Hoot (2006) User Reviews

Plain and simple, a NICE movie

[BlackCat725 · 7/10 · 2 May 2006]

My family (two 40-somethings, an 8 year old and my 71 yr old mother) saw this at a sneak preview on April 29th. We all enjoyed the movie very much. The story was a good one, and knowing it was based on real-life events made it that much more enjoyable. Luke Wilson was a hoot (pun intended) to watch as was Tim Blake Nelson. And seeing Neil Flynn play something other than "the mean janitor from Scrubs" was nice. The kids in movie did well and I'm sure they will all appeal to a certain demographic on the heartthrob level. The visuals were just lovely and the Jimmy Buffet music added to the "Florida feel". OK, maybe the story was a little too neat and well packaged for some adults, but hey, who cares? I can't compare it to the book, I honestly hadn't heard of it until the movie came out.

It was just a NICE movie and it had a good message. Plain and simple.

The film has lots of humor, and a message of saving the environment

[the-movie-guy · 6/10 · 2 May 2006]

(Synopsis) Roy Eberhardt (Logan Lerman) is a teenager who loves living in the wide open spaces and mountains of Montana. Unfortunately for him, his father's job is forcing him to move once again, this time to a small town in Florida. As the new kid in school, Roy has the usual encounter with the school bully on the bus. While riding on the bus, Roy is also intrigued by a teenage boy who was running like the wind and passed the bus in his bare feet. The next day, Roy gets off the bus and tries to catch him, but loses him at the golf course. Roy eventually meets the boy, known as Mullet Fingers (Cody Linley). Mullet Fingers is a runaway living on an abandoned boat near the golf course and a vacant lot that is about to have a pancake house built on it. All by himself, Mullet Fingers has taken up the cause of protecting the burrow owls that are nesting on the vacant lot. If a pancake house is built on the lot, it will destroy the habitat of the burrow owls. Roy joins forces with Mullet Fingers and his sister Beatrice (Brie Larson) to save the owls.

(My Comment) This is one movie the whole family can see. The story is entertaining and heart-warming for all ages. You will love the music of Jimmy Buffett that was played throughout the movie. Jimmy Buffett produced and played a small part as the marine science teacher. This is a pro-environmental film that shows what can be accomplished by three teenagers using the act of civil disobedience. The film has lots of humor, and a message of saving the environment and some beautiful cinematography of Montana and Florida. And of course, don't forget the owls. (New Line Cinema, Run time 1:30, Rated PG)(6/10)

actually kinda good?

[BigDaddy4000 · 6/10 · 18 February 2021]

I wasnt expecting this movie to be decent, the only reason why i watched it all was for the nostalgia value from when i watched this as a kid, but surprisingly this was actually kinda decent. its really wholesome but not overly corny, most "save the environment" flicks end up being waaay too cheezy but you can tell this one tried its best to be as realistic as possible with its message and not talk down to its audience. now dont get me wrong this movie does have its fair share of problems, a lot of the acting preformances werent great, some actors were trying, others werent. theres quite a few conveniences in the script and some of the characters are kinda flat. but overall this was better than i was expecting, it wasnt a great movie by any means but it was a lot more decent than i thought it would be. probably not a movie i would recommend watching but it was still decent for what its worth

Cute, lightweight movie that is entertaining if you are in the mood.

[TxMike · 17 September 2006]

Poor Roy Eberhardt, teenager, his parents' jobs require them to move often, so he never gets any stability in one location. The movie begins with them in the beautiful mountainous country of Montana. What would be the exact opposite? How about Florida?? Yep, they move to Florida, the Gulf Coast area not too far from Tampa. As Roy gets to know his new environment, he meets the big bully kid on the bus, and has to break his nose to get away. Out the bus window he sees a kid about his age running very fast with no shoes. And, he somehow befriends a no-nonsense girl named Beatrice.

