The Chosen One (2010) Reviews

• Rob Schneider makes a 180 turn in acting...

  paul_haakonsen2010-08-29

  Well, first of all I have to start off by saying that this is not your usual Rob Schneider movie. I was expecting this to be a comedy and it even said so on the description, but I wasn't laughing once throughout the entire movie. Now, don't get me wrong, this is not a bad movie, not by a long shot. There is a really nice story to the movie, and a somewhat deeper meaning to it all, and it also have a nice message to it actually, come to think of it. You might even say a spiritual enlightenment of sorts. For me, this choice of movie is perhaps not the best suited for Rob Schneider, but his acting was right on the money. He sure does deliver, he was just out of place in a role like this. Perhaps because of all the previous comedy work he has on his resume. The supporting roles portrayed by Steve Buscemi and Holland Taylor were also very well played, as were the role played by Carolina Gómez. Despite the movie not actually being a comedy (as labeled), this is a very nice movie indeed, and it is definitely worth the time to sit through it. Just don't except to be in for a laugh fest, or you might be disappointed. The movie actually did take me by surprise, because it turned out to work well for a higher meaning, and the pieces fit well together in the end. So thumbs up for this one.

• Light hearted, spiritual drama with a few comedic elements

  pmdawn2010-08-28

  I found the above description on this movie's board on IMDb, and it's better than anything I could come up with. This is relevant because anyone expecting a typical Rob Schneider movie (The Hot Chick, Deuce Bigalow, Big Stan) will be very disappointed, or worse, depressed. Rob Schneider plays Paul, a depressed alcoholic car salesman who tries to kill himself after being dumped by his lady. 3 shamen and a girl from Colombia find him, claiming he's the chosen one who will save their mountain. Paul then faces a series of situations at work and in life which help him make an important decision. I certainly didn't expect a movie like this, as it is very bittersweet, and potentially a career-destroying move. But it has its heart in the right place, it feels honest, and I believe it must be commended for that. Unfortunately, I can't say it's very good movie. "The Chosen One" looks cheap and feels very disjointed, with special effects that look like the ones found in Discovery Channel's documentaries from ten years ago. The pacing is weird, everything seems a little bit "off" and "direct-to-dvd". The few comic moments are mostly black humor, and almost all of them are in Steve Buscemi's scenes. He's a top notch actor, and his superior quality clearly shows here when he elevates the whole movie to a whole new degree. But I did like it, amazingly, and can certainly recommend it to people who need a little more light in their lives. Just don't watch this thinking it's a comedy.

• Not quite the Schneider we're used to

  bowringjb2010-08-27

  Let me start by saying that I have always been a Rob Schneider fan. The rubber faced act that Jim Carry brought to fame is all the better when its tinged with the smell of true desperation and for me this has always been the appeal of Rob Schneider. Although brilliant, he has in many ways escaped fame and been relagated to the same bunker as legends such as Bruce Campbell, by which I mean that special group of guys who cant help but be funny even when they are trying to be serious. I found myself at several points in this film bursting out laughing at Rob, even though he was just playing things straight. Not because he is a bad actor, far from it, but just because he is one of those guys that radiate humor like stink lines in a cartoon. Quickly though, and despite the largely cheesy and casually racist plot, I found myself drawn into the Schneiders sinceer attempt to act his balls off, and do you know what, I don't think he did a bad job. Everything about this movie should spell a flop, its obvious, stereotypical to the extreme, and more than a little ridiculous but a maturing Schneider some how makes it work and some how manages to extract from my blackening and shrivelled heart a grain of genuine emotion. So, well done Mr Schneider, your foray into drama has been a largely successful one, and it has been nice to see you act for a change. Keep it up.

• The Chosen Definitely Worth Seeing

  RingDingKid2010-09-07

  I always thought Rob Schneider was a good actor - even in smaller roles he always shines. But "The Chosen One" shows he's got dramatic range. It's funny but not a full blown comedy. I liked it. Schneider co-wrote and directed it. There are a lot of great supporting roles in it like Steve Buscemi as his brother. When have you ever seen Steve Buscemi in a project that wasn't good? Holland Taylor from "Two and a Half Men" plays their mother. There are a lot of familiar faces in it. In a crowded marketplace of lowbrow comedies this one stands out as classy and heartfelt. Check it out. I thought "The Chosen One" was better than "Grown Ups" and some of the other R-rated summer comedies.

• It needs to be appreciated as a drama, not a comedy

  Gordon-112010-09-10

  This film is about a depressed car salesman who becomes the chosen one to make a Colombian mountain snow again for the sake of Iguaca tribesmen's existence. I thought "The Chosen One" was a comedy, but I was wrong. In fact "The Chosen One" is a emotional drama that sees Paul find meaning in his tragic life. Paul tries to kill himself early on in the film, and he spends most of the time being depressed. This negative energy does have its effect on the viewers, causing unpleasant surprise and disappointment to people who expected comedy. If you look beyond that, "The Chosen One" has a nice message that priorities in life is not about money, and that there are things that transcend materialism and wealth. I hope "The Chosen One" will be appreciated for a good enlightening drama that it really is.