Movie Reviews

A splashy movie for teen girls,Aquamarine, tackles the age-old dilemma of “he’s so cute, but how can I get him to notice me?” The fun begins when a mermaid (Sara Paxton) washes up on shore and befriends Claire and Hailey(Emma Roberts & Joanna Levesque.) Aquamarine is a walking and talking blonde by day, but sprouts a tail and fins by night. In bizarre twist of fate, Aquamarine must prove that “true love” exists. Evidently, Aquamarine’s father is planning an arranged marriage—and the only way to get out of it is to find someone to say, “I love you.”

When it comes to romance, Aquamarine is a fish out of water. She has a crush on the lifeguard, Raymond (Jake McDorman) but doesn’t know how to get his attention. Out of desperation, Aquamarine promises to grant a wish to both girls if they help her experience true love. Comic complications abound when a rival girl discovers Aquamarine’s true identity, and sets out to expose her. Bottom line: Aquamarine is a sweet, spunky and wholesome movie that will capture any teen’s attention: hook, line and sinker!

The Shaggy Dog is about a lawyer (Tim Allen) who discovers his client is doing cruel and unethical experiments on animals in hopes of developing an anti-aging serum. The fun begins when the lawyer is bitten by one of the tortured lab animals. Suddenly, the man transforms into a sheep dog.. Yep, it’s extremely funny. Tim Allen is covered with hair, sprouts a tail, and experiences a dog’s heightened awareness with acute hearing and smell. Ultimately, Allen uses his canine intuition to unravel the hidden conspiracy of animal testing, as he sinks his teeth into issues he previously ignored.

There’s a funny scene in the elevator where he is sniffed you-know-where by another dog. Being down on all fours also forces Allen to come to grips with his shortcomings. The poor guy is a workaholic, and isn’t connecting with his wife (Kristin Davis) and children (Zena Grey and Spencer Breslin.)

Bottom line: “Shaggy Dog” is a fun family movie. Adults will enjoy the empathetic moments that are mixed in with the silliness. (Isn’t it refreshing when a high-powered attorney admits he is wrong, and now sees things from a new perspective?) Kids will enjoy the movie’s silliness, and probably not take it too seriously. Talk about zany— the rescued lab animals include a cobra with a dog’s tail, a circus monkey, and a frog that barks. Anyone for a game of fetch?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Nicky Vanvalkenburgh is a film critic who runs a stress reduction website. Check it out at http://www.20minutestolessstress.com/

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