Pleasantly Surprised

Rating: 8/10 (27 October 2006)

Actually, pleasantly surprised doesn't quite sum it up. Shocked would be more like it... Shocked that Ashton Kutcher can act as well as he can, shocked that this movie was universally snubbed by critics just because Kutcher was the lead, and shocked that I let them keep me away from watching it for such a long time. The film is excellent, engrossing, and it does what a good novel does--it makes you care what happens next and makes you care about the characters. Eric Stoltz is his usual brilliant self, Amy Smart is, well, smart, and Ashton Kutcher proves that he should stop doing that idiotic "Punked" show he sleeps through on MTV and concentrate on getting some roles he can sink his teeth into. Ignore the critics and see this one. I guarantee you'll be at least pleasantly surprised. And maybe shocked.