Rating: 
Summary: Rock on Pussycats!!
Review: I couldn't stop watching Josie and the Pussycats after I got started. My favorite character, Melody, is just so cheerful and happy, it makes you like her. Each character has something comnpletely original about her and that makes them so much more believable. Don't wait another day to see this totally awesome, hilarious comedy!
Rating: 
Summary: An assault on patience.
Review: Dozens of teenagers and a ridiculously stupid plot rule the day in "Josie and the Pussycats," a movie so undeniably stupid, so inexplicably boring, so redundantly unfunny, it amounts to little more than ninety minutes of pure agony. This is the kind of movie that makes me want to spend hours with a dictionary just looking for words to describe how painful it is to sit through. The plot, to say the least, is just the beginning of this first class flight to movie-making hell: three girls, who play an all-girl rock band they call The Pussycats, want nothing more than to broaden their music to a large audience with a record deal that will land them in the lap of success. By chance, they run into a guy just looking for a new band to sell under his label, and they hit the jackpot in less than a week, going up on the charts and growing ever-so-popular. But soon they realize that their music is a ploy to control the youth of America, dominated by a conniving record company owner who inputs subliminal messages into the CDs the company produces. Now, I can kick back and laugh at a stupid movie just like everyone else. I mean, I gave "Dude, Where's My Car?" and "Spice World" 3 stars, so I'm not completely inhibited from enjoyed nonsensical films. "Josie" opens up a whole new window to stupidity, and it's story is just not funny. The film attempts many times to instill humor in the most contrived situations imaginable, from the girls' rise to fame to the underworld of teenage marketing, but fails on all attempts. But that's not the end of the movie's over-indulgent stupidity. Not only is the story bland, but the characters are some of the most annoying movie characters ever seen in motion picture history. The Pussycats themselves are a pastiche of modern teenagers, ranging from level-headed thinker Valerie (Rosario Dawson), to the incredibly ditzy Mel (Tara Reid), who just happens to be blonde. The talents of Alan Cumming are wasted here, as are those of Parker Posey, who played comedy to perfection in "Scream 3" but is given the most repulsive of all characters here. And what about all the product placement throughout the movie? I know nobody could miss the airplanes with cabins that are lined with Motorola cell phones and Target symbols everywhere... what's the point? Maybe the movie itself is trying to send us a message about subliminal advertising; in reality, the product placement that permeates the film suggests that "Josie and the Pussycats" is, itself, a "trend pimp." Let's face it: movies like this have only one target audience that needs no mentioning. The film is boring, listless, and, at times, agonizing; heck, if it has its way, we'll all be wearing Josie ears and singing kitschy pop songs while swinging our heads from side to side. One of the worst movie's I've seen this year.
Rating:
Summary: THE BEST
Review: THIS IS THE BEST MOVIE IVE EVER SEEN! I THOUGHT BRING IT ON WAS, BUT NOW THIS IS! SEE IT!
Rating: 
Summary: Funny...but not worth the purchase
Review: For the most part, I walked away from this moving have lost 2 hours of my life and probably a little dumber than when I first turned it on. However, the movie found some redemption in the parodies of the popular boy bands that plague the musical charts. There's also a hysterical run-in with a murderous Carson Daly but the all-time best part of this movie is the beautiful Tara Reid, playing a well-performed blonde airhead, that had me cracking up most of the movie. All in all, this isn't a bad film to rent -- but save your money for a DVD worth buying.
