R E V I E W S
Josie & The Pussycats (2001)
Starring: Rachel
Leigh Cook, Tara Reid, Rosario Dawson, Alan Cumming Studio: Universal Review Posted: 4.10.01 Rating: 2/10
By Stephen.
"This movie is too horrible to get a decent headline"
If there is one thing in Josie and the Pussycats that really made me nervous it has to be the on-gonig product placement of god-knows-what kind of products. At least 50 different products pop up in this movie. Let me tell you, it really pissed me off. I guess this movie had some potential but they (those who should remain anonymous) decided to turn this into utter crap. This movie version is far from the famous cartoon it's based on. Josie and the Pussycats has a ridiculous plot that goes nowhere near making sense.
While I should say that the music here is pretty darn good, the rest of this movie is just random scenes, filled with clichéd dialogue and everything else. I don't even want to bother going into the plot because, of all reasons, it doesn't make sense. Josie and her two friends (Tara Reid and Rosario Dawson) get signed by Alan Cumming who just got rid of (literally) a famous boy band called 'Du Jour' (...of the day). Pretty soon, Josie and her two friends rise to stardom so fast that their friendship is in jeopardy and that Mega Records is an evil corporation trying to corrupt America's youth by putting subliminal messages onto products, like the CD of Josie and the Pussycats' band. I did bother going into the plot, well, I guess, it's probably because of the subliminal message towards the end of the movie, "this is the best movie ever," that got hold of me and didn't want to let go. No, this movie is definitely not the best ever!
Josie and the Pussycats is one of many forgettable studio movies, directed at teens, dumbed down, released, bitched about by critics, quickly disappearing, and only heard from again when some late-night show host needs a punchline. For what? For as to not stress teen's intelligence and objectivity? It will remain a mystery with this recent trend of movies turning into potty humor and dumbed down story ideas that will ultimately become the future of entertainment. The newest cartoon-turned-movie project Scooby Doo should prove as to which direction teen entertainment is going (the wrong way). The most recent subject, of course, is Josie and the Pussycats. And it is horrible, as you probably figured out already. I really wonder if pacing and sensitivity means anything to Harry Elfont and Deborah Kaplan. Judging from the movie, it's a no-no.
Sure, there are cameos here and there, however all are pointless. Parker Posey plays Fiona, head of Mega Records. Whenever Fiona opens her mouth, her crazy antics take over as if she's running out of more crack to smoke. Alan Cumming plays Wyatt, Fiona's ass-istant. He and Fiona have a lot in common. Josie (Cook), Melody (Reid), and Valerie (Dawson) are a band, as you know. Stereotypically, there is always a "burned out" and "dumb-in-the-head" character. Melody is it. I mean, the words she speaks are seriously ill-gotten and belong to 10-year old kids vocabulary. Josie and Valerie are much better at what they say... and do.
Josie and the Pussycats was a tremendous disappointment and luckily I didn't have big expectations in the first place (ironic isn't it). Yes, I think most females will like this movie. And you know, maybe some of us guys. I'm one of the guys who hated it. And I've got my reasons to: bad taste. What do the filmmakers think we moviegoers are? Idiots? Obviously, this movie is geared towards moviegoers that have no brain and just stare at the screen eating popcorn and getting off of T&A (none actually shown). I want to end this review by saying that... this movie sucks balls!
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