Movie Review-Swing Vote

Title: Swing Vote

Released Date:  August 1st, 2008 (Theaters), January 13th, 2009 (DVD)

 

Star Power:        Kevin Costner, Kelsey Grammer, Dennis Hopper, Nathan Lane, Stanley Tucci, George Lopez

 

Watched:   On DVD

 

Short Synopsis:  An enormously slacker dad gets a rare and unbelievable opportunity to make a huge decision by himself that will affect the entire world. He and he alone get to pick the next President of the United States. Imagine; the fun he has; as the two men running for President focus their campaigns solely on him.

 

Genres:  Comedy, Drama and Politics/Religion

 

Running Time:  1 hr, 59 mins

 

MPAA Rating:   PG 13 for Language

 

One Word Descriptions:  Unbelievable, ridiculous, silly, yeah-right, oh-please

 

Best: This movie taught me a couple of things about Politics (I am extremely new to the Political scene)

 

Worst: This film is so far-fetched, you wonder what the writers were trying to accomplish with this film. The film is almost like a two-hour public service announcement.

 

Favorite Quote(s): “America needs someone who’s bigger than their speeches”

“If this is one of the richest countries in the world, why is it so many of us can barely afford living here?”

 

Relatable: I think slacker moms and dads; as well as children who have an opposite personality to their parents could relate to the two main characters Bud Johnson (slacker dad) and his brilliant, responsible daughter Molly Johnson; who may just grow up to be the first female President of the United States.

 

Predictability: Not all that predictable, I don’t think I have ever seen a story quite like this before. The one thing you could predict was the media frenzy outside of Bud’s home. Do American media know no bounds? 

 

Believability: The believability in this film was very low; I didn’t buy a minute of it

 

Actor Quality: I think Kevin Costner played his role extremely well and sometimes just by his movement and the things he said he was very funny without actually making a joke. The rest of the cast were awesome in their roles as well. Except I feel the talents of actors Nathan Lane and George Lopez were wasted. Their characters were a bit too serious for the actors who were portraying them.

 

Movie Quality:  The quality of the movie was very good. Nothing low-budget or cheesy there; definitely not lacking in Props or Extras.

 

Funny Factor: This movie had the potential to be funny. The silliness of the storyline is funny and at times Kevin Costner in his slacker dad ways would make me snicker a bit; but even though George Lopez and Nathan Lane were on board. It really wasn’t that funny at all.

 

Hottie-o-meter: I guess the hottie in the film would be; the local reporter; who discovered two not so very well kept secrets about Bud Johnson; played by Paula Patton.

 

Audience: Anybody whose bored and just looking for something to entertain them; people who won’t over think it; people into Politics that wouldn’t be offended by watching a film that lightens it up a bit.

 

Good for: To rent when all the good stuff is unavailable and you are bored and simply must have something to watch.

 

I: Was slightly entertained by it

 

Lessons: Voting is a “social contract”/ “civic duty”

 

Inspired:  To pay attention to Politics and vote if I have the right to do so

 

Discussions: The seriousness of voting; parenting 1o1: the good, the bad, the ugly

 

Ending Satisfaction: I wasn’t totally satisfied with the ending; but I don’t think it could have gone any other way. I think it ended how it should have.

 

Final Recommendation: Rent it if you are bored and there isn’t anything else you haven’t watched available to rent.