Rating:
Summary: Clever but Flawed
Review: As a lifelong fan of Josie and the Pussycats, and a collector of all things Josie related, I was somewhat apprehensive when I first heard about the movie being made. What would they be doing to the characters that I loved so much? My first glimpses were not exactly enough to relieve my apprehension. But I decided to keep an open mind. When the negative reviews came out, I decided to ignore them until I could see for myself. I waited until the DVD release to see the film. This movie has a lot of clever ideas, some inspired performances, a great visual style, some enjoyable songs and some funny gimmicks. I'm not exactly sure where it went wrong, but I think that the performance by Rachel Leigh Cook as Josie was not exactly "compelling". I really didn't care about her in any way. The same goes for Rosario Dawson as Valerie. Tara Reid, who I usually don't care much for, did a great job as Melody. I don't think that she could have done any better. Was it the writing that created this problem? Probably not--Parker Posey and Alan Cumming were both fabulous as the villains of the film. Their parts seemed smartly written. Was it the pacing? Maybe--the plot moved pretty quickly, following the whirlwind rise of the band. Maybe I didn't get enough characterization. Was it the music? I don't think so--I enjoyed the music and thought it was at the very least appropriate for the sound of an all-girl smalltown band. I found myself tapping my toes along with the beat (and even singing some of the songs in the shower the next day). It might not be the sound of the moment (exemplified by the film's boy band DuJour) but I felt it fit perfectly with the band. I am glad that they left in the supporting cast, Alex and Alexandra Cabot and Alan M., but I would have enjoyed seeing more of them. They were an integral part of the original material. Should Sebastian the cat have appeared too? I think so, but I guess I can understand why they felt the need to exclude him. I think children would enjoy the film, getting into it's over-the-top product placement, color, and wacky fashion sense. Overall, I think this movie got some undue criticism. There are a lot of good ideas in there, but I really feel stronger casting and maybe a few more laughs would have made it more enjoyable. I really wanted to like it more than I did. Am I overanalyzing? Probably, but like I said, I am a lifelong fan. If you are already a fan of the characters, you might find something to like about the film. If not, you should probably pass (or at least wait until it's on cable).
Rating:
Summary: Don't you know these kitties rule?
Review: I already commented on the soundtrack so I won't say too much here except as it pertains to the DVD. 1. The DVD commentary points out that the product placements were not paid for. It's a big misunderstanding that the producers made a lot of money to put a ton of product placements in the movie, when in fact they did not get a penny for it, but were only making fun of it being done so much in other movies. 2. The soundtrack liner notes point out that Kay Hanley does the vocals. No one is trying to hide anything. 3. The DVD has three deleted scenes, but only the second one is any good, and actually it is pretty good and should have been left in the movie. 4. The DVD was originally supposed to have "Footage Too Hot Too Handle" but never made it to the final pressing. Apparently there were some shots that would've given the movie an R-rating. 5. This movie is a lot like The Simpsons in that it pokes fun at everyone. When you realize no one is spared then everyone is paradoxically also in on the joke, except for those who force themselves outside of the joke and are too uptight to laugh at themselves. Watch it and have fun. Everyone I 'forced' to see it didn't really want to at first but freely admitted they liked it after the movie ended. One person even got a little upset when I stopped the movie halfway through the credits. I was sure he wouldn't want to bother seeing them but he did. A fun movie from beginning to end. Oh yeah, the DVD extras are pretty good.
Rating:
Summary: Very bad.
Review: The only reason to watch this movie is that there are cute girls in it. If you like it for any reason other than that, you are stupid.
Rating:
Summary: "If I could go back in time, I'd meet Snoopy."
Review: Josie and the Pussycats is a movie that a person will either hate, or they will love it. I fall into the "Love it" category. I just found it fun to watch. Rachel Leigh Cooke, Rosario Dawson, and Tara Reid (Hilarious! "I could be in this room - and in the bathroom - and in the closet") made completely lovable characters out of Josie, Val, and Mel. Alan Cummings and Parker Posey were great as our "cartoonish" villians. Parker Posey was hilarious and completely over the top, but it was great. There are plenty of cameos: Carson Daly, Aries Spears of MadTV, Seth Green, Breckin Meyer, and the Moviefone Man's Voice! Josie was all about pop culture and pop references. It's more like a spoof of the whole "Teen takeover" thing going on. The plot revolves around a sinister plan. The plan? <Enter cartoonish villain music from movie> A major underground corporation puts subliminal (right word?) messages in the backgrounds of CDs that sells stuff. A la, "Pepsi One is the new Diet Coke" and "Orange is the new pink!" and "I want an Abercrombie tee." The organization is headed by Parkey Posey and Alan Cumming's characters, and they have signed Josie and co. as their new band, and their new lab rat. All that ensues in Josie and the Pussycats is good times, and learning how to hold onto friendship. The DVD has pretty good picture, and the sound is good. Especially during the songs. The supplements are good enough to satisfy any fan of the movie. To begin with, there's a 24 minute featurette explaining the whole movie, and has some great behind-the-scenes footage. There are 3 deleted scenes. The first two are entertaining, but the 3rd is just a tiny extended scene. Next up is the video for Three Small Words by Josie and the Pussycats, and 2 videos from the spoofed boy-band Du Jour (Which had Seth Green and Breckin Meyer in it). The Du Jour videos are hilarious spoofs of boy band videos. Rounding out the extras is the theatrical trailer and cast and crew bios. I did find one dissapointing thing. In Parker Posey's movie credits, they forgot to mention her role in Scream 3. That's what made me a fan of Parker. There is also a commentary from director and producer, but I didn't get to catch that. Although I'm pretty sure it was entertaining. In the end, Josie and the Pussycats is your average attempt at a fun movie. For some people, it doesn't work. But there are a select number that do enjoy it, and I'm one of them.
