Diagonaldi Very well executed

SoTrumpBelieve Must See Movie...

Hayden Kane There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

Philippa All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

disgaea36 This movie was horrible. The people giving this 10 stars either saw a different movie or are Disney channel fanatics because this was just bad from start to finish. There was barely much plot except for the protagonist trying to save his grandmothers shop and the acting and camera work were just downright bad. This was nothing but over dramatized bullying to the extreme and overzealous teens lashing out. I give it 2 stars because I found the shy kid with the accent charming and the blogger crush witty and cute for the small scenes they both got but thats about it. This is a movie you wait for release on DVD and never rent. Save your cash and especially your time and go watch something else you got an abundance of choices.

wendt31 Watched this with my kids and we all loved. I appreciated my kids getting the important message, but they kept also commenting on the great music:) One of my kids has experienced bullying first hand, and I think it was very powerful for him to see this story, as he could relate to the experience. Even if your child has not personally experienced bullying, this movie will help them understand the impact it can have, and ways to make a difference if they see it. I would recommend this movie to anyone with kids ages 8-18. The soundtrack was also really great, with some up and coming young artists. We had heard Ian Axle before, and were excited to have some more of his music to listen to. I will definitely be keeping this in our CD library to watch again!

jenny_andrus-393-281219 I saw this film at the Mill Valley Film Festival and loved it. It's well-crafted and well-acted, and I think kids will actually enjoy watching it. I say this as someone who works with kids as a librarian in a K-8 school. It has all the components: appealing characters, dramatic moments, and a satisfying conclusion. All in all, a very nice story arc that will hold the viewers' interest and leave the door open for discussion. The movie's greatest strength was in the way the relationship between the three leads developed over time. It provided a more nuanced view of bullying, taking into account that the bully is usually someone who has been bullied himself. The cast of young actors were all appealing and talented. I imagine we'll be seeing more of them. The sound track is also excellent. After watching so many mindless (or violent) films for kids, it's refreshing to watch something that succeeds in getting a positive message across without being didactic or clichéd.

bousozoku When I saw "bullying", I thought "Oh, geez, another over-the-top, sensitive, feel-good movie that doesn't make a real point." but Contest isn't so far off from real life, although it tosses in a few over-the-top points, which are supposed to help the viewer become aware, not distract them from the message.It's obvious that it would be tricky to attack bullying without seeming ridiculous, especially since no one really knows how to handle it in real life. I suspect that everyone has been bullied in real life, especially the bullies, but dealing with it in in real life always seems to be non-confrontational.It's also obvious that everyone in the film tried to make it work and that there was some good chemistry between the characters. Daniel Flaherty's character, Tommy, seems as good a victim as you would hope--someone who just can't catch a break, but still hard-working and caring. It's evident in a scene where he's being swindled by another teen who says his parents lost their jobs. Kenton Duty's character, Matt, doesn't really seem a bully though his brother Kyle does, but that he doesn't want to be bullied, so he goes along with it rather than be ostracized by the rest of the team, and tries to have some fun along the way. Katherine McNamara's character, Sarah, is the intelligent, don't-take-no-for-an-answer type. Tommy's grandmother is the only character that seemed unrealistic, as she wanted to cook for the bullies, to ply them with food, to make them see reason. I don't know of any place in the northeast where that works and I don't recall a grandmother who wasn't at least a little feisty. Still, along the way she has words of wisdom and becomes the voice of reason.There is plenty of scheming and double-dealing and you might need a score card to keep up with who is on which side. Sarah seemed to be keeping up with most everything, but strangely never threatened.In the end, things work out pretty well for Tommy, despite the minor disasters and soul-searching but all the scheming behind the scenes because of Kyle and Joe made me wonder if Matt was safe. Kyle and Joe didn't seem to learn or regret and there weren't any real consequences that would make them change their minds. Wrapping up the story with a perfect ending is fine when you don't have a fabric store full of loose threads, like a 1960s sitcom.