*½/**** Image A- Sound A Extras C+
starring Luke Wilson, Logan Lerman, Brie Larson, Tim Blake Nelson
screenplay by Wil Shriner, based on the novel by Carl Hiaasen
directed by Wil Shriner
by Travis Mackenzie Hoover On the subject of keeping young people away from R-rated movies, Pauline Kael once remarked: "How are kids supposed to appreciate movies if they only see the crap that's aimed at them?" That "crap," of course, is usually stuff that's been interrogated for controversial subject matter and aesthetic interest alike, as if a sweeping camera or a finely-tuned mise-en-scène would disturb the kiddies. And on past performance, Walden Media is a leading exponent of this kind of subdued mediocrity: not only did they issue that ultra-bland C.S. Lewis adaptation from last winter, but they also cranked out the thoroughly innocuous Hoot to disastrous box office this spring. It's a movie that treats potentially charged material like No Big Deal–which is the supposed position to take with young minds in the room.
At first, I found it strange that a conservative organization like Walden would adapt such tree-hugging material as Carl Hiaasen's source novel. After all, the subject is rescuing burrowing owls from an evil fast-food company, complete with a transient junior-high eco-terrorist (Cody Linley's "Mullet Fingers") trying to stop the encroachment of big business. But, of course, Mullet Fingers isn't the main event. That honour belongs to Roy Eberhardt (Logan Lerman), dutifully providing as the new-kid-in-school of yore the milquetoast underdog to which kidpix so often gravitates. It's his mission to vacillate on whether to support Mullet Fingers's mission to save the owls from the pancake franchise or be a nice boy and try to dodge the school bully–a subplot that eats up time while going nowhere.
It turns out that the environmentalist theme is barely noticed by the filmmakers–to say nothing of the desperate circumstances of off-the-grid Mullet Fingers, who lives by his wits without home or country. I could mention the distinctly homoerotic overtones of Roy's initial infatuation with this golden-haired rebel boy who runs really fast, but it's fruitless: denial of any disturbing content is the film's primary goal, in the name of not upsetting the children and, more importantly, their parents. This means the machinations of evil corporations seem comical, while the poverty of Mullet Fingers makes him a frisky Twain figure whose sister/fellow traveller Beatrice Leep (Brie Larson) thinks nothing of hiding out under Roy's bed when she fights with her parents. If anyone thought twice about what was going on, we might have an actual movie, but everything is so scrubbed clean that there's hardly any meat on Hoot's bones.
I can hear the sound of somebody screwing up their face, ready to bellow, "But it's a movie for kids!" And indeed, something called "Film Advisory Board, Inc." has thoughtfully sanctioned Hoot to ward off suggestions of low quality. But though the standards by which films for kids are judged are considerably more lax than those for adults, that doesn't mean you shovel whatever at your moppets and call it a day. I'd like to believe we want to awaken some sort of curiosity and conscience in our offspring instead of frightening them away from thinking, and while Hoot may entertain them, it won't exactly set their imaginations ablaze. It's mind control in the form of thinking for yourself, ultimately, and it can't be recommended to parents who want to raise sentient human beings.
THE DVD
New Line unleashes Hoot on DVD under their esteemed Platinum Series imprimatur. The 1.85:1, 16×9-enhanced image is fairly sharp, with perhaps a hair too much saturation. Meanwhile, the Dolby 5.1 audio is equally fine, if not brilliantly articulated. (That's the nature of the beast.) On another track, find a feature-length commentary with Hiaasen and director Wil Shriner. Given the sausage nature of the production, this is surprisingly on-issue, with extra care taken to compare book and film; technical details also are given attention. Still, one wishes for someone deeper than Shriner, even though he proves bright and articulate on his own level. Also on board the disc:
Deleted Scenes
Six clips that didn't make the cut: mostly un-illuminating, although there is one scene that feebly explains Mullet Fingers's strained relationship with his mother and a lengthy and completely unbelievable attempt by Roy to convince his father of the righteousness of his cause. With optional commentary from Hiaasen and Shriner.
"Meet the Kids of the Cast" (9 mins.)
Lerman, Linley, Larson, and school bully Eric Philips are the centre of a glad-handing featurette that culminates in Larson's own behind-the-scenes footage. As these things go, it could have been a lot worse, though things are obviously skewed to portray the set as a haven for youngsters.
"Hoot's Hands-On Habitat Project" (4 mins.)
A demonstration of the film's side project: building a habitat for transplanted burrowing owls. There's a bit of blather about being able to make a difference no matter how old you are, but mostly I learned that owls can't roll their eyes.
"Backyard Habitat" (7 mins.)
Lessons in erecting your own backyard habitat, hosted by Larson and peppered with appearances from members of the National Wildlife Foundation. Four points of good instruction, plus filler.
"Animals in Action" (7 mins.)
The care and trailing of the owls, snakes, Rottweilers, and alligator that made up the animal cast. Some interesting tidbits about how to train a burrowing owl ensue.
"Visit an Animal Rescue Center" (8 mins.)
The finest of these features, this takes us inside a rescue centre and tells us a variety of hard-luck stories involving animals. I dare you not to get a lump in your throat when you watch the surrogate-mother screech owl.
"Blooper Reel" (3 mins.)
The usual flubs, at a mercifully short length.
"Meet the Creator of Hoot" (5 mins.)
This begins promisingly with source novelist Hiaasen revealing his childhood memories of an owl habitat that was bulldozed. Unfortunately, it soon degenerates into back-patting about the production "capturing the spirit of the book" and related malarkey.
"Jimmy Buffett: Filmmaker in Paradise" (8 mins.)
Believe it or not, Jimmy Buffett was a producer on this movie. This is an essay in both his involvement in the enterprise and his general awesomeness. While I still can't hear a note of his music without wincing, he appears to be an amiable sort.
"Director on the Set" (4 mins.)
The similarly congenial director Shriner gets his close-up in this brief clip. Alas, the briefness is due to his unimpressive approach to filmmaking (as viewers of Hoot can attest).
DVD-ROM Features
Three tenuously-related games here: "Monkey See Monkey Do", where you match the actions of various miscreant monkeys; "Fish Food", where you eat plankton and avoid getting eaten by other fish; and "Tree Frog", where you eat insects and attempt to avoid the advances of vicious predators. Of these, the last is remarkably playable. A script-to-screen feature and weblinks fill out this section.
Hoot's trailer, trailers for How to Eat Fried Worms, The Ant Bully, and IMAX Deep Sea 3-D, and PSAs for the National Wildlife Federation and Save the Manatee Club round out the platter.
90 minutes; PG; 1.85:1 (16×9-enhanced); English DD 5.1, English Dolby Surround; CC; English, Spanish subtitles; DVD-9; Region One; New Line
