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A completely forgettable effort
Pros
Wait a second, I'm still thinking...
Cons
The movie
Recommended it?
No
The Bottom Line:
This movie is not offensive, but it's instantly forgettable and completely unnecessary. Avoid it, you won't be missing much.
Let us get something out of the way. No, while watching this complete waste of time, I did not lose sight of the fact that this is a preteen movie. Besides, I have seen preteen movies that have charm, style and are more intelligent than they first appear. Aquamarine misses that elite category by a few light years. I really resented this movie.
Aquamarine takes place in some beach town where all boys are buff, irresistible surfers and most girls are beautiful cunning snakes.
Popstar Jojo stars along with Emma Roberts as Hailey and Claire. Hailey's mother got a job in Australia, so the two friends are looking to fully enjoy their last summer together. The two young girls discover a mermaid named Aquamarine, played by Sara Paxton who looks like Alexis Bledel with blond hair.
Aquamarine has made a pact with her father. Since he doesn't believe in love, Aquamarine asks for three days to prove her father wrong. She convinces the two girls to help her make pretty boy Raymond, played by Jake McDorman, fall in love with her.
It won't be easy however, as she only has those three days. On top of that, she has legs and not a tail for as long as the sun is up, so there can be no Raymond-hunting at night. She also has to deal with a painful, bothersome girl named Cecilia (Arielle Kebbel), who of course has her sights set on Raymond as well and is instantly jealous of Aquamarine.
The young mermaid is quite remarkable. She somehow has learned how to read even though one can suppose she has lived underwater for most of her life and can speak about 19 different languages. However, she is radically ignorant about the most basic things that human beings do or go through on a consistent basis.
I understand that this is a preteen movie, but there are moments (or maybe the entire film) that are just preposterous. The girls are stuck having to rush Aquamarine to water about three times during the movie ! I would have expected them to learn their lesson after the first time of coming really close to having their friend seen wandering around with a mermaid tail. But they didn't. During the third time of rushing to their water tower, the suspense wasn't exactly killing everybody. At first, Aquamarine is a sweet mermaid in a new world, but she rapidly turns into a clueless teenager who has a crush on a hunky surfer. This being said, it was bizarre and very unteen-like for Aquamarine who's about 18 to hang with these preteen girls in the first place. The Raymond character is a nice guy, which is why I question how he could have the slightest interest in hanging with the intolerable Cecilia. However, in the case of Aquamarine, to ask the question means to answer it : a screenplay contrivance forces him to hang out with her when Aquamarine is not there even though a big part of him dislikes Cecilia's personality.
I really despised the screenplay. I don't care if the movie was meant for two-year olds, lines like the mermaid saying : "You scared the salt out of me" are criminal, no ifs, ands or buts. I also didn't like the art direction, but every bit of brightness was intentional.
This movie is meant to illustrate values such as loyalty, friendship and love, but it does so in such a shallow and superficial way (even for preteens) that I ended up laughing during all the moments when I wasn't supposed to. Jojo, Emma Roberts and Sara Paxton could be cute and lovable, but they are handcuffed by this absolute filth of a screenplay. I won't even bother to critique their performances as 12-year olds will believe in them.
Aquamarine wasn't meant for people like me, but as I've said, I've seen preteen movies with actual charm and style. This movie has none. The screenplay is a nightmare to sit through, the plot is boring and the character development is minimal. However, there is one positive about this movie. Sara Paxton got the Aquamarine part because of a scheduling conflict on the agenda of Jessica Simpson. Aquamarine is not a good movie at all, but if the Dukes of Hazzard are any indication, it would have been unwatchable had Simpson played the part.
A girl under the age of 12 might appreciate this preposterous tale, but there are much better movies out there for young girls. That's why even after having showed every bit of indulgence that I could for this completely inoffensive but forgettable film, I still can't recommend it.
Aquamarine takes place in some beach town where all boys are buff, irresistible surfers and most girls are beautiful cunning snakes.
Popstar Jojo stars along with Emma Roberts as Hailey and Claire. Hailey's mother got a job in Australia, so the two friends are looking to fully enjoy their last summer together. The two young girls discover a mermaid named Aquamarine, played by Sara Paxton who looks like Alexis Bledel with blond hair.
Aquamarine has made a pact with her father. Since he doesn't believe in love, Aquamarine asks for three days to prove her father wrong. She convinces the two girls to help her make pretty boy Raymond, played by Jake McDorman, fall in love with her.
It won't be easy however, as she only has those three days. On top of that, she has legs and not a tail for as long as the sun is up, so there can be no Raymond-hunting at night. She also has to deal with a painful, bothersome girl named Cecilia (Arielle Kebbel), who of course has her sights set on Raymond as well and is instantly jealous of Aquamarine.
The young mermaid is quite remarkable. She somehow has learned how to read even though one can suppose she has lived underwater for most of her life and can speak about 19 different languages. However, she is radically ignorant about the most basic things that human beings do or go through on a consistent basis.
I understand that this is a preteen movie, but there are moments (or maybe the entire film) that are just preposterous. The girls are stuck having to rush Aquamarine to water about three times during the movie ! I would have expected them to learn their lesson after the first time of coming really close to having their friend seen wandering around with a mermaid tail. But they didn't. During the third time of rushing to their water tower, the suspense wasn't exactly killing everybody. At first, Aquamarine is a sweet mermaid in a new world, but she rapidly turns into a clueless teenager who has a crush on a hunky surfer. This being said, it was bizarre and very unteen-like for Aquamarine who's about 18 to hang with these preteen girls in the first place. The Raymond character is a nice guy, which is why I question how he could have the slightest interest in hanging with the intolerable Cecilia. However, in the case of Aquamarine, to ask the question means to answer it : a screenplay contrivance forces him to hang out with her when Aquamarine is not there even though a big part of him dislikes Cecilia's personality.
I really despised the screenplay. I don't care if the movie was meant for two-year olds, lines like the mermaid saying : "You scared the salt out of me" are criminal, no ifs, ands or buts. I also didn't like the art direction, but every bit of brightness was intentional.
This movie is meant to illustrate values such as loyalty, friendship and love, but it does so in such a shallow and superficial way (even for preteens) that I ended up laughing during all the moments when I wasn't supposed to. Jojo, Emma Roberts and Sara Paxton could be cute and lovable, but they are handcuffed by this absolute filth of a screenplay. I won't even bother to critique their performances as 12-year olds will believe in them.
Aquamarine wasn't meant for people like me, but as I've said, I've seen preteen movies with actual charm and style. This movie has none. The screenplay is a nightmare to sit through, the plot is boring and the character development is minimal. However, there is one positive about this movie. Sara Paxton got the Aquamarine part because of a scheduling conflict on the agenda of Jessica Simpson. Aquamarine is not a good movie at all, but if the Dukes of Hazzard are any indication, it would have been unwatchable had Simpson played the part.
A girl under the age of 12 might appreciate this preposterous tale, but there are much better movies out there for young girls. That's why even after having showed every bit of indulgence that I could for this completely inoffensive but forgettable film, I still can't recommend it.
