The Chosen One (2010 Video) User Reviews

Light hearted, spiritual drama with a few comedic elements

[pmdawn · 5/10 · 28 August 2010]

I found the above description on this movie's board on IMDb, and it's better than anything I could come up with.

This is relevant because anyone expecting a typical Rob Schneider movie (The Hot Chick, Deuce Bigalow, Big Stan) will be very disappointed, or worse, depressed.

Rob Schneider plays Paul, a depressed alcoholic car salesman who tries to kill himself after being dumped by his lady. 3 shamen and a girl from Colombia find him, claiming he's the chosen one who will save their mountain. Paul then faces a series of situations at work and in life which help him make an important decision.

I certainly didn't expect a movie like this, as it is very bittersweet, and potentially a career-destroying move. But it has its heart in the right place, it feels honest, and I believe it must be commended for that.

Unfortunately, I can't say it's very good movie. "The Chosen One" looks cheap and feels very disjointed, with special effects that look like the ones found in Discovery Channel's documentaries from ten years ago. The pacing is weird, everything seems a little bit "off" and "direct-to-dvd".

The few comic moments are mostly black humor, and almost all of them are in Steve Buscemi's scenes. He's a top notch actor, and his superior quality clearly shows here when he elevates the whole movie to a whole new degree.

But I did like it, amazingly, and can certainly recommend it to people who need a little more light in their lives.

Just don't watch this thinking it's a comedy.

All I Can Say is Wow

[manticaro · 3/10 · 20 October 2010]

Wow? I just rented this movie from blockbuster on blur-ay. It's not due to release on blu-ray for another 3 weeks, however blockbuster has a special premiere on the movie.

This movie has the worst video quality I have ever seen on blu-ray.! I am serious.

I love Rob Schneider, but the horrible video quality and bad story made me turn off the movie within 30 minutes of watching it.

It's too bad, because Rob Schneider is a great actor. I don't know what happened in this movie; it looks like a 12 year old filmed it. Rob Schneider is awesome in his other movies like the Hot Chick and Big Daddy.

More heart than anything else

[diego-urquiaga-valdes · 5/10 · 6 September 2010]

I was going into this experience prepared for another one of Schneider's comedies such as Male Gigolo. I was pleasantly surprised by how much this wasn't a typical Schneider movie. Although it wasn't a very good movie it had some moments of fine acting from Schneider.

The character he portrays is going through a crisis in which he has lost his wife to a yoga instructor. On top of that he isn't really enjoying his work anymore. So he tries to commit suicide, something his father tried as well but unlike Schneiders character actually accomplished. In the midst of what is going on in his life, four people from a south American tribe show up at his doorstep and tell him he's the one to save the world.

Judging by the outline of the plot it isn't really easy to tell what kind of movie it is. Especially when the movie is said to be a comedy. But for me it was a better than expected. The moments when Schneider's character was vulnerable were in my opinion his best work to date. I could have done without the small gestures of comedy though, for it would have been a much better film if it was taking itself a little more serious.

Now, the movie itself is quite weak. The story is a bit much and over the top. The comedy is for the most part shoved right in there without proper tact. The dialog is so hollow that it is used solely for the purpose of moving things along. Even the compositing with green screen material looked like it was done by an intern. But damn it if the monologues from Schneider didn't get to me. Those were delivered with such heart and compassion that it almost saves the movie for me. But in the end, that is all there was to praise the movie for. And although it isn't enough for me to actually buy this DVD, I will await the next Schneider movie hoping it to be made with the amount of heart Schneider's has proved he has and not just another vehicle to keep his name going.

It needs to be appreciated as a drama, not a comedy

[Gordon-11 · 10 September 2010]

This film is about a depressed car salesman who becomes the chosen one to make a Colombian mountain snow again for the sake of Iguaca tribesmen's existence.