Luke Wilson plays a hapless local cop, Officer David Delinko, but Wilson plays it with enough sympathy that we actually learn to like him. His heart is in the right place. Underrated actor Tim Blake Nelson is Curly Branitt, hired to guard a near future construction site for a new pancake house, the 100th in its chain. Manager Chuck Muckle is determined to get that feather in his cap, the 100th one.

The problem is, the land set aside is also habitat for a ground dwelling owl (I don't even know if those exist, but no matter...) and building the new pancake house would be the death of them. So much of the movie is Roy, Beatrice, and Mullet Fingers doing things on the sly to prevent the dozers from beginning construction.

Brie Larson was only 15 and not well-known, she is Beatrice who becomes a friend of Roy's and helps thwart the illegal construction project.

Robert Wagner has a token appearance as Mayor Grandy. Jimmy Buffett, who was a producer, wrote some of the songs, also has a good part as teacher Mr. Ryan. I don't know Buffett, and didn't realize at first it was him, but was impressed with his natural acting manner.

SPOILERS. As the teenagers begin to learn more about the construction project, they follow the paper trail. Specifically, they wonder how the environmental impact was overlooked. They found it wasn't, and the company was hiding the fact that owls were threatened. Straightening that out just in time, the location was spared and 3 teens were new best friends.

Update: November 2023 - My wife and I watched it again, on DVD from our public library. Just a nicely entertaining movie with no shootings, no sex, and no R-rated language.

Hardly a Hoot.

[anaconda-40658 · 3/10 · 9 June 2015]

Hoot (2006): Dir: Wil Shriner / Cast: Logan Lerman, Brie Larson, Luke Wilson, Tim Blake Nelson, Cody Linley: Misfiring family film about serving a cause. After being moved several times, the new kid now resides in Florida where he is bullied but eventually he teams with two independent teenagers in their struggle to save ground owls from a construction site. From the makers of Holes yet lacking the intelligence and wit of that wonderful film. Setup is rushed and structure contains a pointless subplot regarding a school bully. Director Wil Shriner does his best but even the ending is ridiculous with a foolish standoff that would seem laughable in within the maddest of slapstick comedies. Luke Wilson does his best as a rookie cop but the role is cardboard. He is the standard cop often seen in these films that is expected to do little but ends up solving the case. Logan Lerman and Brie Larson play two of the teenagers whose actions are far from believable. Tim Blake Nelson plays an idiot who manages the site for construction. Cody Linley plays Larson's ambitious stepbrother who also has a knack for being on the opposite end of the law when attempting a statement. Great message about endangered wildlife and other issues taken for granted. Regretfully it is reduced to stupidity with its misplaced humour and a script should have been placed in one of those owl holes and buried. Score: 3 / 10

Very nice family film

[TheLittleSongbird · 7/10 · 3 September 2010]

I am not going to lie and say Hoot is the best family film I have seen, but I am going to say I actually rather liked it. True, the pacing is a little too slow at times, the story perhaps a little predictable and some of the characters are rather clichéd particularly the bully. However, Hoot is beautifully photographed with lovely scenery and the cinematography was very nice. The soundtrack was a pleasant touch and had a somewhat nostalgic feel to it, while the dialogue is humorous and has some sweet parts too, the message is admirable and the direction is above-adequate. And the acting was good on the whole, Logan Lerman is an appealing lead and Brie Larson while petite is alluring and likable enough, while Tim Blake Nelson does a very good job with his role as does Luke Wilson. Overall, very nice and likable, nothing outstanding but it's not awful either. 7/10 Bethany Cox

terrible

[donavanman1969 · 1/10 · 12 June 2010]

Terrible, terrible movie. Not that the thought behind it was terrible, but the execution was. Yes, kids might like it, but if a grown-up subjects him or herself to this farcical, poorly written, and pitifully acted Movie then you should be looked after in a nice nursing home in years to come.I found a few things to like..um..the kids had a common goal (chasing off the greedy profit-driven corporation..teamwork--working with a hodgepodge of folks usually outside their social caste. But let's be honest, the teenage kid who is "neglected" or "misunderstood" by his parents is pretty lame material. Then pair him up with the "bad boy" and cute little girl and worry about plot development later. 13 year olds breaking into government buildings, vandalizing private property and being lauded as heroes is not cool to most parents. So..the movie just stunk. Watch at your own peril.

