Rating: 
Summary: Visually interesting animation makes this film special
Review: This film is set in a boys Catholic school in the late 70s and is a coming-of-age story for two young 14-year old boys, Kieran Culkin and Emile Hirsh. The boys are obsessed with rebellion as well as their developing manhood and want revenge on the nun for her strict ways. They create an outrageous comic book in which the nun plays a starring role. Emile Hirsh has a sweet romantic relationship with Jena Malone, but she tells him a secret, which troubles the young boy so much that he blabs it to his friend. Eventually, the boys construct a prank involving a cougar at the zoo, which leads to tragic consequences.I enjoyed the film, loved the use of animation used to capture the boys' fantasy life. It added an artistic freshness that worked well. Jodie Forster is a fine actress but her role here is rather small. It's her name, however, that will give this film the attention it deserves. Whether or not the boys would go so far as to actually do their final prank is questionable, and there are some parts that just don't seem real. But as illustrated with the use of super-hero animation, the film is supposed to be larger than life. For that reason, even though the acting was excellent and captured the spirit of adolescence, I didn't feel any real emotion for the characters. The story moved fast with enough twists and turns to hold my interest and draw me right into the world it created. And the unique film technique was an added plus.
Rating: 
Summary: I love coming-of-age movies
Review: This is truly a great film. Those wonderful years growning up that you can all relate to in one form or another. Both happy and sad, good and bad this film has it all. A gem of good acting, wonderfully directed. To bad this film didn't have a larger release. Maybe when it hits Video/DVD this sleeper will turn into a blockbuster. Just a nice film with NO SPECIAL EFFECTS.
Rating:
Summary: The Dangerous Lives of Film Producers
Review: SUMMER 2002, one of the worst summers for movies in a long time. Not even the popcorn flicks have delivered in their effort at mindless fun. In the end you just can't depend on hollywood studios for drama. Road to Perdition was good, but lacked heart. This film will probably be the best drama I see all summer long. As a long time fan of Todd McFarlane(SPAWN!) and a fan of independent films this was the perfect set up to get me in the theatre. My girl friend is also a fan of the above mentioned. This movie came through in every way possible. It was really funny, it had interesting characters, good twists and turns in the plot that aren't boring or predictable but MAYBE a tad cliche? It seems acting is in the Culkin family cause the one in this movie was great, the girl from DONNIE DARKO plays pretty much the same character but she does it so well you can't blame her. My gf compared this film to DONNIE DARKO which is also another great teen-coming of age movie, but it's more mysterious and has SCI-FI elements. The difference? Donnie's character evolved alot more then these, but it doesn't take away anything from this movie. The soundtrack is worth mentioning because I had to stay during the credits to hear that song.(Don't know the name or singer) It was awesome. This movie is for those who can laugh at the discussions of Jr. High kids and be in awe of their unlimited imagination. Jodie Foster is great in this and it's good to see her back on screen. See this if you can, it's worth the trip. Forget hollywood's fake drama, THIS is where the REAL emotion is.
Rating: 
Summary: Don't waste your money
Review: What could have been an entertaining story about four boys from the Catholic schools growing up in Savannah, Georgia, was turned into a boring flick. This is not a "Stane by Me" or "A Boys Life". I kept waiting for it to get better but it never did. The animated comic book scenes only distracted from the real plot of boys against the principal. Did Hollywood want this to be a drama or a comedy? It was neither.