I thought "The Chosen One" was a comedy, but I was wrong. In fact "The Chosen One" is a emotional drama that sees Paul find meaning in his tragic life. Paul tries to kill himself early on in the film, and he spends most of the time being depressed. This negative energy does have its effect on the viewers, causing unpleasant surprise and disappointment to people who expected comedy. If you look beyond that, "The Chosen One" has a nice message that priorities in life is not about money, and that there are things that transcend materialism and wealth. I hope "The Chosen One" will be appreciated for a good enlightening drama that it really is.

offensively bad, and not in a good way.

[drawbrent · 1/10 · 31 August 2010]

The Chosen One is quite simply terrible. I'd try to dress it up a bit for you, but the bottom line is if you value your time even slightly, then don't watch it. I'm no movie snob, I don't think a movie has to be life changing to be good, but this movie was so bad that it actually made me angry. The script is all over the place, completely disjointed, and when it comes down to brass tacks, quite simply boring. I'm finding it difficult to gather the motivation to explain to you why it's so bad, because its wasted so much of my time already. Suffice to say, one hour into the movie I was begging for something to happen, I forgave it at this point because it didn't bare the formulaic hallmarks of what you'd expect from Schneider. An hour and a half into the movie and I was wishing that it was formulaic...any form would do. It just switches from weak comedy to pointless, tenuous emotional tragedy and neither of these gets enough time to do a complete job. I reckon Schneider was attempting to convince the world and his peers that he was capable of more than cheap laughs, and this was his attempt to showcase his acting ability, and thats exactly how it came across; as a showcase, with no adjoining theme. After watching it, I couldn't sleep because I was worried that other people would have to sit through this utter shambles of a movie if I didn't do something to warn them off, so consider this a free favour. Watch it if you must, but don't say I didn't warn you.

Woah.

[Bral321 · 1/10 · 30 August 2010]

I have never written a review before, but this film was terrible. Terrible in every sense of the word. The premise of being "A chosen one" can potentially lead to a really great film so I was very much looking forward to seeing it. However this film (which is set 99% of the time in Rob Schneiders characters living room) is just god awful... Nothing happens, nothing actually happens. Seriously. Nothing.

There's a few funny bits here and there but not enough to call this a Comedy film. It isn't a drama either, or an action film, or a romance , or an adventure film. Come to think of it, I don't think this film fits into any genre apart from 'Bad'! And the climax of this 1 hour and 40 minutes of drivel was, well, drivel!

So so disappointing - I felt empty inside afterwards :-(

Barely Watchable

[bob-rutzel-1 · 2/10 · 6 September 2010]

Paul (Schneider) has lost his wife, is about to lose his job and tries to do himself in when he is visited by strange people from Colombia, South America who have anointed him as The Chosen One.

If One is going direct Oneself in a movie, One's name should be Clint Eastwood.

Schneider helped write, produce and direct himself in this barely watchable movie. One rule of radio is needed here: Let not DEAD AIR rule the airways. Here the acting was tentative by Schneider as though he was concentrating too much on watching himself direct and watching himself act all at the same time, and the result was too much hesitation when that wasn't called for. Yes, his character was going through some stuff, but the hesitations were like a football player consistently fumbling the ball. Doesn't look good. This is not the Rob Schneider I thought I would see. He needs to go back to Adam Sandler and beg for a job.

This is not a comedy, not a drama and is more of an outline of I don't know what in the sense: "let's see how this might go" , or "let's try this" and staying with those bonehead ideas. I saw where it could have been a comedy, but…………

The questions I had and Paul never asked in the beginning when he was told he was the Chosen One was: Why Me? followed up by: what do I have to do? And what am I supposed to do. Okay, he did ask why me? but didn't ask the other questions. No, we had to suffer through the movie to find out what he had to do to earn the title. Fair enough, but I still would have asked those other questions. Come on, tell me I am the Chosen One and you will hear the questions. Thought so. Am not, right? Thought so. Hmmmm..........