A new kid is school becomes friends with two kids who are trying to stop construction of a pancake house that will destroy the homes of 18 owls.

[lakewoodoh2002 · 7/10 · 29 April 2006]

It's a kids movie. I saw it a week early. If you're over 15, you will think it's a dumb movie. It's sort of like the thinking in 1971 when "Billy Jack" came out. I saw it again in 1975, and thought, "What a piece of crap." Anyway, it's a nice thought -- protecting the owls -- but the problem I have with the movie is that too much of it is illogical. While he is getting bullied, the main character sees another kid running barefoot. So he immediately thinks the barefoot kid is somehow connected to the vandalism that's taking place at the construction site. He immediately becomes friends with the girl, who had threatened him. She then tells her life story to him. Jimmy Buffett, as a teacher on the first day of school, is teaching a college course to a bunch of seventh-graders. A hospital begins treatment of the barefoot kid without bothering to contact his parents. A policeman just walks into a classroom without bother to contact the office. My son liked it. I didn't hate it. But I've seen better.

A little adventure to pacify youngsters.

[michaelRokeefe · 3/10 · 27 November 2014]

Based on a book by Carl Hiaasen, three middle-schoolers pit wits with corrupt politicians, money hungry real estate developers and some local not-too sharp cops. Roy(Logan Lerman)is the new kid in school, moving from Montana to Florida. Roy meets Beatrice(Brie Larson), kind of a tough girl, but really worth knowing. She is trying to help a boy that is going shoeless. Upon following this barefoot boy, they find he may be involved with vandalism at a construction site. When the small group, now friends, discover a burrow of hoot owls being threatened by the new construction crew, it is time to declare war against the people who should know better.

The cast includes: Luke Wilson, Tim Blake Nelson, Neil Flynn, Jimmy Buffett, Jessica Cauffel and Robert Wagner.

Soundtrack includes: "Floridays" and "Good Guys Win" by Buffett. Along with "Barefootin'" by Alan Jackson with Buffett.

Pleasant family movie... With good goal and shady methods :)

[BeneCumb · 7/10 · 22 February 2013]

True, the plot is hectic and some elements could have been avoided (e.g. the bullying kid related ones), but elaborated characters and good performances (leading with Logan Lerman as Roy E. Eberhardt, Luke Wilson as Officer David Delinko, Tim Blake Nelson as "Curly" Brannit, Clark Gregg as Chuck Muckle, above all) make this movie rather catchy to follow - and more attention and praise. The protection of nature, particularly endangered species is so important that respective schooling should be started as early as possible. On the other hand, running away from a policeman and binding up a person could induce ambivalent feelings...

I can easily recommend the movie to families with schoolchildren, especially those living in urban areas. For those who find Hoot dull and plain: there are several different environmentally focused movies, On Deadly Ground with Steven Seagal, for example :)

PS Logan Lerman has really become a magnificent young actor, The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012) is an evident demonstration of this!

Not a terrible flick, but a terrible message

[squeakhawk01 · 1/10 · 27 August 2006]

The composition of this film is actually not as bad as I expected it to be. The characters were one-dimensional but not unwatchable. The plot had more holes than a wedge of swiss cheese but as long as you turned your brain off it was OK. And all the characters were ridiculously photogenic in a young teen O.C. kind of way which could be good or bad depending on your tastes. So why awful rating? The message it conveys is that IT IS OK TO BREAK THE LAW IF YOU ARE TRYING TO SAVE SOME WILDLIFE!!! The main characters in the move break more laws than I care to mention in order to save some endangered owls on a piece of property. The thing that ultimately saves the owls is a environmental report that was ON THE PROPERTY IN QUESTION!(which in itself was the biggest plot hole of the film in my opinion) Now don't get me wrong, I know it was a movie, but if they were going to show these kids as eco-heroes than why didn't they show them doing their sleuthing by going down to city hall and digging through the records in a proper fashion, INSTEAD OF KIDNAPPING AND TYING UP THE FORMAN OF THE SITE AFTER BREAKING AN ENTERING ON THE PROPERTY! This movie sends a terrible message. And it's a shame because if they had changed it slightly and had the kids use legal methods instead of ECO-TERRORISM to achieve their aims this movies might have been worth something.

