Boot Camp

Within the first 15 minutes of the film I was about to turn it off because of the horrible acting, but I just couldn't. I finished the entire thing and there was just something about it that I really enjoyed. The entire story was something that I have never seen in a film before, and nothing was really predictable about it.

Most of the horrible acting came from no name actors. Mila Kunis played her role very well, as did Peter Stormare. There was something really cheesy about the whole "captured and taken to an island" idea, but I really think with some better actors it could have been pulled off much better.

The cinematography was excellent, and the soundtrack was just amazing. The island location was a perfect choice and really added a lot to the film.

I still don't know why I enjoyed it so much, but I would say it is worth a rental to see for yourself.

I'm all for some tough love, and military boot camps where kids are taught discipline,,, but the kinda place portrayed in this movie is just torture,, with psychotic administrators.

For those of you that think programs like this don't exist, you are very wrong! I spent 10 months in Spring Creek Lodge in Montana, which was actually very nice compared to other programs that are, like Spring Creek, affiliated with WWASP (World Wide Association of Specialty Programs). Look it up!! There are so many documented abuses in their facilities outside of the U.S. (Jamaica, Mexico, Costa Rica, Somoa). Most of them have been shut down, but they are still out there!! When I was at Spring Creek in Montana, there was an incident at Dundee Ranch in Costa Rica....very similar to what happens in this movie. The kids rioted and took the place over, setting fires and having sex. A lot of them ran off into the wilderness. Most were located and sent to other programs like mine in Montana. Also, look into the High Impact program that was shut down in Tecate, Mexico. This stuff does exist, and it's devastating! And good parents are deceived every day by their very false advertising! And they do come and kidnap you in the night, just like in the film.....messed up stuff.

A little thrown off by the "excessiveness" in the beginning of this film I was pleased to see the pace quickly changed into an intriguingly heart wrenching and fist clenching experience. Pulling no punches in exposing the cruelty that exists in these rehabilitation centers you frequently find yourself a little uneasy with this films content (especially upon remembering that this was based on true events). A lot of content is crammed into this sole title as the story is a melting pot of drama, action, and even a relatively strong love story. Not a dull moment is to be found within this running time. The visuals compliment the story well with a beautiful setting and equally stunning cast.

Mila Kunis and her boyfriend played great roles, and the foreign guy played a good self- righteous "doctor" with a god complex. As someone who went to one of these places, New Dominion in Maryland - I take offense to the reviewer who says these places are for "spoiled kids". Guess what, the one I went to was 95 percent sentenced juvenile offenders, and I was one of the lucky "spoiled kids". My crime - nothing - I have no criminal record. The one I went to wasn't as "Lord of the Flies" like, but there was physical abuse, and sexual abuse that they covered up but definitely existed. There are no regulation on these places. To say people deserve it is messed up. I still suffer PTSD from being at the one I went to, probably the result of being body slammed for speaking my mind and being mentally tortured on a 24/7 basis. It's also nice to have to work chipping at rocks to get your food and to get a grade A concussion and be told to "walk it off". Anyway I'm now graduated from college with honors, but these sick places still exist. I will never forget being told by the juvenile offenders there that they'd rather be back in prison.