So later he climbs a tall building to put a hawk's nest back. But, when the hawk's nest was first removed, someone from the window above the nest quickly snatched up the nest. Why didn't Paul use that same window to put the nest back? Not much excitement in opening a window and plopping down the nest, is there? If a door or a way was blocked to do that, it should have been shown. It wasn't. He ended up climbing. Of course, we all wondered if he would fall.

John Schneider also helped produce this. I thought they may be brothers but cannot find that to be the case. But, that may not be the same John Schneider (Dukes of Hazard, Smallville) I am thinking of. Hey, I just learned there is another Christopher Lloyd (helps write for Modern Family TV show), and not the Back to the Future and Taxi guy. Hard to keep your eye on the ball these days. Reminds me of a story where almost everyone was named James Bond. Yes, they all said, "Bond, James Bond."

Violence: No. Sex: No. Nudity: No. Language: Not really, mild stuff and not much of it.

Quite possibly the worst film I've ever seen

[mikmik3000 · 2/10 · 26 March 2011]

I'm dead serious. This film is all kinds of awful. Actually, I made an account here just because I felt an urgent need to express to everyone who reads this page how bad this movie is. Let's go over everything this movie does wrong:

When I started this movie, I assumed that there would be a plot. Any plot would do. When the main character, played by Rob Schneider, attempts to kill himself, I figured that that would be the film's low point. I was wrong. Watching the main character almost kill himself was actually the high point for me, but I didn't realize this until about halfway through the movie because I didn't have any idea what sort of crap this guy would put me through. Does that make me a bad person? Maybe. Say what you will, I challenge anyone who watches this to feel differently.

After the attempted suicide, a group of nomads show up. Sure, it's random, but I don't have any real problems with that. However, it bothers me that these nomads have almost no personal depth at all. The only reason they're on the screen is to attempt comedy and waste time. Their personalities are almost as bland as the camera angles. That being said, Schneider's character is extremely boring and predictable. The only character who even comes close to watchable is played by Carolina Gómez, and even then, she doesn't say anything except for mystical riddles and wisdom. She offers us useful tidbits, such as "sometimes you have to have faith instead of believing". I don't have to point out that that doesn't make sense, right? It's like somebody cracked open every fortune cookie in China, and crumpled into a giant nonsensical screenplay. Also, the pacing is very strange, and completely random heavy-handed melodrama is handed out on a regular basis, along with attempted comedy.

And just when I thought that boring was the worst I could hope for, something else happens: it becomes mildly offensive. The film implies that -- SPOILER ALERT -- Schneider's dad has reincarnated as an eagle. While I'm not against the idea of reincarnation, I don't like how the film presents the idea. Everything in this film is basically identical to typical reality, and then there's...that. It's just overly preachy.

All that being said, I'm not a completely hateful person, and this film definitely had a few redeeming moments, usually in the form of lighthearted comedy. Also, Schneider is actually a pretty good actor throughout most of the film. But...that's it.

I don't think I need to restate what I've said already. Unless you have low standards, or if you just hate yourself, do not see Chosen One.

An embarrassing disaster

[devolucija · 2/10 · 27 August 2010]

Rob Schneider directed, wrote and starred in this?? This is a disaster. By the time anything happens in this movie, you will have thought you watched three of them already.

The movie is a festival of bad CGI, horrible plot attempts and downright embarrassing attempts at humor. What little was left in the now dated and "living-on-old-fame" actors Steve Buscemi and Rob Schneider is gone so far it can't even look back. In this movie, they are neither funny, nor entertaining in any way.

