ironhorse_iv
I must admit, that the main reason I watched this movie was because, it feature actress Hayden Panettiere. After all, I was a huge fan of her work in NBC's TV Show, 'Heroes' at the time. However, after watching this film. I can't say, I have the same fandom for her as I did, coming in. Don't get me wrong, she wasn't bad in the film. It's just that, her character is very unlikeable, with all the reckless drunk driving, law-breaking and floozy behavior. I'm surprised that she didn't get arrested by the time, the film ended. It was really hard to watch. However, the side boob nudity shot, kinda ease that pain, but not really. Directed by Chris Columbus, and based on the novel of the same name by author, Larry Doyle. This high school teen angst dark comedy about valedictorian Denis Cooverman (Paul Rust) having one night to confesses his love for head cheerleader and long-time crush, Beth Cooper (Hayden Panettiere), before both of them, leave for separate colleges, was not good. It's not even that watchable. First off, I really couldn't stand, the main character of this film. He was very unpleasant. Without spoiling the movie, too much; the way, he goes around, confessing his love for Beth Cooper is just wrong. To make it, every worst, Paul Rust's character is also a big stalker, and Peeper Tom. It's kinda creepy, how much he know, so much about Beth Cooper. Not only that, but he's a big bully, despite his small size. He is very mean-spirited to the other characters in the film, no good reason. Making fun of people for having eating disorders and sexual, mentally or physical abuse as a kid is not funny! Not cool, dude! He even outs his best friend, Rich Munsch (Jack T. Carpenter) for not 'coming out of the closet' and admitting that he's gay. Who does that, to their best friend!? It's so bad! Denis had no right to expose Rich's question homosexual against his best friend's wishes. It's Rich's rights to explain if he's gay or not, not Denis. I also hate the fact that Rich's sexuality is a running gag, throughout this film. It's so annoying, like Rich's overused IMDb quoting. All, the jokes with him, were really not that funny! Despite that, Jack T. Carpenter's character in the film, is the most pleasant from all the characters. Honestly, I don't know, why this guy hangs out with a loser like Denis. I'm so surprised, that Denis even got friends, before & after the opening. Plus, is that, really the best way to impress, the girl, you never talk to, by exposing deep dark secrets about people around school, Denis? Honestly, if she did find Denis, somewhat attracted, before-hand; his hateful speech should had really destroy any chances of them, ever getting together. Sadly, that's not how this movie works. In an unrealistic turn, this speech help bring Beth and Denis ever closer. What the hell, movie!? Nobody would do that. At least, have a slap or backhand, first, before she says, it was kinda cute. In what crazy universe, would somebody be alright, with this? They should be, hating each other, by now. If anything, maybe, they can fall in love when things die down, after Denis admitted, what he did was wrong, but no, the movie doesn't do that, either. So, both Beth and Denis look like asses. Anyways, the chemistry between the two main actors, Hayden Panettiere and Paul Rust doesn't really shine in this film. I never got the impression that their characters honestly would like to hang out with each other. Their relationship seem kinda, out of the blue and forced. Sadly, the movie doesn't really explained more about it, besides the late lake house scene. Most of the time, the movie has the couple move place to place, for predictable slapstick humor. Another thing, the age different between Hayden Panettiere and Paul Rust is also a bit jarring. I really couldn't get behind, a then 28 year old, Paul Rust playing a high school student. To make it, even worst, Paul Rust overplayed, the geek stereotype to the point, that it seems like Beth Cooper was a manic pixie girl, made up for him. The filmmakers also doesn't do a good job, showing the glaring imperfections that should had shatter Denis' fantasy of her. The whole Beth revealing to Denis, the true reason why he came to his party, scene, should be more powerful; instead, it seem surface deep, and shallow. It should had really sealed their fate with each other. Since the movie doesn't do that, much, it doesn't allow, enough time for Denis to see, Beth as a flawed human being. It gets even worst, when the filmmakers felt to make Beth more positively outwardly responsive to Denis's feelings. It remind me, so much of 2015's Paper Town in how much, the filmmakers destroy the meaning of the source material. However, the other big significant changes, toward the end, indeed work for the better. I really like, how they cut the whole alternated ending, swimming scene. For the most part, the movie is very accuracy to the book, but since this movie was PG-13, a lot of the raunchy humor from the novel, had to be tone down. Because of that reason, alone; it forced the comedy writers to relied heavily on establish film teenager stereotypes. Because of that, the film became very clichés. In the end, nobody in the movie looked real. This movie was a disaster. The movie humor acts like this film should be adult teen-comedy like 2007's 'Superbad'. Instead, the filmmakers felt to make it safe, allowing many of the once risky jokes to fall flat. In the end, it's just unfunny. A dark pain cringing, lame movie, not worth watching.
