BlazeLime Strong and Moving!

Executscan Expected more

Huievest Instead, you get a movie that's enjoyable enough, but leaves you feeling like it could have been much, much more.

Celia A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

Jennabean17 I found the title to this little known classic while scanning through Elijah Wood's filmography. It was, in fact, the title that jumped out at me the most. I decided I had to see it. After searching through two different rental places in my area I finally found it. I must admit I didn't know what to expect. There were many aspects of the film which intrigued me. Most of all I loved the fact that for 75% of the film you're very unclear as to what Elijah Wood's character is experiencing. This actually mirrors his character's whole role in this film. Both viewer and character are confused and disoriented, thrown into a strange world where dying and terminally ill children are the only company. This brings a unique bond between audience and Barney Snow (Wood) because we are forced to experience his incomprehension. I thought that the acting in this film was on target. Everyone from Elijah Wood to Jeffrey Force was just brilliant. Both Joe Perrino and Elijah Wood have the most expressive eyes and they utilize this gift to really tug the viewer's heart. Though some parts of this film came across a little on the cheesy side, I really found it spectacularly done and completely captivating.

Aeris4ever Since seeing LOTR: The Two Towers, I've been on an Elijah Wood kick, trying to see as many of his films as possible. I first saw him in "The Good Son" almost 10 years ago and immediately saw his talent, as he upstaged the great Macauley Culkin in that film. I knew this was an independent, low-budget film, so I didn't expect much. The movie was so strong in some areas, but very weak in others, making it an odd viewing experience.All the characters in this film were incredibly well played. The acting was top notch. The actors playing the kids in the hospital did such a fine job, that I really fell in love with their characters. In my head, I chastized Mazzo for being so mean to Barney, but came to like him in the end. These are the kinds of feelings any great actor tries to elicit in his viewers, and in this case, they all succeeded. The big names, Elijah, Rachael, and Janeane, were just as good. Especially Elijah, who has this incredible gift of conveying emotion with a simple glance. I was so impressed with the acting, overall, that I could go on forever.Now it's time for the not so good things, mostly due to the film's low budget. I wasn't thrilled with the film's environment. The hospital looked so cold, I felt like shivering. I'm sure that was the point, but I wish we could have seen more than just the hospital, the junkyard, and the little park outside. There only seemed to be 3-4 patients, including Barney, so the hospital felt really empty. I won't take extras for granted again, because tossing a few in this movie would have added so much. I can come up with symbolism for everything in this movie, but at first glance, the film is just "cold".Another "low budgetism" is that rush to get everything filmed and in the can. One of the most annoying mistakes was mentioned by another user, the way Mazzo's name was pronounced "Mazzo" by everyone except Elijah, who said "Matzo" every time. Things like that shouldn't happen. The romance between Barney and Cassie just wasn't working. Not that they're incompatible, but the story made it a rush job. The kiss at the end was so awkward and it was hard to watch. It looked like someone was behind Elijah, pushing him onto Rachael.My biggest problem is with the story itself. SPOILERS! Barney is an amnesia victim, staying at a care center for terminally ill children. The only things Barney can remember are his name and a red convertible. He is subjected to some form of treatment that affects his memory. Mazzo, a terminal cancer patient the same age as Barney, is extremely angry at him for invading the kids' "turf". The other two kids befriend Barney for the most part. When Mazzo's twin sister, Cassie, comes to visit, she and Barney meet and start a rather unrealistic romance. All is well until Barney finds out who he really is - a cancer patient who was cured by having his memory erased. This theorizes that if a patient doesn't remember his cancer, his body won't recognize it, either. He had agreed to take part in the experiment, the stupidly titled "Bumblebee Project", but obviously can't remember. In the meantime, he manages to build a car out of junkyard parts and helps Mazzo in his longing to go out (die) in a blaze of glory. There is something so horribly wrong and ludicrous about pushing a dead person out a window. It may be symbolic, but geez was it wrong. I'll stop with that, because there is more to the ending, but I just about had it with the wheelchair going over the roof.It probably sounds like I hated this movie, but I really didn't. It's a great film for die-hard fans of any of the castmembers. As a drama, it has excellent acting and a good setup, with the storyline developing at a good pace. The story manages to skip around the medical mumbo jumbo that could have killed it, so thank goodness for that. It just wasn't a captivating story for me. But the acting was great, so I'll give the film a 7.5/10.