The movie centers around a successful man who lives in a huge house and has money galore. He is the most successful salesman of his dealership, and yet he just about loses his mind when his wife leaves him. He faces this so badly he tries to comically commit suicide, and acts like a moron at work. All good and well for a short gag, but this behavior goes on for an entire hour and a half of the movie - during which it is wholly depressing to watch it. He is then visited by some random native American douches from Colombia, who believe him to be "The chosen one" - which they do not explain in any way. They just keep insisting on it, and depressingly eating coca leaves on the carpet in his house, while leeching him for money and pouring his beer into the sink when he isn't looking. They also fix his houseplants with cocaine magic.

The movie is full of product placements and stupid explanations of every single event, present or past, as if the viewer is a retard unable to piece frames together. It is packed with clichés, from native American visions with eagles to flutes playing when tribesmen so much as speak or eagles appear on screen. Naturally, there is a naive romantic subplot involving a gorgeous model (ex-government embassy employee, yeah...) guiding the natives to LA. Understandably, it is impossible to meet an unattractive woman in LA, especially if she means you well and came from far away to see you.

I still have no idea what genre this movie is supposed to be - I'd like to call it a drama, because it definitely is not funny, but it lacks any kind of message, any kind of plot, and any kind of point (unless their point is that car salesmen are evil, and should turn their lives around helping animals, vegetarians and shamans while defying gravity). It falls apart at every seam and provides no pleasure whatsoever on any level.

If you want to watch a good movie, do not watch this under any circumstances. If you want to see how low Buscemi and Schneider have sunk, watch this and wince.

Rob Schneider makes a 180 turn in acting...

[paul_haakonsen · 6/10 · 29 August 2010]

Well, first of all I have to start off by saying that this is not your usual Rob Schneider movie. I was expecting this to be a comedy and it even said so on the description, but I wasn't laughing once throughout the entire movie.

Now, don't get me wrong, this is not a bad movie, not by a long shot. There is a really nice story to the movie, and a somewhat deeper meaning to it all, and it also have a nice message to it actually, come to think of it. You might even say a spiritual enlightenment of sorts.

For me, this choice of movie is perhaps not the best suited for Rob Schneider, but his acting was right on the money. He sure does deliver, he was just out of place in a role like this. Perhaps because of all the previous comedy work he has on his resume.

The supporting roles portrayed by Steve Buscemi and Holland Taylor were also very well played, as were the role played by Carolina Gómez.

Despite the movie not actually being a comedy (as labeled), this is a very nice movie indeed, and it is definitely worth the time to sit through it. Just don't except to be in for a laugh fest, or you might be disappointed. The movie actually did take me by surprise, because it turned out to work well for a higher meaning, and the pieces fit well together in the end. So thumbs up for this one.

Comedy?

[h-v1989 · 1/10 · 30 August 2010]

I love rob Schneider but this film really did fail to deliver. It took a good 30minutes for the first chuckle to arrive but this was unfortunately already too late; with the rest of the film feeling like a confused mix of adult drama and philosophical fantasy. The undertones of climate change brought the film down... not to mention the addition of his fathers suicide. This did give some depth to the story but unfortunately this did more to bring the film down and confuse things. In all after the first 20 minutes your following the progress of rob dealing with his low sales as a car salesman, an alcoholic son and brother, 'the chosen one' of a tribe from Columbia, beat down dumped husband of a wife who left him for a yoga teacher and love interest to the Columbians escort and interpreter AND YE he also witnessed his fathers hanging from his garage. One of the more light hearted scenes of the film... :P

I may well be the wrong person for this film and I'm sure this film will appeal to many people. I'm also not sure what dynamic this film is aimed for...Many of the jokes may have gotten lost over the Atlantic and will be more suited for a U.S audience.

Rob Schneider however played the role very very convincingly indeed, Shame about the story.

Not for me.

