Could Have Been Better Minus Gore and Foul Mouthed Girl

Rating: 6/10 (1 May 2010)

In a lot of ways this movie had heart and that is something I love to find in a movie going experience. Regular guys tried to be something special in reaction to the apparent disinterest most people have in helping others in need. We have all heard the stories of people just standing by while witnessing a violent crime without even lifting a finger to help the person in trouble. In fact it is common that when people see someone hurting someone else the first impulse is to pull out the phone, and not to dial 911 but to film the action so they can post it online. Where is chivalry? Where is love thy neighbor? Well this movie shows its heart when a regular kid tries to be a hero, and that makes for a great story. There are quite a few good laughs. Where the film falls short is in its inability to resist delving in the vulgar and grotesque. I don't care to see a kid masturbating to online pornography, or to hear a pre-teen/early teen girl cuss like a sailor. The fight scenes are also over the top bloody and gory. To see a little girl slice people up with so much gore is just plain wrong. I believe that the film makers thought they were being funny and clever with these scenes, but all they are doing is desensitizing the audience more and more to what are horrible acts. None of this is necessary for the sake of comedy and entertainment. It is appealing to the lowest common denominator and ultimately takes away from the effectiveness of the comedy. This really could have been much better.