Rating:
Summary: A fun, beautiful teen coming-of age story
Review: One of the best teen stories of the past few years, "The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys" defies the current ideal for a "teen movie" and goes more in the vein of such timeless stories as "A Seperate Peace." Not only is this film a realistic look at the actions, dialogue, and thoughts of fourteen year old boys, it's a dramatic story that can bring one from hilarity to tear-dropping sadness. It is a true "loss of innocence" story, not a comedy or a drama, but the harsh reality of life and how these things can be learned. The entire Catholic motif throughout the movie is merely a backdrop, one facet of these boys. Having dealt with Catholic education, this story was more true to the way kids act than to the way people want these kids to act: outrageous, creative, and all in all still just children. Jodie Foster plays Sister Assumpta, the tormentor of Tim Sullivan (Kieran Culkin) and Francis Doyle (Emile Hirsch). Aided with Vincent D'Onofrio as the chain-smoking, cussing and jovial Father Casey, the two cast a spell of Catholic education and become perfect targets for the way that fourteen year olds view it: the evil nun, the easy-going priest. The film is in no way anti-Catholic, but merely realistic and perfect in story telling. Culkin and Hirsch become an identifiable and energetic on screen pair, exemplifying the undeniable bond between two teenage boys and the trials and tribulations of having it. They complement each other and when Jena Malone (playing Margie Flynn, Hirsch's girlfriend) comes into the mix, the strain of relationships is seen and told accurately with intensity that could make any adult reach back into his or her adolescence and identify with the characters. With the group of four boys all artists, the film is half told in their comic world of the "Atomic Trinity", in which there is really four members. As the story progresses, the story of the Trinity changes with it, giving an existential look at the way the boys are changing, growing, and interacting with each other. It's a perfect complement to the movie and takes the viewer into Frances' world of comics and the love for the fantasy world, that the boys are always dreamers and will stay that. When watching this movie, take it with a grain of salt. Don't expect it to be politically correct or easy to watch, and don't expect it to cater to anyones tastes. It is an eye opener to those who forget that boys will still just be boys and a reminder for many of how fun it was to be fourteen.. This is easily one of my favorites of the year and one of the most interesting movies I have seen in a long time, definitely worth repeat viewings.
Rating:
Summary: OKKKKKKKAAAAYYYYY
Review: My first thought is why an actress as established and talented as Jodie Foster would get involved in a terrible low budget independent film. Some of these films are great and lead to the discovery of new talent on both sides of the camera. This mess is so bad that a credit should be given to the overhead boom microphone that was on screen as often as some of the characters. Did anyone involved watch this film prior to its release? If a viewer is so inclined there are dozens of Catholic clichés in the film, but even they are so old, tired, and familiar, a devout Catholic would yawn. The only images that may bother some are the hand drawn comics that are the product of young teenage minds; to the extent young teenage boys have brains instead of glands. And while it is true these youngsters have some serious problems, the real tragedy is that the film does not resolve a single one. This film is about 100 different false starts, and in the end is about nothing. There is no sex between the young actors, unless kissing and rolling on the floor fully clothed is now considered sex. Now the really sorry portion of this nightmare is when animation takes over from the celluloid. The connections between the two, when they are apparent, are juvenile. The element of changing media is just a weak attempt to generate interest. Again any symbolism is too infantile to rise above the bad comic books the animation is inspired by. The year is not yet over, however this will definitely be anchoring the worst films list of the year. This movie takes your time and your money on the pretense that it will inform or entertain. At least two Commandments are broken when the money is taken, and your time is wasted.
Rating: 
Summary: Probably Going to be Condemned....
Review: ...by the Catholic Press because of nun-bashing and sexual situations involving minors. I guess I'd understand that, too, because I had seen the coming attractions, so I knew about the nun-bashing, but I didn't have an inkling of the sex stuff, and that DID make me squirm in my seat. After all, these performers are little more than children themselves, and while you may argue that kids this young do have a sex life, that doesn't mean I want to see it. I wasn't so upset with the nun-bashing per se, because I understood that it was from the perspective of the teen-age boys, and they really did talk like that when I was a kid. However, in all my years of Catholic school, I never had a nun like Jodie Foster. And for me, that's always where celluloid nuns come apart. They don't wear outfits like these and really, they don't act like this either. These boys are always talking about this mean nun they have. Well, why couldn't she really be mean? Why not? Let's face it: There are a lot of mean people teaching school. But no, this nun is really just praying for these guys to wake up all the time. Baloney! Anyway, what's with this old-time habit? The nuns who taught me in the 1970s were either entirely in modern dress, or just sported their wimple and wore polyester skirts and blouses. Only fake nuns looking for handouts in Port Authority dress like you see in the movies. I wish filmmakers would get up to date on that one. Be that as it may, sans nun clothes and sex, the movie is pretty good. I must say, a situation arises with a cougar (yeah, you read it right) that actually made me scream in the theatre, which kinda embarrassed me, because I don't remember the last time that happened. Then there was a ghost too (yeah, THAT's right, too), and when I saw that, the sides of my face tingled, which meant I was scared. Best part is really the cool comic book animation of the superhero world the altar boys invent. That was pretty neat, I thought. SO, this movie has parts that may offend some people, and perhaps they should know that ahead of time so that they don't see something upsetting to them.
