Shorts

Synopsis: A young boy comes into possession of a wish granting rock.

Release Date: August 21, 2009     MPAA Rating: PG-13

Genre(s): Children and Family, Comedy

Film Review

In order to suspend your disbelief for however many minutes a film is, it needs to have a coherent structure. This film lacks any form of real structure. The whole movie is told via voiceover and utilizes a pause, rewind, fast-forward feature usually reserved for home viewing of a television show. It does not translate well onto film, especially in a movie theater. To say there is a beginning, middle, and end is impossible as it continually switches to various ‘shorts’ to tell parts of the story. The idea is that a kids memory cannot recall a whole story so they must tell what they remember or know. It may be a dream for someone with a short attention span since each short in itself is a mini-film, but for anyone who can actually focus for more than ten minutes at a time it feels incomplete. Sure, it has special effects, a tiny bit of imagination, and a couple cute kids but it does not have anything that truly grounds you in the story.

The effects in this film are a grave disappointment. Not for lack of trying but for the cheap way they try and hide the poorly created effects throughout. There is a constant use of quick editing cuts when dealing with certain effects to mask the low standards. This may not be true for all of the effects – the tiny alien spacecrafts are exceptional, as is the final ‘short’ that features all sorts of fun things. The question lingers, as you leave the theater…does a grand finish make up for the bad that came before it? I do not think so.

Cast and Crew

• Director(s): Robert Rodriguez
• Producer(s): Robert RodriguezJimmy Bennett (Toe Thompson)
• Screenwriter(s): Kat Dennings (Stacey Thompson)Trevor Gagnon (Loogie)Rebel Rodriguez (Lug)
• Story: Jake Short (Nose Noseworthy)
• Cast: Leslie Mann (Mom Thompson)James Spader (Mr. Black)Jon Cryer (Dad Thompson) William H. Macy (Dr. Noseworthy)Ethan ManiquisRobert RodriguezSteve Joyner
• Editor(s): Nina Proctor
• Cinematographer: George OldzieyGentle Giant Studios
• Production Designer(s):
• Costume Designer: 
• Casting Director(s): Hybride Technologies
• Music Score: 
• Music Performed By: 
• Country Of Origin: USAUnited Arab Emirates