Rating: 
Summary: Nothing original here; no stars if I could
Review: Gary Winick has made one of the most unapologetically unoriginal movies in recent memory. Aaron Stanford is a kindred enough spirit for the director in that his acting (lead role!)draws exclusively from similarly themed films. The real tragedy is that Sigourney, John, and Bebe chose to slum in this pseudo-edgy mismash project. Tadpole tells the story of a 15 year old who pines for his stepmother. He is also an elitist of the worst order, and there is not a single sympathetic quality in his character. What's good? Sigourney, John, and Bebe. Robert Iler is also believable. What's bad? Aaron Stanford. It's almost as if he's doing a Jason Schwartzman impression. The script, which steals nearly every one of its scenarios from Rushmore and The Graduate, is the most derivative text I've ever heard in a feature film. It is possible that the script offended me to a greater degree because its source material (Rushmore, Graduate) ranks among the finest comedy ever produced. The movie is shot on digital video (DV), which works something like this: In an episode of Seinfeld, Jerry and George discuss good vs. bad nudity. Well, good DV would be Chuck & Buck, The Anniversary Party, Tape. And bad DV would be like uh, let's see. . .Tadpole. The running time is mercifully brief, but you'll be ready to leave long before it is over. If you haven't seen Rushmore or the Graduate, I might say this movie would appeal to you somewhat. But even without considering those films, there is a sense of falsity and forced wit to Tadpole that would turn off even the most undiscriminating moviegoer. My point is this: With the seven to nine dollars you will spend to see the plagaristic Tadpole, you could rent Rushmore (Criterion Collection DVD) and The Graduate and have enough change for a cup of coffee. Do that instead. You will feel better about yourself.
Rating: 
Summary: Entertaining "coming of age" story.
Review: Good acting performances distinguish "Tadpole," a small independent movie about a fifteen-year-old boy with big aspirations. Aaron Stanford plays overprivileged prep-school sophomore Oscar Grubman, who fancies himself a super-sophisticate with high standards. Girls his own age do not interest him. Oscar speaks fluent French, courtesy of his birth mother, he reads Voltaire and other philosophers, and he has a huge crush on his stepmother, played by Sigourney Weaver.Oscar is home (a posh apartment on Manhattan's East Side) for Thanksgiving, and he is determined to reveal his feelings of love for Eve, his stepmother. Oscar's father, Stanley, played by John Ritter, is a Columbia University history professor who is overly preoccupied with his work, and he is completely oblivious to Oscar's feelings for Eve. Before you can say "Mrs. Robinson," Eve's best friend, played by the sultry Bebe Neuwirth, seduces Oscar. Much confusion and several complications ensue before the weekend is over. "Tadpole" makes for a pleasant and humorous diversion, but it breaks no new cinematic ground. It is worth seeing, however, for the excellent performances by a talented cast.
Rating:
Summary: Fraiser's wife has never been hotter
Review: Guess I'm not quite the movie snob I thought I was. I didn't notice any of the imperfections mentioned in other reviews like flat directing and bad lighting. All I wanted to see was a young man having sex with the smoking hot Bebe Neuwirth and that wish was fulfilled.
In this case, I decided if the movie is good or not by making a simple comparison: is it more intelligent than "Con Air?"
Yes, yes it is.
Rating:
Summary: Preppie scores with older chicks
Review: I attended a college prep school, but don't remember anything like what happens in the comedy TADPOLE. Perhaps I should have read more of the French philosophers. Aaron Stanford has his debut acting role as Oscar Grubman, a 15-year-old boarding school student returning to his father's NYC home for the Thanksgiving holiday. Oscar's (divorced) mother is French, so he speaks the language and is heavily into French literature, especially Voltaire. Oscar isn't interested in girls his own age, and a peer remarks that Oscar is a 40-year-old trapped in a teenager's body. Oscar carries a heavy weight - he's got a serious crush on his 40-something stepmom, Eve (Sigourney Weaver). Though Oscar has eyes only for Mrs. Grubman, his mental maturity combined with boyish enthusiasm attracts Eve's female friends, who press their phone numbers on him - and more. Eve's best friend, Diane (Bebe Neuwirth), seduces him one evening after finding him wandering drunk and lovesick (for Eve) on the street. The morning after, Oscar is horrified. This was Stanford's first role after graduating from Rutgers University where he studied theater. Simply put, he's terrific. Neuwirth is positively delicious as the mischievous Diane who toys with the lad as a cat with a mouse. (Any teenage boy should be so lucky!) There's one scene after Oscar's one-night tryst where Oscar, Diane, Eve, and Oscar's father Stanley (John Ritter) go out to a restaurant dinner, and which had the audience almost rolling in the aisles. It alone was worth the price of admission. Sigourney Weaver is radiant as the unsuspecting Eve, and one can understand why Oscar is attracted. I know I was. John Ritter does well enough as Oscar's college professor father, though my opinion is undoubtedly unfairly skewed towards the negative by the fact that I've never gotten over the actor's relentlessly obnoxious character in television's THREE'S COMPANY. TADPOLE is short at 77 minutes, and I was left slightly dissatisfied as the film rolled into the credits after what I thought was a too abrupt ending. Perhaps it's because the Diane/Oscar relationship was so richly humorous and fraught with awkward possibilities, and I wanted more of it. However, that said, this is a delightful, must-see movie.
