Full Movie Reviews
Rating of
4/4
Quite Sharp
Franz Patrick - wrote on 02/12/2008
I smiled from ear to ear from the first to the last scene. That said, I think this is one of the best movies of the year. Sure, the way the characters talk are witty and sarcastic, but what I love about this film is its heart. Even though Juno thinks she's smart (and she is), we find out that she has flaws just like us so eventually it's easier to identify with her. The adolescents deal with problems the way they know how and sometimes that's enough to be really touching. This movie is the "Little Miss Sunshine" of 2007 because it made me feel good inside and out. It made me wish that I knew a person like Juno because she's one of those characters that are rich personality-wise and is worth knowing for a long time. Some people claim that it's pretentious because of the way Juno and her …
Rating of
2.5/4
Juno- starts off weak but gets much stronger.
Ichabod Crane - wrote on 01/28/2008
Story 7/10- This is one of those teen pregnancies stories, except in a much lighter light than most. As the movie began I was quickly considering not watching the whole thing, as the start begins with a rapid fire of jokes that are far more annoying than they are funny. I held out and found that it slowly got better and rather abruptly stopped the annoying types of jokes at the 15 minute mark. After that it got a lot less annoying and a lot more likeable. The characters stop speaking strange unrealistic dialogue and instead become more human, though still in a comedy. as for the comedy I never laughed once, but I enjoyed watching the characters just doing things. It’s not a laugh out loud comedy but I suppose it is charming.
Acting 9/10- Well done on all fronts, Ellen Page is very …
Rating of
3.5/4
Review - Juno (2007)
Delorted - wrote on 01/13/2008
After a night of boredom led to sexual activity, Juno MacGuff (Ellen Page) realized that she was pregnant. Now she not only has to deal with pregnancy but also how to deal with the baby in “Juno.”
When people first started to talk about this movie, it got more praise than anything else around. Everybody knows it as a great movie that does no wrong. After viewing it myself, I have to say that it deserves almost every bit of praise it gets.
Page creates a perfect, realistic bond with Michael Cera (as Paulie Bleeker), as well as the rest of the cast. She’s a great new talent that I’m sure we’ll see again, even if she says she doesn’t want to leave Canada.
The story is a bit more controversial than it means to be, but the way it’s handled it doesn’t seem anybody …
Rating of
3.5/4
Smart and, more importantly, honest
newmans_own - wrote on 12/12/2007
The film’s strength lies in its performances, and most importantly Page’s portrayal of the titular character. Juno is sarcastic but not unlikable; she fully accepts her faults and mistakes, and the viewer cannot help but do the same. She is a modern teen in every way; ready to dismiss the words of her elders with a disinterested roll of the eyes. Yet she has a maturity that develops along with the baby. As Juno gains a more worldly wise view of those around her, she becomes all the more compelling.
Jason Bateman and Jennifer Garner especially come as a surprise. As the adoptive parents-to-be, both delve into previously untapped area in their ranges. While Bateman still relies on his charming, staring-in-disbelief comedic timing, his more dramatic scenes display an uncertainty and …
Rating of
4/4
Lives Up to the Hype
brendoman - wrote on 12/07/2007
I'm lazy so I'll copy what I wrote over at my blog:
Since I got to see the theatrical cut of the film last night I figured I would finally post my thoughts on this great flick. This was my third time seeing it and I still dug the heck out of it. The dialog, which could have come off as pretentious and/or downright stupid, is fantastic. When I wasn't laughing at the jokes I was smiling at its charm. The performances are really what makes the movie shine. Ellen Page as Juno is just great. I can't believe she is only 20 years old. If you're not already keen on her, definitely put her on your radar. We'll be seeing a lot from her in the future. Michael Cera, Jason Bateman, Jennifer Garner, J.K. Simmons, Olivia Thirlby, and Allison Janney round out the cast and are fantastic. Simmons and …
Rating of
2.5/4
Knocked Up - the younger version
Allison - wrote on 11/07/2007
Everyone is going crazy over Diablo Cody's Juno. It is a movie that is mostly enjoyable - I didn't know how much I could get into a comedy about a pregnant teen. Ellen's performance was standout as were a number of others: Allison Janney and JK Simmons (as the step mom and dad, respectively).
The dialog was "different", but unlike "Brick" I felt it was way more comprehendable. At several moments I felt that the dialog would never be spoken by a teen, but then, that's part of the charm of it.
Jennifer Garner was better than expected, but her character was the aggravating upper middle class suburban housewife who wanted a baby so bad that it destroyed the world around her. But I tended to enjoy this role more than her shoot em up agent type of roles, because I've never liked her as a …
