Review of Instructions Not Included (2013) by Koho — 15 Sep 2013

Yes, the Latino-American audience is neglected and starved for films of any kind. Consequently, this one's doing rather well but it doesn't deserve it and it serves more as a 90-minute insult to anyone who needs just a bit of plausibility for something to be entertaining.

This film has a few quick comedic moments and an amazing performance by its 7-year-old star. But it is so fraught with improbable plot contrivances, shameless melodrama and just bad writing, anyone still tempted to see it would be well-advised to check their brains in at the box office.

I also found it downright insulting to immigrants from everywhere that the main character, after 7 years of living in Los Angeles and making a very good living as a fearless stuntman, cannot even make the slightest attempt at speaking English where it would be necessary, while every gringo he gets to know inexplicably speaks perfect Spanish.

The sad part is, so much of what's wrong with this movie could have been fixed if just one bright Mexican-American film student had been given two days to knock out a liberal re-write.