Rating: 
Summary: This is about young genius
Review: I consider the women in this movie just props: the real humor is about the weird interactions between a fifteen-year-old intellectual master of Voltaire and anyone who would expect a kid to have relationships which would be appropriate for that age. The kid's eagerness to apply his knowledge to everything that could happen in a Thanksgiving weekend is challenged by the movie's knack for putting him in situations that he never expected. The literary side of this movie is the thoughts of Voltaire in quoted sentences that show up on the screen more often than I expected. The funniest thing about Voltaire is that anybody can read this stuff, but no one ever expects it to pop up like this. Everything this movie says about sideburns is funny. Forty minus fifteen is only twenty-five years ago, long after Elvis got out of the army and got his sideburns back. There are so many ways an ingenious teenager can get sideburns in a hurry in our society, it is great to see a kid in a hurry solve such practical problems.
Rating:
Summary: This is about young genius
Review: I consider the women in this movie just props: the real humor is about the weird interactions between a fifteen-year-old intellectual master of Voltaire and anyone who would expect a kid to have relationships which would be appropriate for that age. The kid's eagerness to apply his knowledge to everything that could happen in a Thanksgiving weekend is challenged by the movie's knack for putting him in situations that he never expected. The literary side of this movie is the thoughts of Voltaire in quoted sentences that show up on the screen more often than I expected. The funniest thing about Voltaire is that anybody can read this stuff, but no one ever expects it to pop up like this. Everything this movie says about sideburns is funny. Forty minus fifteen is only twenty-five years ago, long after Elvis got out of the army and got his sideburns back. There are so many ways an ingenious teenager can get sideburns in a hurry in our society, it is great to see a kid in a hurry solve such practical problems.
Rating:
Summary: Surprisingly good
Review: I found this unassuming little film, depicting one long Thanksgiving weekend in New York City, to be absolutely delightful. Oscar, a precocious fifteen year old prep school student who quotes Voltaire and speaks French, is far, far too sophisticated to be bothered by the girls his age. Rather, his heart is focused on his step-mother, played by Sigourney Weaver. He is a charmer, but completely unable to see the naivete of his youth. His efforts to be adult -- gluing on fake sideburns and spouting philosophy to any willing audience are right on. He seems to think that there is no reason he cannot be a serious contender for his step-mother's affections, and he courts her (his true intentions unbeknownst to her) by bringing her lunch at work, calling the terminology of her work (cardiological research) poetry, and playing tennis with her. John Ritter plays the clueless history-professor-Dad to a tee. I really liked this film -- from the title screen (where letters flitter across the screen in the shape of a tadpole) to the end, where Oscar is finally able to see the attractiveness of a girl his own age. Surprisingly good!
Rating:
Summary: been done better before
Review: I like the Idea of the film&it's cool from that perspective but the acting&direction of the film never fully get to the point of where it should.it takes on more than it can muster.a waste of John Ritter's Talent in this film.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: I saw this movie at Cinevegas and it too received a standing ovation. Whoever said quantity is worth more than quality? Yes, this movie is only 80 min. long and all shot on digital. Finally, the digital medium moving up and being shown more commonly to the mainstream public. This movie is sheer brilliance. Histerical scenes that made everyone react out loud without hesitation. Simple shots combined with superb acting create scenes you'll want to watch again and again. If you want to check out the medium of the future and get lost in a movie and forget the real world, this is it.
Rating:
Summary: Have a sense of humor
Review: Of course it is a little unrealistic, but this movie is a humorous look at the desires and needs of men and women. If you do not appreciate outrageous plot twists (well, just a couple of them) this movie is not for you. It follows a fourteen year old boy Oscar home from boarding school on Christmas vacation. Oscar is different from other boys as he reads Voltaire and is desperately in love with his step mother. The film can be considered "different" but you must be able to accept these things in order to truly appreciate everything "Tadpole" is.
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