Rating: 
Summary: Not For Fans Of The Comic Book Or Cartoon!
Review: I grew up with the Josie cartoon, so I was excited when I first heard that they were finally turning it into a film. My excitement didn't last long! First let me say that the movie, on a visual level, is quite stunning. It's flashy and shiny- it looks great. The editing is impeccable and extremely creative. Parker Posey and Alan Cumming (both who seem to be quite reliable in each movie they appear in) have the best time with their respective parts (they are the villains.) Josie And The Pussycats, on the other hand, are an entirely different matter. Rachael Lee Cook really doesn't even resemble the cartoon Josie (Lauren Ambrose of "Six Feet Under", "Psycho Beach Party", and "Can't Hardly Wait" would have been a much better casting choice). Rachael does here what she does in all of her movies- walks through all of her scenes with a bland seriousness. She usually looks like she just smelled a fart. She seems like she's trying to channel Winona Ryder, but even Winona knows her way around a comedy. (Rachael, take note of that.) Rosario Dawson doesn't seem to be aware that she's in a comedy. Her appearance in the tedious "Kids" flick has permanently put a scowl on her face, apparently. You're making a movie that comes from a comic book! Have some fun with it ladies! Tara Reid, who has never left any sort of lasting impression on me before, is the only one out of the trio that seems to be having a good time. She obviously cracked open a Josie comic book and watched an episode or two of the cartoon. She embodies Melody perfectly. The music is forgettable complaint pop. It has sort of an unglossy, alternative edge to it (thanks to vocals from the former lead singer of Letters To Cleo- who I barely remember. Didn't they have a song on the "Melrose Place" soundtrack?)- which would have been fine if the movie would have been made in the early to mid-90's when that sort of music was popular. Perhaps the filmmakers were going for something a little different- to avoid a Britney Spears/Christina Aguilera-esque sort of sound. However, that is the sort of music that is popular with a lot of the people that this movie was marketed to. The vocals aren't quite screaming, but they aren't that melodic, and the tunes are all pretty unmemorable. The boy band Du Jour that appears in the movie are infinitely more entertaining than Josie And The Pussycats- check out their bonus videos on the DVD. Babyface turns in an embarassing cameo. Carson Daly's cameo is actually quite clever, as are all of the product placements that fit neatly into the storyline. It's interesting to me that MTV barely gave this flick the time of day when it was released at the theaters, being that they are quite visible here. It's not a horrible movie- there are some good ideas here. The execution is just marred by some ho-hum, unenthusiastic acting from two of the lead actresses. It's pretty sad when the villains of a movie are what you look forward to seeing on screen. If you weren't alive when the original comic and cartoon were around you may think it's great. But if you are familiar with them you may find this to be a waste of time.
Rating:
Summary: Funny,sweet,and purrfect
Review: I had no doubts about this movie.I knew,before I saw it that I would love it.When I got home I opened the DVD up and watched it and fell in love with the movie.The movie was perfectly cast.Tara Ried was absolutly hilareous as Melody.The movie was funnily written.The DVD features are great.I loved the deleted scenes and don't see why they couldn't have left them in the film.All in all the movie is perfect when you want an evening of high laughs and a good time.
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