Review of The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys (2002) by Jackie C — 04 Nov 2007

Based on the incomplete novel by Chris Fuhrman DANGEROUS LIVES OF ALTAR BOYS is a good film on teenage life, loss, and friendship.

Four friends create a strange, but all the same intriguing comic book that is loosely based on their lives. They are the ?trouble-making? type. Fooling around, having fun. Ya know, drinking, smoking, stealing school statues, plotting revenge on a nun, the usual.

It?s the basic story of a teen that has a little more than usual on his plate.

But it?s so much more interesting than that. After Sister Assumpta is given their comic book and all its sexual and recognizable drawings of her and others, Francis and Tim (his best friend) are immediately suspended and soon to be expelled.

That is where the nun-plotting comes into action.

Earlier in the film, they had a fun trip to the zoo . . . Where a cougar was eyeing Sister Assumpta. Their plan is to capture that cougar and release it into the school. They trash Assumpta?s office and will blame the cougar, explaining that Assumpta was the one who attracted it.

And few dollars spent, a homemade blow dart equipped with homemade tranquilizer and the plan is almost complete. They hit the target and it is out - asleep. But, of course something must go horribly wrong.

The four friends are completely shocked to find out there is more than ONE cougar in the exhibit. And after Tim goes in alone, instead of sticking to the original plan, he is jumped by the cougar and is killed.

Animated scenes from there comic help tell the story. They are in a battle, they were winning, then losing, then winning again, but fall short. They are rebels - not the whole leather jacket, black everything, hate the world rebels ? they rebel against their upbringing. And slowly, but very quickly learn the way they were brought up and intended to be would have saved their friend?s life.

Francis? loss inspired him to create a whole comic dedicated to Tim?s character, Skeleton Boy. If the book?s draft was completed then we would have known how it was supposed to end. However, the ending is more than sufficient.

Acting was great, most notably Culkin, he has the screen presence and really steals the scenes. Hirsch is as well believable.

The ending is a little tear-jerky, beware.

7.5/10.