The only reason I can think of for all the bad reviews and horrid IMDb rating, is that people went into the film expecting originality, but instead got a cliché movie, but a cliché is only a cliché if it's not used as a cliché.
Many times reviewers will condescend harsh critics by saying they didn't understand the movie, and therefor that's the reason they must not have liked it. Don't know about you but I hate to be the recipient of said condescension. However in this case, I think I need to be a hypocrite because I genuinely think many missed the point.
This movie was actually brilliant in its own right. Every cliché, every predictable outcome, every ridiculous encounter was all intentionally scripted to be as such, and for that reason it actually made it not just bearable but entertaining to watch. Hailee Steinfeld's character (Megan) is the walking encyclopedia of teen pop culture and she wants to experience every second of it. As expected that experience comes with hard aches and coming of age realities. The fact that each character makes it blatantly obvious of their cliché role in this cliché movie, is somehow anti-cliché, and therefore an extremely fun and well acted family feel-good movie. It's not going to be for everyone, but if you can appreciate a fun perspective on the teen culture genre, you'll enjoy this for what it is. It's not an 8 out of 10 movie, but in its own way and in its respective corner of entertainment, an 8 is well deserved.
It's the cliché that isn't a cliché.
Many times reviewers will condescend harsh critics by saying they didn't understand the movie, and therefor that's the reason they must not have liked it. Don't know about you but I hate to be the recipient of said condescension. However in this case, I think I need to be a hypocrite because I genuinely think many missed the point.
This movie was actually brilliant in its own right. Every cliché, every predictable outcome, every ridiculous encounter was all intentionally scripted to be as such, and for that reason it actually made it not just bearable but entertaining to watch. Hailee Steinfeld's character (Megan) is the walking encyclopedia of teen pop culture and she wants to experience every second of it. As expected that experience comes with hard aches and coming of age realities. The fact that each character makes it blatantly obvious of their cliché role in this cliché movie, is somehow anti-cliché, and therefore an extremely fun and well acted family feel-good movie. It's not going to be for everyone, but if you can appreciate a fun perspective on the teen culture genre, you'll enjoy this for what it is. It's not an 8 out of 10 movie, but in its own way and in its respective corner of entertainment, an 8 is well deserved.
It's the cliché that isn't a cliché.