 | | List Price: $24.99 | | Label: Paramount
Salesrank: 13559
Released: May 5, 2009 | | Our Price: $10.94 | | Used Price: $4.85 | | MPAA Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Media: DVD | |
Editorial Review:
BASED ON A TRUE STORY. THIS IS THE REMARKABLE TALE OF 2 YOUNG BROTHERS WHO GO HEAD-TO-HEAD WITH THE FBI IN ORDER TO CRACK THE 'FROG-NAPPING' CASE & GET THEIR BELOVED TV PUPPET, FROGGY DOO, BACK ON THE AIR, ALL WHILE BECOMING LOCAL HEROES & BEST FRIENDS. Description of A Plumm Summer:
Stills from A Plumm Summer (Click for larger image) and downloadable coloring sheet (Click for pdf file) 
|
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
| A Plumm Summer Reviews:
I REALLY Didn't Like This Film... 
2009-11-06 - I'm sorry to say this... But I really didn't like this film at all! I thought the acting was horrible, the plot was laughable and the scripting was even worse. If there's one thing I have to say positive about this film, it's that it's often quite hilarious. Moments are just that bad...
All of that being said, I could tell there was some notable effort on the parts of the child actors, and I hope they continue to act and grow successful!
Like Sunday family dinner hour... 
2009-11-05 - A Plumm Summer is a sweet little indie film pulled off perfectly. There are some big names in the supporting cast who are all note-perfect, most notably Peter Scolari and Henry Winkler. Billy Baldwin also puts in a very good turn for the first time in quite a while. Newcomers Chris Massoglia and Owen Pearce couldn't be any cuter and more adorable as the brothers/stars of the film. Massoglia (credited as "Chris J. Kelly") is particularly outstanding considering it's his first jump from TV to film - you really like him and feel for his character. To me, A Plumm Summer hearkens back to 6:00 on Sunday when the family would gather around the TV with dinners in hand to watch the Wonderful World of Disney's weekly fare. This is like that... but better quality than most of what Walt served up. There's some real heart to this effort thanks to genuine drama that hits a message without becoming overwrought with itself. The mystery element to the story is none too deep or complex, but it doesn't need to be; it's just the vehicle that introduces some very likable characters and lets us get to know them. There's a laugh or two along the way and everything is generally light-hearted and fun. It's a good family film that entertains as well as confronts a serious note or two along the way. It won't change the landscape of movie-making, but it's awfully nice to see that somebody will still make a sweet, innocent film like this. Kudos to the folks responsible for doing that. A very sweet, endearing, charming, family film worth anyone's time.
Plumm Good 
2009-11-05 - Very good classic movie. How many movies are out there now that are just good ol' family movies? Not many but this is one of them. I would for sure buy this movie.
An enjoyable Plumm summer
2009-09-07 -
This is a wonderful and inspiring family story about friendship and coming of age with elements of suspense and mystery( YOU REALLY WANT TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO THAT FROG!!) A Plumm Summer may lack the seriousness of other family dramas but nevertheless the performances and storyline are convincing enough to carry you along. This is an exellent family film and I wish there were more like it.
Froggy DOOOOO Where are Youuuu?
2009-05-17 - A Plumm Summer, the 1968 mystery that three children try to solve, Froggy Doo has been kidnapped. Rocky Plumm, the about 8 year old younger brother of 13 year old Elliot Plumm, is obsessed with a television character Froggy Doo. At a live show, Elliot and Rocky discover that Froggy Doo has been taken. The madcap adventures start there. Elliot, a very shy photographer, gets a crush on the adorable blonde Haley his neighbor. The three start on a mission to recover Frooggy Doo.
The film is supposed to be based on real events. And a quick search turns up that in Billings, Montana a couple of not too bright thieves broke into the local television studio. They stole the Froggy Doo marionette and demanded a $150 ransom. That brings in the FBI and the local police. Apparently Froggy's body was found hanging on a fencepost, and later his head in the back seat of a car all by children. With some huge amounts of creative license, this movie was born.
Is this really great family entertainment? Well, it's pretty good. It's a bit saccharin, too sweet. The little Rocky is simply charming and funny. My 13 year old son laughed at him pretty hard, in the first half. The geeky older brother, totally believeable. The chemistry between Haley and Elliot, not so great. The story line, well it's drug out a bit too far. The film is almost 2 hours long, and could use about a 30 minute haircut.
The first half is pretty funny and enjoyable. The film loses it's way around midpoint with the whole father nonsense. The fater is a drunk, played by William Baldwin (imagine that, such a stretch role for him). There's sort of a needless moment where the father comes home drunk 3 late for Rocky's birthday party. There's a fight between Elliot and his father. Some mean words are exchanged. We also learn that Elliot's mom got pregnant with Elliot before she was married. Frankly, none of this matters to the main plot line. It actually sets up some really needless questions for younger viewers.
Otherwise this is the classic pretty movie, filmed with good lighting, in focus shots, in pristine sets. It's a cut above the Disney methodology. There's almost no grit to this film anywhere.
The ending, oh just plain strange. Too happily ever after for anything approaching reality.
Some big names in this film. Jeff Daniels does the voice over narration. Henry Winkler (Fonzie from Happy Days) is Froggy Doo's sidekick. Peter Scolari (The 1984 Bob Newhart Show) is the bumbling FBI agent.
Did Dad enjoy this film? It was OK. Blends a bit of Disney saccharin, Nancy Drew (there was a real mystery in here on who kidnapped Froggy), and Hardy Boys. Probably most notably, it felt like a Scooby Doo mystery, minus the mystery van and the funny dog (although Rocky does sometimes sound like a funny dog).
The DVD is slim on special features. Gag reel - yeah worthless, unless you want to see Rocky muff some lines. Deleted scenes, with an already 30 minute too long film, those need to remain deleted. Sadly, not a thing about the real Froggy Doo, or the real kidnapping. That I would have enjoyed.
|
