BootDigest Such a frustrating disappointment

VividSimon Simply Perfect

Tobias Burrows It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

Marva It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

Bernie Sauer VHS. VCR. Video. Video Rental.Such were the terminologies when videotapes could be rented, watched, and then returned only to be rented again by your next door neighbor who complained that the tape wasn't rewound at the time of purchase. "Be Kind Rewind" was the annoying slogan plastered on the bulky piece of plastic.In Michel Gondry's radically original flick, two lowly video store clerks are faced with the challenge of not only renting out a dying breed of videotapes but making them as well. There's no way of describing Be Kind Rewind's plot without smirking, but I'll try: Loser drifter, Jerry (played by crazy Jack Black), is accidentally "magnetized" by a nearby electrical plant. On an innocent stroll to the local New Jersey video/thrift store, he accidentally demagnetizes or "clears" all the contents of the videotapes on display. In an effort to save the old shop's business, co-manager, Mike (a composed Mos Def of a more popular reference to rap music), and idiotic Jerry come up with an amazing plan: re-film all the erased videos with themselves as the actors through the lens of a cheap, handy camcorder. I know this sounds stupid, ludicrous, and out of this world, and all three observations are correct. These two characters really are stupid, really believe in their ludicrous plan, and after the first 30 minutes, you realize that you really aren't in Kansas anymore. Mike and Jerry's renditions are so bad, they're hilariously good. Plus, although it may seem chaotic, this film embraces a refreshing outlook: Movies are fun, but they're more fun to make.

noahsmyth98 This film intrigued me from the moment I heard of it. I am a huge movie fan with a library of movie knowledge and the idea that the hit-and-miss same-old-same-old Jack Black was going to play part in low-budget recreations of classics, I had to find out how the film was done.The movie opens up with an old vintage film of Fats Waller, the old jazz singer who constantly surfaces as a theme and inspiration in this film, who explains his involvement in the town of Harlem (so it seems). The film emerges several times in the film.Jack Black plays Jerry, an out-of-work bum who lives in an old RV. When he sets out to immaturely and ridiculously shut down the power plant he lives next to to avoid headaches, he unscientifically accurately manages to conduct magnetism and sabotages the tapes in the store his friend Mike works in. Mike, promised to care for the dying store in the digital era, is furious and in a pursuit to not let his few customers down prepares with friend to 'swede' classic movies on demand into low- budget homemade films with humorous results.Much of the comedy is relied on you that you are a huge Jack Black fan or that you have a good standing knowledge of the eight or nine movies you see them recreate. The customers act in opposite to outrage but soar into the store to demand more movies recreated.The movie has some good elements in it. As Mike and Jerry are being eaten alive by copyright supporters who destroy all of their efforts by an unnecessary bulldozer, the movie manages to float in the theme that 'big and corporate giants' are very greedy and almost barbaric and that sometimes people want something they can relate to (or even see themselves in)Apart from the thirty second romance scene between Mike and his hired assistant producer, this film is not half bad. Entertaining.

punishmentpark A combination of friendly drama and quirky comedy, brought together in a way that reminded me of an old '80s movie, even more so when there were these cheesy effects going on with Jerry after his incident. Then came the imitations of several old movies, which was really a ball to see develop. I really enjoyed the performances by Black, Def, Glover, Farrow and (Melonie, not Cameron!) Diaz, though pretty much everyone added to the laid back atmosphere of the whole. When finally Weaver and her henchmen put a stop to it all the fun, I had hoped for some kind of twist or change (in genre or whatever), but alas, it went on being more of the same, but in such a dull way that - all good intentions aside - it just faded away like those old VHS tapes eventually do.6 out of 10 nonetheless, but it could have been much more.

akilnayak The way they started the movie was somewhat good. I liked it. A little after the starting, the movie was a bit humorous and funny. Can be enjoyed. After the tapes were erased and they start to shoot the tapes again, the parody is great. But, it must have gone a little long enough for each film.They try to bring in Sentimental Scenes in between but it dint actually work out i guess.Overall, i would say the movie has a great story and heavily Lacks screenplay especially when it nears an end. For a VERY FEW funny moments, the movie is watchable. If you are a Die-Hard fan of Black, just go watch it!