Rating:
Summary: Fascinating
Review: These film was a gem that I was not expecting it to be. Jodie Foster's understated performance in the less-than-glamorous role of Sister Assumpta is excellent, as one tends to expect from her. But it is the young actors who carry the day. Emile Hirsh is quite credible; Jena Malone seems heartbreakingly honest. I was most impressed by Kieran Culkin. This is where the talent landed in the Culkin family-- he greatly outshines any performance ever given by his more-famous big brother. What makes this film special is the mixture of animation and scenes from the banal life of teenage catholic school kids. I was completely drawn into their world. I was throughly entertained by the increasingly daring ways they found to entertain themselves-- in life, in love, in their fantasy world. And here is the key: For the first time since adolesence, I felt the characters were invincible. They did not think of themselves as teenage outcasts, but rather as heros who could do anything and everything. It reminded me of the time in life before one realizes how little one knows, how creul the world can be, and that we are all quite vincible in the end. The film does not cop out in the end either. It is strong through out and ends when it should. (I was certain it would go on to have an everything-is-okay life lesson scene at the end-- to protect revenues, if nothing else. The filmmakers, and producers, were brave enough to skip such common antics.) I have said nothing, really, about the plot. And really, to me, the plot did not matter. It was merely a means of drawing me in to the lives of the characters. I saw the world from their perspective-- as I did when I was the teenage catholic school boy 15 years ago. Again, like in life, it was difficult to "get real" and leave the hope and fantasy for a dose of consequences and ramifications.
Rating:
Summary: Most realistic teen angst to date
Review: I read this book last night because I have to read a book before I see the film, I think it adds something. I read it in two hours and I was thrilled to see the film. So I went today and saw it, and I was not disappointed. The film was a little different from the book but that is to be expected. The story is about kids with problems; Real problems not WB problems. It's touching and honest and beautiful. Kieran Culkin and Emile Hirsh are amazing. They are perfect as "trouble-makers" with hearts of gold. Jodie Foster is spot on as Sister Assumpta or "Nunzilla" as the boys call her. She's brutal and "catholic" but fragile and lost at the same time. And ofcourse Jena Malone, who is always brilliant, was outstanding as a broken, scarred girl with a dramatic secret. This film is for anyone who is a teenager now or for anyone who still remembers when they were. I recommend this movie highly, and also suggest the book as well.
Rating:
Summary: See it, not just for Jodie Foster
Review: I saw this movie recently at the Seattle International Film Festival. I admit, out of all the choices, I picked this movie because Jodie was in it, in an unusual role - Assumpta, a nun, teaching in a school. And she was great, even though she had to fill the shoes of someone with seemingly little warmth and a peg leg to boot. She is also one of the producers. But truly, the reasons to see this movie are far more diverse...
The script is touching, funny, and dark - adapted from the debut novel of the late Chris Fuhrman. The protagonists here are the teenage boys, Francis and Tim, who live in a world of their own construction. They're comic book heroes, the nun is a super-villain, and Margie, the girl that Francis is interested in serves as a damsel in distress... Todd MacFarlane, the comic-book genius, created the animated sequences in which the stories spun by the boys come to life. The problems, of course, start when the real world's demands interfere with the fiction. Francis' first love is the first sign of coming-of-age that may tear him apart from the trouble-free (in the adult sense of the word) life. The secret that Margie later reveals is another blow, adding to his confusion. It's hard not to grow apart from his friends in the process.
Tim grows visibly fearful that he may lose his friend, and involves him in the increasingly envelope-pushing, dangerous stunts against their shared enemy, Sister Assumpta. And Francis, probably as unwilling to face the responsibilities and dangers of the real life, goes along with Tim, only to regret it later. It is a testament to the power of the movie that when the credits rolled and "In Memory of Chris Fuhrman" were the first words, the audience gasped in disappointment, as one. Such good novels as the one this movie is based on are hard to come by, and it's a tragedy to lose this wonderful writer. I suppose this review is a recommendation to read the book as well as see the movie.
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