ErikaHaines I think some replies here were a little bit harsh on the movie. Mind you, this is a movie critic's haven, so I can understand. But let's try to level here.First of all, I knew when starting this movie that it was going to be an indie, low-budget, sort of film, so I wasn't expecting some kind of Lord of The Rings or COlor Purple. I also knew not to expect anything too complex--in my experience with movies such as these, there is more there than just a simple, plausible plot that appeals to everybody. I knew going into it: Hey this is an Elijah Wood movie. Now everything I have seen him in, with the exception of Flipper, has been in some way great, and always told a great or complex story. Summing up all of those conclusions, I went into the movie knowing I shouldn't try to apply any other movie criticisms to it until I had seen it all the way through twice in order to fully catch the drift of the movie.That being said, the movie was fair. I don't think it is the greatest thing he has ever done; it in no way compares to the Ice Storm or Lord of The Rings. However, I think the end of the movie sort of pulls everything together and helps me to see why Elijah might've chosen to do this movie.Here is what I liked: The ending, the one that leaves everyone questioning a few things; the sarcastic kid, Billy, and his acerbic sence of humor; the thought processes of Barney Snow (Elijah Wood seems to have mastered the subtlety that is required for this role; Most people here complained that Barney was too apathetic for someone who knew nothing about his past or future, but I think it reflects some of Elijah's character in there too. At the end you see Elijah's happiness restored, when he is able to let go of everything (the very last scene), but throughout the movie it is quiet, subtle nuances; the introvert in Elijah shines through, and I think it is fantastic, and almsot mysterious.) I also liked Mazzo, I think he was a great actor in this movie, and the role worked well with him.Here is what I disliked: The romantic scene with Rachel Leigh Cook when he finds out she is leaving for Europe...I think their chemistry is terrible, and I don't think the actors are to blame--I think the casting directors are to blame. EW and RLC can both be great, Elijah much more so than Rachel Leigh Cook, but I don't think they worked well together at all.Suprisingly, I think he and Jordana Brewster from the Faculty had a better chemistry. Also, I think there was too little effort put into the love story. It was like...out of nowhere...they were in love...which is okay sometimes, as long as the characters' feelings are out in the open, but their feelings weren't out in the open. It made it seem strange that the cover of the video box was Elijah and RLC hugging; to me that wasn't the greater message of the movie. THe cover should have been Elijah as the central figure, and then, perhaps, the supporting characters behind him, sort of blended into the background.Overall, I rate it an 10 for Elijah, Billy,and Mazzo. I rate it a 7 for Rachel Leigh Cook, and I rate a 5 for that silly romantic scene that just didn't flow well with the movie(though I rewound and rewound a few times there...). I give a 9 to the ending because I like enigmatic things but it didn't flow perfectly either. Overall, that's about an 8.

onedaveatatime I really tried to like this movie because I really like some of the actors in it. But - it had so many flaws that any thinking person should have found it unwatchable.This film is so full of confusing and implausible scenes and especially reactions that it's hard to accept almost any following scene without wondering what the heck had just happened. Or why it happened. And the cinematography was uneven. Some of the shots were nice, where others were shot so badly that I wondered if they had handed the camera to Forrest Gump himself.Okay, to start, the Elijah Wood character is supposed to be stricken with amnesia, which would be profoundly disturbing and worrisome for any real person. Elijah does stress over this, randomly, now and again, in brief and obvious shots. But it's amazingly understated. That's just one example of how all the players under-react (or badly act) to every situation in Bumblebee.As much as it tried to be different and, I guess, 'artsy', this film is as chock full of obtuse emotional manipulation as any mainstream, big budget, Hollywood piece of crap: feel sorry for the dying kids, understand the detached but not-really-detached doctor, ache for the long-shot romance, laugh with and love the funny kid, but worry about his health. Please.The worst things about this terrible piece of work were the dialogue and the acting. I honestly don't think the actors are to be entirely blamed for their bad performances. There's only so much one can do with a botched script and bad directing. There are many moments when you feel like you're watching a teeny-bop romp (albeit, a depressing one) or a watch-by-numbers after school special.It's all very confusing how the movie slaps scenes together which don't fit, and barely explains things which clearly need more definition.The idea wasn't bad. It could have been an okay film, at least. But they screwed it up all the way through.Thumbs (and other ligaments) down.