The Chosen Definitely Worth Seeing

[RingDingKid · 8/10 · 7 September 2010]

I always thought Rob Schneider was a good actor - even in smaller roles he always shines. But "The Chosen One" shows he's got dramatic range. It's funny but not a full blown comedy. I liked it. Schneider co-wrote and directed it. There are a lot of great supporting roles in it like Steve Buscemi as his brother. When have you ever seen Steve Buscemi in a project that wasn't good? Holland Taylor from "Two and a Half Men" plays their mother. There are a lot of familiar faces in it. In a crowded marketplace of lowbrow comedies this one stands out as classy and heartfelt. Check it out. I thought "The Chosen One" was better than "Grown Ups" and some of the other R-rated summer comedies.

Not quite the Schneider we're used to

[bowringjb · 7/10 · 27 August 2010]

Let me start by saying that I have always been a Rob Schneider fan. The rubber faced act that Jim Carry brought to fame is all the better when its tinged with the smell of true desperation and for me this has always been the appeal of Rob Schneider.

Although brilliant, he has in many ways escaped fame and been relagated to the same bunker as legends such as Bruce Campbell, by which I mean that special group of guys who cant help but be funny even when they are trying to be serious.

I found myself at several points in this film bursting out laughing at Rob, even though he was just playing things straight. Not because he is a bad actor, far from it, but just because he is one of those guys that radiate humor like stink lines in a cartoon.

Quickly though, and despite the largely cheesy and casually racist plot, I found myself drawn into the Schneiders sinceer attempt to act his balls off, and do you know what, I don't think he did a bad job.

Everything about this movie should spell a flop, its obvious, stereotypical to the extreme, and more than a little ridiculous but a maturing Schneider some how makes it work and some how manages to extract from my blackening and shrivelled heart a grain of genuine emotion. So, well done Mr Schneider, your foray into drama has been a largely successful one, and it has been nice to see you act for a change.

Keep it up.

Most boring movie I've seen in a long time

[macjboy · 1/10 · 18 October 2010]

This movie is not worth looking at. Definitely one of the most boring movies I've seen in a long time and also one of the most boring in my life. Always thought Rob was a great actor but this movie sucks balls, and Rob plays as if he knows that. The story is boring and shitty, there is almost no music at all for effects and the acting is just annoying really. The woman irritates me to death and I'm sure I'm not the only one that thinks so. There were only a few moments I could bring up a grin, but nothing more than that. I'm very sorry to say this, Rob, but this movie has absolutely nothing interesting. I'd rather look at attack of the sabretooth, a movie with special effects made with paint;)

Was this a drama... or a comedy...?

[heydanno · 15 April 2011]

It's as if everyone in the film was acting in a comedy... except Rob Schneider, who played it totally straight. Not straight in a funny way like he was the straight man in a comedy. I mean he played it straight, as if he were in a serious drama. My reactions were; confusion, disappointment, irritation... and finally... well, after finally seeing that Rob was doing a darn fine job of dramatic acting (even though this was marketed as a comedy) I fast forwarded to the end, then ejected the DVD.

My final thought was, "Boy, he must have been mad at the director or something because it was like he intentionally ruined that movie by playing everything too straight." Rob is not a stupid guy. He had to have known he was screwing up what could have been a funny little comedy. Weird. I must say though, if his performance could be cut out and pasted into a drama it would have been very impressive.

Screwed!!!!

[brodas3 · 1/10 · 2 April 2011]

I feel like I rented Cadillac, and got downgraded to a Pinto! This film sucked. Rob, your directors license has been revoked. I rented this movie from a Redbox. I suddenly have the urge to jump in my truck and ram the damn thing down. At least then I would have saved some poor bastard the excruciating pain of having to sit through this drab, no- plot, dead, piece of crap. The funniest thing about this movie was the reviews I read here. Some of the negative reviews here had me cracking up due to the fact that I could certainly relate. The positive reviews helped.remind me that there are certainly people in this world that need a frigging hobby! Is your own life so boring that you found this to be a step up? That is the only possible way you could have derived any amount of entertainment value from this movie.

