cookie cutter when it could have been cutting edge.

Rating: 6/10 (5 June 2004)

It's not that there's anything wrong with Coyote Ugly. It is certainly watchable and not near as bad as some would make it out to be. I'ts even fun in some areas.What is lacking however is any originality. It is completely generic. Cookie cutter is a great word. I had a problem with that aspect of it, that and the complete lack of believability in anything about it.
Violet (I'm sorry, beautiful name but this girl did not look like a "violet"-Cindy, Stacy maybe but not Violet) is determined to become a song writer and moves to the big bad apple to do just that. Yet from the opening scene(WARNING-SPOILERS THROUT REST OF POST) we know exactly where this movie is going, the predictable formulated movie problems that will get in her way, the movie characters that will appear and how it will all end.
This movie reminded me of two others-flashdance meets cocktail-Yet even though I don't think either of those movies was particularly great they had something that I can't put my finger on that was lacking in Ugly.
The strengths of the movie was in the quirky cast and the actual bar scenes-this is a perfect movie to watch when you don't want to concentrate to hard because you don't have to with this. Yet although this movie was better then it was reported to be, it was also light years away from being anywhere near as good as it could have been. There was a lack of buildup toward things-characters simply appear, things happen that are so unrealistic they border on ridiculous-take away the racy dancing on bars and a few other things and this could have been a 1 hour after school special on going for your dreams etc etc-not that all after school specials are bad but there is this unreal quality to the movie-and a rush at the end to make it feel good that reminded me of a high school version of cocktail(a better movie in my opinion). A good example is the whole painfully dull ordeal of Violet getting to the club in time to sing her song and become a star(which you know through all the u turns, screaming and general hysteria is gonna happen anyway).
Still, the movie wasn't all bad-good looking characters,fun dancing and singing, a few great one liners-all combined to make Coyote a pleasant movie view if not outstanding. 6 out of 10 is my vote.