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Jerks
(2010) **1/2
Dane and all his outcast friends are constantly picked on in a small Texas high school by a group of asshole jocks/popular kids. One day they decide to do something about it. Taking a cue from horror movies they decide to lure their tormentors to a fake party where the tormentors will become the tormented. The plan works perfectly! The popular kids are drugged and when they wake up they find themselves shackled to the floor. The plan is not to kill them but to give them a taste of their own medicine. Of course it goes horribly wrong.
Jimmy Johannes berates a young JPX (reenactment)
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I was immediately drawn to this film because I was picked on a lot growing up and I have zero tolerance for anyone who is mean to anyone else. In the third grade Jimmy Johannes punched me in the mouth at recess and effectively killed my front tooth. Have you ever notice that people named “Jim” or “James” are usually nice but a “Jimmy” is always a jerk? See also Bobby, Eddie, Frankie, Joey, and Johnny. Catfreeek reviewed this a few years ago and she observed that the bullies in the film aren’t mean enough and the wimps are not wimpy enough. I completely agree with this assessment. Not enough time is spent making us despise the bullies and the nerds are kind of jerky (even I wanted to give them wedgies). Although these kinds of films are not meant for deep analysis I couldn’t help but wonder if torturing the bullies did not make the unpopular kids bullies themselves? Okay, even I couldn’t keep a straight face when asking that.
4 comments:
One of the reasons I love the childrens flick Matilda is that the characters are so extremely good or bad that you clearly know who you are rooting for. If your going to try and make the good guys getting revenge seem justified than you have to give the audience a reason to back them. Me & his sister Becky pelted Jimmy with cow poop one time, maybe I added to his digression into bullying, sorry. Good review.
Bullies suck but I still don't think I'll bother with this one. Cat, I doubt you can take any responsibility for jimmy being an asshole. Not all tormented become tormentors.
You are so right about those names, JPX! I like that we also get some interesting insight with our commentary too.
What could possibly "go wrong" when a bunch of high schoolers drug and shackle another group of high schoolers? Wish this would have garnered more stars, it sounds like a great premise. I remember when you recommended Swimming With Sharks to AC and me, and it was great. Incidentally, in nursery school I was bullied by a boy named Ofear (best bully name ever), who consistently knocked down anything I built with blocks.
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