Smartass

Joey King portrays a young, rebellious, reckless, and often humorously dimwitted teenager named Freddie on her quest to San Diego, California. However, along her journey, she encounters various strangers and situations often either turning violent, making her more vulnerable, or going everywhere.

Unfortunately, the storytelling and tone deliberately goes everywhere the moment audiences are randomly introduced to various subplots seemingly following the main focus with Freddie. It couldn't decide who to follow, what genres it wanted, what film it wanted to be, and give reasons to care.

There's genuine ideas ridiculously merged together that would've otherwise been another film with better writing. Freddie's story involves some humorous and heartfelt concepts but also strangely darkly humorous and horrifying scenarios with people being unhinged, homicidal, boldly prejudiced, and moronic.

As these stories involving drugs, mischief, and murder collide they're never fully utilized or find their purpose until it's nearly over. But by that time, audiences remain bewildered, unsatisfied, and pity the characters for their ineptness and the film's lackluster focus. It couldn't decide what to do or be long enough to underwhelm the experience.

"Smartass" wasn't smart enough to overshadow its half-witted writing.

A Teen road move almost good as Superbad! Insane and nonsense. Just like life.

I'm pretty easy going with movies, so maybe that's why I enjoyed the movie. I thought Joey King was entertaining in this movie. Overall it was a good movie.

I watched this on Amazon streaming, only because Joey King is in it, as 15-yr-old Freddie. As she is preparing to skip out she tells her mother, just imagine I am at summer camp, if you don't hear from me for a week don't worry.

The thing about Freddie is she goes into any situation totally unafraid, whether it be jail or a drug deal with guns pointed at everyone. It is as if she can't get hurt, but others may get killed and often do. She always "smartasses" herself out of any situation.

It isn't a good movie per se but a few of the situations are really entertaining. Like the time she caught a ride, the guy drugged her, put her in a cheap motel room and "sold" her for $200. When she realizes what is going on and what was expected she went into action to escape and even get money from the motel manager by threatening to expose his scheme.

No question Joey King is the only good thing about this movie, all the other actors and characters are worthless. Most viewers will not enjoy this movie.

Most of the time, movies that end up being mediocre will at least start strong and present a good premise, but fizzle out, lacking a reasonable ending. This movie does it backwards--the first act is a confusing mess, and the best parts are near the end. Joey King is the main character, and she is pretty grating--the lines they give her to try to make her seem jaded and streetwise are just cringe. In fact, I didn't like ANY of the characters. None of them are well written. I didn't quite understand her motivation either--why was she in this situation? I'd say this one is for the teen audience, but it's a little too messed up. Because the main character doesn't seem to take anything seriously, it's like they are making light of sex trafficking, gang wars, racism, and addiction. They main thing I enjoyed is how she got revenge on one of the characters that did something horrible to her. But since none of the comedy works, I don't see any reason to ever recommend it.