A good stab, but maybe not as good as you've been told

Rating: 7/10 (27 February 2005)

Although I found this to be an enjoyable film, mostly for its quirky commentary on modern pop culture, I didn't find it nearly as overwhelming as my friends and critics had built it up to be.
I think this was a good first outing for Braff, but I wouldn't go as far as brilliant, as many people may lead you to believe. Because I wouldn't know if "brilliance" was Braff's aim, I can't fault it for falling short in that capacity.
On the plus side, I found it amusing and an easy viewing. The story is simple, touching on ageless issues such as guilt, parental conflict, nostalgia, love, discovery, etc. I was a little annoyed with the constant interjection of music to help illustrate...I always feel music should accompany a film, not drive it. In other words, there were times I felt the scenes were written around the music, vs. the other way around.
Still though, it was enough to provoke me to keep an eye on Zach Braff. He may have some good things, even better things, to show us yet.