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Friday, July 1, 2011

Bad Teacher is a Bad Movie

Since there's some downtime, I figured I'd do a movie review for once.

The following sentence spoils the entire movie... beware if you want to read on...

Cameron Diaz is the bad guy of this movie.

That's all you need to know.

Anyways, to be a bit more detailed, Diaz plays a junior high teacher that doesn't give a damn about her students and mooches off of her well-to-do fiancee.  After the wedding is called off, she's forced to go back and teach to pay her way.  Of course, she still freeloads, and tries to hook up with the substitute teacher (played by Timberlake), who's the quite, sensitive type, but also belongs to a very well off family.

Her main opposition, and Timberlake's main love interest throughout the movie, is a beloved teacher that actually works to make the students better, played by Lucy Punch (Hot Fuzz).  This is actually one of my biggest gripes of the movie.  The person who actually tries to do good in the world, is labeled the "bad guy" and loses her job because of the manipulative main character.

I don't see how I'm supposed to like a movie, where the only voice of reason, and moral guardian is shut down and thrown away.  The fact that Diaz's character cheats to get the best grades by stealing the standarized test scores, and blackmailes to cover it up, is something I cannot believe they had the main character do with no reprocussions.

That's right, she commits felonies and gets off scot free.  She's even REWARDED with a paycheck bonus in the film.  What the hell?  Her character is the same manipulative pain in the ass throughout the whole film.  There is almost zero character development for her.  Compared to her counterpart, who starts off as a friendly, good-natured person towards the lead, but eventually starts to try her damnest to get Diaz's character fired.  And rightfully so.

And on the topic of character's, I can't stand Timberlake's character.  He's as interesting as a lump of clay, which is funny, because that's what he is.  He's easily swayed by some of the characters, but seems only genuine around Squirrel (Punch), but otherwise he's as wishy-washy as they come.  This isn't Timberlake's fault, but the way his character was written was just... ugh.

The most insulting part is the motivation for all of the lead's actions... Breast Implants.  She does all of this crap... for breast implants.

I would never willingly watch this movie again.  If it was the complementary in-flight movie... I'd sleep through it, or find some little kick to kick me in the shins for the hour and forty minute runtime.

1 comment:

  1. Good review. Fun to read. Unfortunately this is what passes for movies nowadays. Pretty sad, really.

    ReplyDelete