Due to a friends Birthday coming up in a few weeks time,I decided to search around on Amazon UK for any Home Alone-style family movies that they would enjoy watching.With having been a big fan of the groundbreaking HBO TV series OZ,I was pleased to spot on the second page of Amazon's listings a film starring former Oz cast member B.D. Wong,which led to me deciding to find out if the "stinkers" really do stink.
The plot:
Being deeply embarrassed by a gang of his students allowing a remote control aeroplane to go out of hand and almost hit his car,second grade teacher Morgan Brinway decides to punish the group by calling their little gang "Stinkers" and also to ignore almost anything that any member of the gang says to him.Placed at the back of the bus,as the whole school heads off for a visit to Springville aquarium,the "Stinkers" decide to take a closer tour of the aquarium,when they spot Brinway being completely distracted.
Keeping an eye out for Brinway,the gang quietly look round behind the scenes of the aquarium,which leads to them catching a glimpse of a man attempting to steal a sea lion called Slappy from the aquarium.With Brinway having told them all that he would ignore anything that they tell him,the "Stinkers" decide that the only way to save Slappy,is for them to do it all on their own.
View on the film:
Focusing on the "Stinkers" for most of the movie,the screenplay by Bob Wolterstorff and Mike Scott sadly fails to build any supported feelings that the viewer may have for the gang,by making each member of the group very annoyingly and also lacking any distinctive personalities.
Whilst sadly only having supporting roles in the movie,B.D. Wong and Jennifer Coolidge each give charming performances,with Wong showing a keen hand for slapstick as Brinway,and Coolidge also giving the movie an unexpected bit of class as assistant teacher Harriet.Along with Wong and Coolidge,director Barnet Kellman gives the movie a real boast by including some delightful spoof moments of other movies,which help to thankfully stop this film from "stinking" as much as it easily could.
The plot:
Being deeply embarrassed by a gang of his students allowing a remote control aeroplane to go out of hand and almost hit his car,second grade teacher Morgan Brinway decides to punish the group by calling their little gang "Stinkers" and also to ignore almost anything that any member of the gang says to him.Placed at the back of the bus,as the whole school heads off for a visit to Springville aquarium,the "Stinkers" decide to take a closer tour of the aquarium,when they spot Brinway being completely distracted.
Keeping an eye out for Brinway,the gang quietly look round behind the scenes of the aquarium,which leads to them catching a glimpse of a man attempting to steal a sea lion called Slappy from the aquarium.With Brinway having told them all that he would ignore anything that they tell him,the "Stinkers" decide that the only way to save Slappy,is for them to do it all on their own.
View on the film:
Focusing on the "Stinkers" for most of the movie,the screenplay by Bob Wolterstorff and Mike Scott sadly fails to build any supported feelings that the viewer may have for the gang,by making each member of the group very annoyingly and also lacking any distinctive personalities.
Whilst sadly only having supporting roles in the movie,B.D. Wong and Jennifer Coolidge each give charming performances,with Wong showing a keen hand for slapstick as Brinway,and Coolidge also giving the movie an unexpected bit of class as assistant teacher Harriet.Along with Wong and Coolidge,director Barnet Kellman gives the movie a real boast by including some delightful spoof moments of other movies,which help to thankfully stop this film from "stinking" as much as it easily could.