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Review #331 of 365
Movie Review of Unaccompanied Minors (2006) [PG] 89 minutes
WIP™ Scale: $12.00
Where Viewed: United Artists Continental 6, Denver, CO
When 1st Seen: 8 December 2006
Time: 2:25 p.m.
Film's Official Website
DVD Release Date: 7 August 2007
Directed by: Paul Feig ("Arrested Development")
Written by: Jacob Meszaros (P.E.) & Mya Stark
Featured Cast (Where You Might Remember Him/Her From):
Lewis Black (Man of the Year) • Wilmer Valderrama (Fast Food Nation) • Tyler James Williams ("Everybody Hates Chris") • Dyllan Christopher (Seabiscuit) • Brett Kelly (The Sandlot 2) • Gina Mantegna (Murder Book) • Quinn Shephard (From Other Worlds) • Paget Brewster ("Criminal Minds") • Rob Corddry (Failure to Launch) • Dominique Saldana (debut) • Jessica Walter ("Arrested Development")
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Click for 'Review Lite' [a 150-word or less review of this film]
If you go to see Unaccompanied Minors with high expectations, which it's unclear why one would, you'll be mostly disappointed. On the other hand, if you go in with low expectations, as would be the more appropriate thing to do given the trailer, the shabby holiday comedies of recent years, the still doesn't ring in the cheer-feeling you have in your stomach because you didn't listen to my review and went and saw Deck the Halls anyway because you had seen Happy Feet three times and needed a movie to take the kids to see; then, you will be pleasantly surprised. This is a movie pitched at pre-teens that parental units can enjoy to a degree until the end when you're likely to catch them sobbing (a good, not sad, sobbing) as I was for the ending will fill your adult heart with the kinds of feelings every adult, parent, or guardian who wonders why on earth the powers that be in the universe unleashed the affliction that is teenagers on this world. Here's why. We love the little guys deep in our hearts, and they have the power to remind us why we're here—when they want to! Oh, and don't let any pre-teens tell you they didn't like this movie or think it was hilarious. I sat and watched them exit the theatre yesterday, and they were still commenting on how funny it was. Also, unless they were faking their joy during the movie, they had a good time watching it all the way through. They, however, may not have liked the tug at your heart strings ending as much as grown ups will; but, hopefully, they will learn something from the experience as to what makes we grown ups tick. As for the kids' outrageous behavior, this is the mildest, pre-teen-pitched comedy in a long, long time. It's the kind of comedy that would have made How to Eat Fried Worms funny and good had it been updated to the social climate of the 2Ks rather than been left behind in the 70s.
"…a surprisingly entertaining holiday film…the ending is a happy tearjerker."
The story begins with a creative intro with kids from various walks of life in four quadrants of the country visiting Santa in their respective malls. These kids then end up on planes, unaccompanied, and all with layovers at Hoover International Airport located somewhere in the Midwest where they become stranded along with 1000s of other passengers when the biggest blizzard in decades hits the region grounding all flights. Oliver (Lewis Black), head of passenger relations at Hoover and self-proclaimed loather of holiday joy, orders his assistant, Zach Van Bourke (Wilmer Valderrama), to round up all the UMs (Unaccompanied Minors) to a giant holding room. As the featured kids arrive: Spencer (Dyllan Christopher) and his sister Katherine (Dominique Saldana), Charlie (Tyler James Williams), Timothy "Beef" Wellington (Brett Kelly), Grace Conrad (Gina Mantegna), and Donna Malone (Quinn Shephard) arrive, they too are put in the room now literally teeming with kids all engaging in what resembles as massive, chaotic food fight of activity. Upon entering the fiasco, Spencer remarks that he and his sister would be safer and more comfortable elsewhere, but Zach informs them that this is the place to be for fun right now. A few incidents later that help introduce us the main kid characters more fully, Spencer, who is completely embarrassed by his younger sister who calls him juvenile names in front of Grace and her friends who are playing poker, decides to escape the room and have a good old time. Tyler, Brett, Donna, and Grace follow him out of the holding room. He goes to a restaurant and orders the "heart attack special" for which he has the nowhere close to the $79 to pay his bill and chills. Tyler finds the Sharper Image® and strikes up a Karaoke fest, Brett find the safety equipment room and explodes a life raft for his Aquaman doll, Donna takes control of a golf cart the group later uses as a getaway vehicle, and Grace uses her sky club card to get into the lounge and get a a day spa treatment. All five kids end up in a lot of trouble and when they are finally captured by Oliver's security forces, they are marched back to the holding room only to find all of the other UMs have been relocated to the warm and cozy Hoover International Lodge for care and comfort while they will now be forced to stay here in the holding room which now smells rather rank. And, hence, begins a night of frolic in the airport as the gang gels, bonds, escapes the room, evades security, has a rip-roaring good time in the unclaimed baggage room, saves Christmas for Spencer's sister, and eventually provides the joy of Christmas for everyone stranded in the airport. A side story about Spencer's and Katherine's divorced parents Valerie (Paget Brewster) and Sam (Rob Corddry) also provides additional amusement as Valerie consoles herself on Christmas by staying with her sister played by an un-credited Teri Garr whose holiday spirit is unrivaled as she's purchased every Christmas and winter holiday decoration ever made and Rob travels through the night in his bio-diesel-powered Mercedes Benz® to rescue his kids from the airport.
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Paul Feig, who honed his skills directing episodes of "Arrested Development" has made a surprisingly entertaining holiday film from Jacob Meszaros's and Mya Stark's script. It's not quite in the league of Home Alone or A Christmas Story, but no film has come in a long time that is in their league when it comes to nearly perfect, family, winter holiday movies. The film, however, does not deserve the snobby, C- scores or 2.5 stars it's been receiving from early critics, many of whom are the same ones that gave the horribly offensive, derelict, boo-worthy, Borat brilliant reviews. Like I wrote, if you are expecting Shakespeare, Academy Award® nominations; or, on the other hand, gross out comedy, Johnny Knoxville comedy, or violent slapstick comedy, this is not your film. This is a pre-teen comedy for pre-teens, about pre-teens, and designed to entertain those people who have parented them. And, I am not kidding around when I say the ending is a happy tearjerker.
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Click for 'Review Lite' [a 150-word review of this film]
Click for 'Review Lite' [a 150-word review of this film]
Other Projects Featuring Unaccompanied Minors (2006)
Cast Members
Lewis Black
• Wilmer Valderrama• Tyler James WilliamsDyllan Christopher
• Brett Kelly• Gina MantegnaQuinn Shephard
• Paget Brewster• Rob CorddryJessica Walter
Director
Paul Feig
Writers
Jacob Meszaros
• Mya Stark| CD Soundtrack | DVD | VHS |
Unaccompanied Minors (2006) Review-lite [150-word cap]
Pleasantly surprising, Unaccompanied Minors is a movie pitched at pre-teens that parental units can enjoy to a degree until the end when they're likely to be caught sobbing at the joyful ending. Beginning with introductions to the five starring kids: Dyllan Christopher, Tyler James Williams, Brett Kelly, Gina Mantegna, and Quinn Shephard, the film has them eventually ending up in the room literally teeming with other unaccompanied minors stranded in an airport on Christmas Eve by the blizzard of the century. They make the lives of the security forces 'fun' as they escape their confines all in the name of trying to keep the Christmas spirit alive for the younger sister of one of the kids. Paul Feig has made a surprisingly entertaining holiday film from Jacob Meszaros's and Mya Stark's script. It's not quite Home Alone or A Christmas Story, but it's considerably better than it has been reviewed.
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