To you Rob; I love your usual movies. I am a huge fan! 80% of the reason I even rented this movie was because it had your name on it! I'll give Steve the other 20%. I thought the two of you together would be hilarious! Damn! Was I wrong! I feel ripped off. I went to buy Kobe beef and got trout! It was just empty. When your fans expect one thing, don't put the same ole "comedy" label on it and stuff something different inside! I feel 100% misled. I read the synopsis. Saw it was a comedy. You, Buscemi, a hot Latino chick, and three crazy shaman. It sounded fantastic! It could have been fantastic! There was definitely some opportunities here for something great. It just needed a different story. A different writer. A different angle. This just sucked ass bad! Just stick to what you do best, making everyone laugh at benefiting from insane misfortunes. You owe us one Rob.

I just wasted 2 hours of my life! When this train wreck was finally over, my nine year old daughter said that the previews at the beginning of the DVD were better than the movie!

I rented this movie because of being a fan of Rob Schnieders. This marks the last time I rent a movie just because of a particular actor or actress I like. Seems to me this was your rendition of "Reign over me". Just remember most people hated that too.

What a waste of money and time

[hellokitty_9 · 1/10 · 27 August 2011]

My husband and I rented this movie. I knew right away this movie would be bad but we decided to get in anyway.

I can't even begin to tell you how awful this movie is. I get what Schneider is trying to accomplish but seriously this movie was so painful to watch. I think I fell asleep 45 min into the movie.

This movies has absolutely no purpose. I think there was only one slightly funny scene with Buscemi and the woman that plays his mother. Other than that there was nothing.

I don't even know most of the actors in this movie. This movie was a complete snore fest.

Do not rent this movie.

One of the Worst Rob's movie ever

[kamran-jawed-825-169404 · 1/10 · 5 September 2010]

This is the worst movie of Rob Sch.. there is no plot no story. Its a just absolute garbage. Before the release of this movie, it was available in DVD quality for download on the net for free. The film says its comedy, its not comedy its not a drama its nothing but a cheap excuse for film. There are not characters, its looks like everybody wants to get out of this movie right away.Low budget. Bad acting by everybody. I can;t believe that rob directed this movie.

Rob you are such a talented actor please don't do this to yourself. We want Deuce Bigalow, The Animal, Hot chick kind of stuff from you. For this Movie my vote is: 0/10.

A payday for Colombian Shamans

[steven-daniel1 · 6/10 · 30 January 2014]

This movie only works if you understand that the featured Arhuaco shamans who have identified the deeply troubled Schneider character as the person to save their sacred mountain are in fact real shamans playing themselves. They were featured a while back in a National Geographic film and are very special people indeed. I suspect that this project grew out the NGS film as a Hollywood effort to throw some money their way. The screenplay of course is entirely fictional and seemingly rather casually thrown together. Schneider puts in a sincere effort and there are interesting supporting roles for Steve Buscemi and Holland Taylor, but this a story of spiritual growth, not a comedy, and it is only the shamans and their mission that we really care about.

A surprisingly great movie

[levitak · 9/10 · 16 September 2010]

When you think of Rob Schneider usually two things come to mind.

1. Small cameo in an Adam Sandler movie 2. Mediocre comedy good for a few laughs but overall a disaster However this movie is surprisingly compelling. It's not a comedy but simply a really nice story. Rob Schneider is a care salesman who is living a completely empty life. His wife has left him, he drinks all the time, he has no real friends and he is pretty much utterly frustrated with his life However things started changing when one day 3 holy man from a south American tribe and their interpreter Marissa played by the wonderful Caroline Gomez come to his life. They tell him that he is The Chose One who is meant to save their tribe.

He reacts like any one of us would react and dismisses them. However he is a truly nice guy and tries his best to help them feel comfortable and return back to their home. This slowly starts changing him and this is done in a really great way.

And of course there is Steve Buschemi who is great as always I didn't expect to like this movie or at most I expected a few cheap laughs. But I was wrong. It was a really good movie and I recommend it to everybody :)

Not your typical Rob Schneider comedy, but worth watching.

