Quick Review: American Dreamz C

A Film Review By Stefan Vlahov

Is it just me, or is the quality of the films that writer/director Paul Weitz's movies getting steadily worse and worse? I think it is. After a promising debut with the 1999 hit American Pie, he made an OK Chris Rock by the name of Down to Earth and an OK Hugh Grant vehicle by the name of About A Boy. After that he made the flawed, but watchable In Good Company, and now he has made his worst movie to date American Dreamz. It is no surprise that Dreamz also has the biggest scope compared to his past endeavors. It simultaneously tries to do up to three different things - spoof the immensely successful TV show "American Idol", address the problem of young people not being involved in politics, and make fun of George W. Bush. It all centers around a singing contest-type show similar to "American Idol" with the host being Hugh Grant. The whole thing is painfully unfunny and offensive - taking shallow and unfair shots at Muslims and Americans. The president as portrayed by Dennis Quaid, is a buffoon and a cliche. Even, SNL has more intelligent criticisms. Overall, I think it was my high expectations for the next Paul Weitz film that ruined it, but with unfunny jokes and unfair observations, no movie can make it high on my grading scale.