a refreshing change

[gpazan · 10/10 · 20 May 2006]

what a refreshing change from the PG movies that have teen girls jumping in and out of bed, young high school boys counting how many girls they can "hook up" with, kids drinking, doing drugs, etc., etc., etc. Carl Hiaasen has written so many books that are enjoyable but hardly classic literature. but he has finally written something that Middle School kids WANT to read. And this movie sends a message to kids that maybe they can make a difference, that maybe their voices can be heard. Filmed in South Florida, the scenery is beautiful and natural and REAL. Who cares if its predictable, and a little corny. So was FREE WILLY and look how well that did. This is a good family movie..........a rare breed.

Those damn developers are ruining Florida

[lastliberal · 7/10 · 5 April 2007]

The message was plain and simple; Florida is flat and they will bulldoze it until they have cleared it coast to coast and there is no room left for the wildlife. They have bought all the politicians and they are tearing the state up little by little.

This isn't an Oscar winning film, but it is a good story and it had some good characters. I mean, I would have loved to go to science class taught by Jimmy Buffet.

Logan Lerman (The Patriot) as Roy did an excellent job, and Brie Larson was cute as a button. And, we even got to see Carl Hiassen, the writer and one cool dude.

If you care at all about the environment, then you should have your kids see this. maybe they will get inspired to do something before there is nothing left.

Definitely a movie for kids, and kids only

[shub-4 · 3/10 · 13 February 2007]

If you're a kid liking fairy tale "real life" adventures, see it. If you're a youth liking kids movies, why not see it? :) If you're a parent going to see a movie with your kids, you're WAY better of opting for the squirrel!

The start of this film was a bit funny, and set some good premises for the happenings to take place. But after the kind of funny introduction of characters, settings and potential conflicts, the story turned out kinda dull. When more or less the same things happen for the third and fourth time, the word "predictable" repeatedly comes to mind just like parts of a dented LP or those commercials you really hate. And the culmination of the plot... *oh sigh*... poor, poor, poor!

Middle school teenagers go past the limit to save some burrowing owls from getting bulldozed

[My_World_Is_Flatt137 · 5 June 2006]

I loved this movie! My brother bought the book at a book fair and read part of it once the movie was going to be released he read the rest of it then let me read it. I just couldn't put it down!! It was so good! My friend also read the book and loved it just as much. So we decided to see the movie. We made hoot t-shirts and went one day and saw the movie. The movie was excellent and the characters made the movie. The music was good to even though they should of had more variety then Jimmy Buffet even if he was the producer. I also thought that if they followed the book and stayed true to the original plot it would have been even better. Wil Shriner did follow the plot pretty well but the very beginning wasn't in the book and they also left out a funny part in the end of the book where Mullet Fingers escapes from Juvi Hall and uses Dana as his escape partner. I thought it was a good movie for anybody wanting a clean, funny, and happy ended movie. I hope you will love it as much as me! A word of advice to is read the book before you see the movie and the movie will make a little more sense.

Luke Wilson or Luke Perry?

[freakfire-1 · 2/10 · 24 March 2008]

I will give it this: it tried. It did try to make it good and even got Luke Wilson involved. Luke Wilson is good, but he can only do so much. He can't make up for the fact that the story was very flawed and the characters were underdeveloped.

The running "gag" with the bully was asinine. He was never funny and I got tired of the gag really fast. And the barefooted kid bit was kind of weak too. He hitchhiked to Florida? Yeah OK.

