Review of The Big Year (2011) by Jason M — 20 Oct 2011

The Big Year.

Initial Reaction: For big savings.

Main Characters.

Brad Harris, Kenny Bostick, Stu Pressler: Three guys who love to watch birds. They are played by Jack Black, Owen Wilson and Steve Martin.

Plot Summary.

The Big Year is a contest to see who can spot the most different birds in one year in the United States.

The current record is held by Kenny at 732, and he is going to break that record - even if his wife doesn't want him to do it.

Brad is trying to break the record himself - even though he has to deal with his parents - and the fact that he is going to have no income to pay for the bills he gets on the trip.

Stu is retiring after being the top guy at a company and he wants to spend his golden years looking for birds, but the company isn't ready to let him go.

So, which of these three is going to win the Big Year? And is that record going to be broken?

SCORING.

Main Characters.

I like the conflicts that these three have - it's just that I have no idea why they are so obsessed with bird watching. It's like one day they woke up and said "I want to have a Big Year and go see how many different birds I can spot." SCORE: 3.

Supporting Cast.

The families around these three are not memorable, and the other contestants are equally bland. SCORE: 3.

Plot.

These three are going on a journey to find all sorts of birds - but I was bored with that trip thirty minutes into the film. After an hour, I wanted off the tour. SCORE: 3.

Originality.

This film is all about who wins the contest - a plotline found far too often in sports films. But on one thing the other films have that this doesn't is the thrill of the competition. SCORE: 3.

Violence Factor.

These guys do not engage in physical contact to get ahead of their game - they just use lies and deception. SCORE: 7.

Other Moral Issues.

This film is about how being obsessed over something can cause problems, but it does not show me what glory and rewards are available for being the best - in this case the guy who spots the most different birds in the United States. SCORE: 3.

Final Score (out of 60): 22 % Score: 36.67%.

These guys needed to do something other than watch birds.