A great comedy that suffers a little from the lackluster acting

Rating: 7/10 (24 January 2008)

I accompanied some friends to see the movie Juno with little expectation. Michael Cera and Jason Bateman are incredible actors(see Arrested Development) so I figured I would enjoy the movie.
The cast is phenomenal, and I enjoyed J.K. Simmons in his role as the dad. Ellen Page did give a great performance, but she became sort of the cliché sarcastic teen that you would see on television.(There are a few scenes that stand out in particular which put her on the edge of annoying) This is my biggest gripe with the film, as the acting didn't seem real to me. It felt like I was watching a sitcom, which isn't bad, but it could have been better.
The acting in general was OK, and I'm a little disappointed with Michael Cera's character. First off, Cera was advertised as being a huge factor in this movie, which he isn't. I don't want to spoil the plot, but his character should have had more say in the movie as his importance was ignored in the overall story. It's clear that his popularity from Superbad would bring in many people if they stuck his face on every Juno poster.
In regards to the plot, there were some questionable motives and actions that didn't really develop all that well. It's very obvious to see what is going to happen next in regards to the story, but I thought that the writers would have approached it a little differently.
Overall I think that the movie was a unique surprise, but that's all. Calling this the Little Miss Sunshine of this year is RIDICULOUS. That movie was amazing on all levels and Juno does not reach this quality at all in the movie.