from such a genius.

Couldn't sit through the 2nd half of the movie, except of one joke where a character wishes death upon another was the only moment that made me giggle, other than that everything was so unnatural and cringe, not even guest appearances of Justin Long nor Jason Lee could have saved it. Clerks and Mallrats fans stay away and rather go see Chasing Amy on a loop, this is borderline criminal on pair with his Yoga Hosers attempts at humor. I dont know what the cause behind this trend, age? Times of political correctness? If that's the case I would appreciate more attempts in vein of Tusk and Red State going forward. Stick to horror genre Kevin. Thanks your fan.

A very short movie that is padded with homages for movies from the past that never existed - can you really not play any trailers from real movies from the past you can make fun of? What's with the fake trailers? What was the point? Just to vaguely bring some nostalgia to the table and satirise the quality of the movie scene in the 80s.

And once again, Kevin Smith finds himself to use his movie as a platform to criticise other movies or franchises...basically if a letterboxed user was a director. This is what it would come out. Does anybody have Kevin Smith's user on here?

The actors have their limited charm in this, but they were the correct choices. This is thin and forgettable.