The movie felt like an average kiddie film at times with this underlining mantra: adults stupid, kids smart. And that bit gets tiresome.

But the only moments that were funny was the police cart Wilson drove around when he lost his squad car. I loved that little cart, especially when Wilson turned on the sirens. But, other than that, nothing else was worth my time. "D-"

Good Family Movie But...

[pickme_guy · 7/10 · 17 November 2006]

This is a good family movie with a few laughs. I wish it didn't have too much of the school stuff like the bully in it to fill the movie up. Also, it seems a little too easy to save a piece of land from being built. I mean, the it just flowed too easily. It does make you aware of the wildlife. It had a cute way of introducing the piece of land which the fast runner but a little too slow for me. A little too hokey for me and it reminded me of going back to school. Oh, the DVD is chock full of goodies so don't miss out. 7 out of 10 for the movie 10 out 10 for the DVD with the extras that is well worth to watch. Well worth your time to see this!

Another Green Fable from Carl Hiassen

[ArmsAndMan · 3/10 · 14 May 2006]

Mr. Hiassen has been writing so-called adult fiction for years, and it was only a matter of time before his personal brand of lightweight storytelling found its true niche in the cineplex: the 'family' film.

This picture does give me hope... perhaps a brave producer will finally greenlight Edward Abbey's "The Monkey Wrench Gang." Alas, that would be a movie for grown-ups.

Back to "Hoot": My 9-year-old daughter enjoyed it, especially the young boy playing "Mullet Fingers." This fact made me lose sleep. Will she bring home some sun-bleached beachcomber when she starts dating? Will he be a wholesome version of an eco-terrorist, too? Egads.

Don't get me wrong. My complaint is not with the movie's politics, but how it dumbs things down.

After the movie matinée, I took my youngster along the Bay's edge and went birdwatching for an hour. Something I should've done in the first place.

Nice movie!

[Vic_max · 6/10 · 17 May 2007]

This movie was pretty good. It had a nice upbeat tone throughout and was a pleasant experience to watch.

It's about a kid who moves to Florida and, in addition to being hassled as the 'new kid' at school, gets involved with learning the about the mysterious "barefoot kid" and some little critters in need of help.

What keeps this movie moving along are two things. One is great acting performances by Logan Lerman (lead role), Brie Larson (scary tough girl) and Luke Wilson (police officer). The other is the intrigue level the story maintains by slowly revealing things about the characters and the story.

All in all, this is a pretty nice, well-made, upbeat movie that just can appeal to both kids and adults.

GREAT movie

[catmino1982 · 5/10 · 5 May 2006]

This movie was great. I saw it on the first day it came out, and I was thrilled! I shook with laughter at some of the jokes like "Ling Ho" and the too-small police car. Cody Linley, Logan Lerman, and Brie Larson played their roles perfectly: Cody as the nameless rebel, Logan as the new kid turned hero, and Brie as the caring girl with a tough exterior. The plot is simple and easy to follow: Roy Eberhart moves to the small town of Coconut Cove, Florida. After a rocky start, he meets a tall blonde girl who slowly comes to trust him, and her stepbrother, the "barefoot kid" she calls Mullet Fingers. Together, they work to save the burrowing owls from being bulldozed. Overall, a great movie. I recommend it to anyone who likes to see a nice story of friendship. Two thumbs up for Hoot!

Pleasant.

[implaxis · 6/10 · 19 November 2020]

Nothing real remarkable about the movie. Pleasant is a good way to describe it. Now on to some quibbles. This is one of several movies I seem to have seen of late where a protagonist does several things that should land them in jail for a long time, yet there are no consequences.

Luke Wilson is as vapid as ever.

I honestly thought they might be taking the relationship between the two very good-looking young men in a certain direction, but the movie was made in 2006 and perhaps audiences would not have been accepting of that then. What's really notable is Mullet's impossibly white teeth. He seems awfully young to have had them "done". If not, they are amazing.

The soundtrack is pleasant, like the rest, and Jimmy Buffett even has a role as a teacher.

