How to Beat a Bully (2015)

Though I did find this movie fun and some of the characters lovable, this movie did not meet my expectations. The movie centers around Cory, a 12 year old boy who moves to a new town after his father loses his job. At his new school, Cory is bullied by his classmates, as new kids often are. They steal his lunch and squirt him with a water gun, but don't seem to cause any physical harm. Cory does not stand up for himself or tell his teacher. Instead he decides to scare the bullies with a lie that ends up almost killing his father. The bullies all become Cory's friends out of fear that his father will kill them. Cory would rather have friends who hang out with him because they are scared of him, then try to find people who like him for who he is. They all seem to like Cory after a while, as none of the bullies were actually mean people. They were just doing some new kid hazing or something. Eventually, some real mobsters take Cory's father. Cory reveals the truth to his friends, who are not at all mad at him for threatening their lives. They help him rescue his father, instead of calling the police. At the end of the movie everyone is safe, Cory has a lot of friends, and he does not suffer any consequences for his actions.The title of this movie is misleading. A lot of it is not even about bullying, but about the dangers of lying. Cory also seems to bully the other kids way more than they bully him, even if it is in self-defense.What lesson is this movie trying to teach us? It does not teach us to stand up for ourselves or ever go to adults for help. It doesn't teach us that bullying is wrong or any realistic way to deal with bullying. It basically makes bullying seem like a joke. The message appears to be that spreading rumors is an effective way to make friends and stop bullying and will not have any consequences. This is fine for a stupid kids movie, but nothing in this movie can be applied to real life.

"How To Beat A Bully" is a new film that kids from about 7 to 12 will probably enjoy. It has very broad humor and there are lots of scatological references in the final 15 minutes of the film. I can picture in my mind kids rolling in laughter because of the rude jokes and silly situations. As for everyone else, the film is problematic. The acting and writing are such that most adults simply will turn off their brains or leave the room to let the kids enjoy it without them. As for younger kids, they probably won't understand much of the plot...though they, too, will probably love all the poop jokes near the end.When the film begins, Cory and his family are packing up and moving from New Jersey to California. Not surprisingly Cory is not excited about the move but it becomes worse when he begins at a new school...where are plenty of bullies who are more than ready to make his life miserable. His father insists that Cory can talk his way out of any bully problems by using his words and Cory takes him literally. He soon orchestrates events to that the kids think Cory's father works for the mob. Soon, the kids' parents also begin believing the guy is a mobster. So, although Joe is only an insurance salesman, folks thing that he's an enforcer and 'insurance' is what folks have to pay in order to stay healthy! Eventually, however, this causes serious problems when a group of real mobsters think Joe is one of them...and by the end of the film things get very, very serious...seriously deadly. So it's up to Cory and his friends to save the day...presumably because calling the police would have been too difficult.As I said already, the film has very broad humor and will not appeal to most adults. It clearly is thinking about things that kids would like however....rude, nasty jokes about farting, defecating and the like! If you don't mind your kids watching stuff like this, I'm pretty sure they'll enjoy it. For anyone else, however, if could be a very, very long movie.By the way, like many new movies, the reviews that first are posted on IMDb are curious. I wouldn't even talk that glowingly about most Disney films...so why all the 10s?

I was excited to check this film out because you don't often see family movies coming out of the independent film world. The story is clever and endearing and the production value is great. You'll be surprised how quickly you get wrapped up in the world of the crazy yet relatable little town (key being that all towns are crazy to some degree). While family films aren't my normal viewing practice there's nothing wrong with giving the thriller/drama/horror genres a break for one night while you enjoy some good family fun. I think you'll be surprised how good of a time you'll have.

I'll admit, this isn't the kind of movie I normally watch, but I ended up really enjoying it. It takes on the subject of bullying without being preachy. I feel like the film makers really added a fresh perspective, and the final product is top tier. This really is one the whole family can enjoy. Kids will get the jokes, and there's enough humor in there with a wink and a nudge that the grown- ups will enjoy, too. The premise of the movie itself is hilarious, and the writing never fails to deliver the laughs. And smart casting choices meant that the actors can actually pull off the punch lines! Perfect for a rainy evening in with the whole family.