[jeffsterz · 6/10 · 8 September 2010]

The version I watched was a bit on the low budget end. I heard that it ran out of funding back in 2008, so they must have scrapped it all together and released it this year (2010).

That all said, the movie itself is good. It's a dark comedy/drama dealing with a depressed individual (Rob Schneider), who is visited by a Colombian spiritual group who believe him to be the Chosen One who can set the world back into balance. Although it's a comedy, it is not of the normal standard that Rob Schneider usually plays (i.e.; Deuce Bigalow, The Hot Chick, etc.).

I think if this movie was properly edited and had a real soundtrack attached, I would rate this movie higher. I say it's worth 6.5/10.

Not a Comedy

[danconley-734-864964 · 7/10 · 14 March 2011]

OK. So i need to help this movie out a bit. I have read some of the reviews already on here, and the good and the bad both describe exactly how i feel about this movie.

As i was going to bed last night i decided to stream a movie i could fall asleep watching. A Rob Schnieder movie entitled "The Chosen One" seemed like it would fit the bill.

Now, i found this movie on Netflix, under comedy. And the title made me thing of other comedies from Rob such as "The Animal" "The Hot Chick" etc. This movie could not be farther from those at all.

So i started watching this movie. At first i wanted to laugh. I THOUGHT i was supposed to. But i couldn't bring myself to laugh. And this is what made me give the movie a shot.

I will be honest, i didn't know if i was liking the movie as i watched it. I originally set the movie to sleep, so i could go to bed watching it. However, i found myself adding 30 more minutes to the sleep timer over and over until the movie ended.

The movie was a somber portrayal of one man down on his life and deciding what to do with it. He only starts to believe in himself when others start to believe in him first. It is a story of how a grieving, fighting family put aside their difference and come together.

So yes, this is not your typical Rob Schnieder movie, and yes it may be terrible and boring if that is what you are wanting to watch. But if you are someone who appreciates a movie with good character development, redemption driven plot lines, and underlining messages of self discovery and honest goodness, This movie is a definite watch.

Why i didn't give a better rating - As someone said, the Blu-ray disc had bad video. I didn't stream this in HD, but i could definitely tell what this person is talking about, as some scenes go from clear to grainy/fuzzy then back again.

I have never seen Schnieder act this well in any sort of a dramatic role. He was brilliant. I truly felt for his character over and over again, and he made me relate to him in so many ways. I believe if this movie was bigger, with better production values, and Rob wasn't already known for just being a goofball, he could easily have been nominated for best actor. Probably wouldn't win, but he really shows how great of an actor he is, and just what kind of range he has. This movie has actually now put Schnieder on my favorite actors list.

Surprising change for Rob

[mdbizzarri · 9/10 · 7 September 2010]

Like most everyone said, this is a large takeoff from Rob's previous films, and I was surprised, and impressed that he was able to play it off. He showed that he could act, and I think that if he could get a few more roles where he was not just a clown, then people might look at him differently. Case in point, remember Tom Hanks in Big, Splash, and Bosum Buddies? He is now only doing serious roles. I think Rob shows in this movie that he can act, and I would like to see him act in other movies. At least he took a gamble and tried something new. I think that the story was a bit far fetched in regards to one man saving a bird to make snow appear on a mountain, but I think that they did swing it around to make it work. This movie shows how a man can push down life to a dark hole, but can find redemption by facing fears and growing from them. I think that most people will not get the story unless they are open to something that will enlighten them. I think the only flaws to the movie is that it is billed as a comedy, when it is really a drama with some funny moments, and the camera flickering during the dream sequence. If you are open to some great acting, a touching story, and learning something, then I would recommend this movie.

If you love Rob Schneider, you'll probably hate this quiet and quaint movie.