Dull and Lifeless

[fdbjr · 3/10 · 5 May 2006]

Count me in as one of those fooled by the Crl Hiassen credit. Hiassen writes really funny novels of crime and eccentric behavior on the east Florida coast, sort of a poor man's Donald Westlake. A movie based on a novel of his starts with a pretty good pedigree.

Unfortunately, that is also where it finishes. This was one of the most lethargic, sluggish movies I have seen in a good long while. The juvenile leads are charmless, the plot descends almost at once into an orgy of political correctness, and there are no good jokes. It was one of the longest two hours I have endured lately, lasting a good 250 years by my calendar.

An interesting contract to RV, about which I published some kind words a week ago. RV was certainly not a great movie, but it lived and breathed, it had its own wit, and both kids and adults had real fun with it. Predictable, yes, but not stupid, and not slow. This movie was predictable, stupid and slow.

Hoot is a good family film

[marc-262 · 8/10 · 4 May 2006]

It is great to see a film starring kids whose idea of "acting adult" is not engaging in sensuality. Instead, these kids see a problem in their community and take responsibility for helping to solve it. Hoot is a film aimed squarely at families looking for a fun day at the cinema. The production values are good, especially sweeping shots of Montana and Florida. The soundtrack by Jimmy Buffet is a perfect fit. The young actors are spirited and refreshing.

The plot, about a trio of kids who work together to save some burrowing owls from death at the hands of an unscrupulous pancake house empire builder, will engage kids. So many films make children appear powerless, it is nice to see a movie that shows children working hard to make a difference. And even though parents are absent or temporarily distracted, it was pleasant to see kids who want to follow in their parents footsteps and try to right injustices.

If you are tired of all of the self-indulgent story lines about children that fill the cinema, give Hoot a shot. Then take some time to talk to your kids about the adventure of serving others and caring about the world they live in. A positive message from a positive film.

Hoot Is A Decent Kids FLick

[chadryder7 · 7/10 · 7 May 2006]

Okay, no one gets laid. No toilet humor, unless you count the reptile in the outhouse. Nothing bad to have to explain to your kids on the way home. Of its simple. Kind of silly. But its a KIDS MOVIE for crying out loud. With a environmental message. Okay so big corporations are made out to look evil. Thats something new in movies? Yeah, I know, it doesn't have much action. Not a lot of loud music. No MTV type photography. Far too slow for some kids. Oh well. Can't please everyone.

A lot has been said about the almost hieratic scenes between Logan and Cody. The culture we seem to inhabit today does not recognize strong feelings between boys that doesn't involve sexual attraction. Such a pity. Okay, so Logan Lerman runs & talks like a girl. So did some of you when you were kids.

Anyhow, just go see the dumb flick if you got nothing else to do. Or rent it when it comes out. The kids might like it.

Execrable Disney do-gooder with inept teenagers...

[moonspinner55 · 1/10 · 12 January 2010]

Watching Disney's "Hoot", based on Carl Hiaasen's young adult novel, one's mind begins to wander early in the proceedings, conjuring up images of the casting process wherein presumably thousands of juvenile actors auditioned for the leading roles. If true, how then did they come up with the utterly talentless kid-performers seen here? Casting agents in Hollywood seem to be perpetually out-of-touch with reality; they overload films like "Hoot" with unnatural, exasperating, self-conscious young people who act as if they were being assigned the next sequel to "Home Alone". Eyeball-rolling high schooler, moved from Montana to Florida (an excuse to give us a nifty travelogue credits sequence!), is immediately picked on by bullies but fights back. His success gives him the courage (I presume) to track down a Tarzan-like older kid who runs like the wind and lives in the foliage just outside the country club; together, the two boys hope to save endangered owls who are burrowing on land designated for a new pancake restaurant. The picture is a series of bad ideas, misconceived sequences, and hopeless attempts at comedy while offering us a plastic kind of youthful conviction which was already molding over as far back as the 1950s. NO STARS from ****