"The Sandlot" is a charming kids film that over the last 15 years has gained somewhat of a cult following, making this a nostalgic joy for 25 year old's who remember seeing this at age 10 and laughing their heads off. To me, this is not a perfect family film, but unlike many movies that claim to be family films, this actually is a "FAMILY FILM". Kids like it for the relate able situations and amusing dialogue between the kids, adults will find it's very easy to get wrapped up in this, even though it is just a silly kiddie movie and anyone in between will probably enjoy this too.
Scotty has just moved to a new neighborhood, and isn't accepted by the other children. Eventually, he begins playing baseball with them at the local sandlot, and several adventures come from this. The main story is Scotty losing his step dad's (Dennis Leary) signed Babe Ruth baseball in the backyard with an evil dog the kids refer to as "The Beast".
This movie has some genuinely amusing scenes, and some scenes so campy, they're hilarious. One scene involves a young boys plan to make out with the attractive older girl lifeguard at the public pool, and this scene is kind of a classic, which may be seen in movies after or even before this, but it was just done so great here. Any scene involving "The Beast" is hilarious. Depending on the scene, this dog changes shape and size, and can be anything from a large dog to some kind of mutated super monster. This dog puts the shark in Jaws to shame. It's good the kids each have their own distinct personalities, and aren't entirely run on stereotypes. One small problem is the lack of any emotional conflict, which may or may not be a problem depending on your point of view. I would have liked something to tug at the audiences' heart strings, but nothing does. It's still a good movie however.
Overall, this is a fun movie for all...not great, but good enough to be enjoyed by the whole family.
My rating: *** out of ****. 100 mins. PG for language, tobacco use.
Scotty has just moved to a new neighborhood, and isn't accepted by the other children. Eventually, he begins playing baseball with them at the local sandlot, and several adventures come from this. The main story is Scotty losing his step dad's (Dennis Leary) signed Babe Ruth baseball in the backyard with an evil dog the kids refer to as "The Beast".
This movie has some genuinely amusing scenes, and some scenes so campy, they're hilarious. One scene involves a young boys plan to make out with the attractive older girl lifeguard at the public pool, and this scene is kind of a classic, which may be seen in movies after or even before this, but it was just done so great here. Any scene involving "The Beast" is hilarious. Depending on the scene, this dog changes shape and size, and can be anything from a large dog to some kind of mutated super monster. This dog puts the shark in Jaws to shame. It's good the kids each have their own distinct personalities, and aren't entirely run on stereotypes. One small problem is the lack of any emotional conflict, which may or may not be a problem depending on your point of view. I would have liked something to tug at the audiences' heart strings, but nothing does. It's still a good movie however.
Overall, this is a fun movie for all...not great, but good enough to be enjoyed by the whole family.
My rating: *** out of ****. 100 mins. PG for language, tobacco use.