[jeweldevil · 7/10 · 6 April 2011]

If you love Rob Schneider, you'll probably hate this movie. It is quiet and quaint like you've never seen him before, and there isn't a ridiculous catchphrase within 100 yards of it.

Schneider plays Paul Zadzik, an obnoxious, Elvis impersonating car salesman, a caricature of the Los Angeles success story. He has lost his way. The film begins after his fall, which is uncommon for this genre but works well here and allows Schneider to develop intricate relationships with his mother (Holland Taylor) and brother (Steve Buscemi) and convince you he is a good man with no extraordinary gifts or flaws. (Except for alcoholism which isn't given the sort of mythic glory that movies often seem partial to.) A clumsy suicide attempt is interrupted by three wise men and a kind and sweet madonna who tell him he is their chosen one, the spiritual savior of their people. He is slowly won over by their quiet contentment which he yearns to emulate. He is at a loss for what to do with them, though, since they don't want to leave his side and are unable or unwilling to tell him how he is supposed to save them. They want him to figure this out on his own, which he eventually does through a recurring dream.

It doesn't happen this quickly or this neatly-packaged. The movie takes its time and it takes a little getting used to, especially for anyone expecting Schneider to turn into a woman, , or a male prostitute, or a dolphin.

We've seen this story before, financially successful and spiritually barren man encounters a guru/crisis/woman (this movie has all three!) who awakens them a deeper and more genuine life. But I'm not a cynic, as far as I'm concerned, they can keep doing it. When they're bad, they're harmless and when they're good they give you something you can carry with you. This isn't a religious experience, but it's a nice movie, a sweet movie, a friend who sometimes gets a little boring, but who you're happy to have around.

Buscemi plays a bitter, smoking Buddhist monk with understated brilliance. Taylor, perhaps now best known as the mother on Two and a Half Men presents a shockingly vulnerable and humane matriarch that makes her mother on Men seem like Cruella DeVille in her younger, eviler days. The interplay between the three is remarkable, especially since Schneider, as director, should take some responsibility for their performances.

Schneider's character seems to parallel the actor in many ways. Schneider as actor is known for his obnoxious caricatures. Here his protagonist has a yearning so deep, it is easy to be convinced that the yearning is Schneider's own. He seems to want to emulate a quiet and vulnerable, early-dramatic-career Robin Williams. He doesn't have the slick and solid writing and production Williams enjoyed in The World According to Garp and Dead Poets Society, but the fact that he not only directed and starred in but co-wrote this earnest piece is a pleasant surprise. Especially when the lines he is most known for are, "You like-a the sauce," "Makin' copies," and "You can dooooo it!" I enjoyed this movie a lot and it'll remain on my list of movies to seek solace in when the obnoxious caricatures seem to be all that's survives out there.

Not that bad, I actually liked it, but is was a slow burn

[getbobt · 6/10 · 8 December 2015]

I am not sure why people are hating on this movie like they are. I guess maybe because they don't want drama from Rob Schneider, but give it a chance because you might just get dragged in by some so-so writing and some subtle comedy from Rob.

No, this is not the best movie ever. No, it is not. Is it funny? Yes, at times it is. It's kind of an existential slow burn subtle comedy about the surrealistic nature of life in general. Kind of a genre "genre" movie.

Who hasn't dreamed of being the chosen one, only to realize, that not only do you not want to be the chosen one, the point is moot, life has different plans for us. Life is sometimes about getting right sized and fitting in, not necessary being the star of the show.

Do our dreams mean anything, what do we find meaning in, how do we relate with our family members, our beliefs, our faith, our hopes, our prayers… all the while finding humor in the absurd as we travel through time.

No, I would NOT give this a 10, not even close, but a slow burn entertaining genre flick about life and death and those that still live. Regrets, secrets, confessions, things remembered and things forgotten, a plexus of tangles and folds. I'll give it a 6.5

So, how does it end? Does Rob get the girl? Are the birds saved? Well, like in life we have to wait and see.