Grade: B-
Too serious to be too funny.
So in the past eight months I’ve been to a movie theater twice. That’s a pretty steep dip in the theater attendance column for me, and I was afraid that I may have inflated my last new-ish movie review given the joy of being back in the theater. But then we get an unexpected trip to the theater and on several positive word of mouth reviews take in Little Miss Sunshine.
Inflation problem solved. This movie just doesn’t live up to its hype and except for one scene at the end, really isn’t all that funny. It’s slightly amusing and certainly has the potential and cast to deliver, but the movie takes itself far too seriously to ultimately be funny. In the end we’re not sure if we’re supposed to be laughing at the characters or their lives or the people around them–we find all equally repulsive and identifiable. So we have to settle for laughing at a broken down VW bus. Which is always good for a laugh or two, I guess.
In the end, shoulda gone to see Superman Returns.
