Joe Somebody (2001)

one of my absolute favorites!

This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.

One of the best movies of the year! Incredible from the beginning to the end.

It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

Joe Somebody (2001): Dir: John Pasquin / Cast: Tim Allen, Julie Bowen, James Belushi, Patrick Warburton, Hayden Panettiere: Many viewers may relate to Joe's situation. It addresses the importance of people as individuals. Tim Allen stars as an advertising executive who takes his daughter to work with him only to discover that the company bully took his parking space. When he confronts the issue he is assaulted right in front of his daughter and co-workers. The bully is suspended but Allen is unable to face work again. His boss fears a lawsuit so he assigns Julie Bowen to bring him back. She wishes to get out of her job and become a guidance counselor. He decides to meet the bully again and is trained by a former stunt person. Setup works but it never avoids formula and its ending is too obvious. Third collaboration between director John Pasquin and Allen who previously made the inventive The Santa Clause and the inexcusable Jungle 2 Jungle. Allen holds his own right up until the predictable outcome. Bowen is flat as a potential romantic prop. James Belushi as the stunt person had potential but needs better material than this. Patrick Warburton plays the ever familiar low IQ office bully. Hayden Panettiere plays Joe's daughter and the role is predictable drivel. Strong theme of self worth and violence. Too bad the screenwriter didn't train as hard as Joe. Score: 4 ½ / 10

"Joe Scheffer" (Tim Allen) works in a large corporation and is going through some tough times. Not only has his wife, "Callie Scheffer" (Kelly Lynch) left him for another man but to make things even more humiliating he is beaten up in the parking lot of his company in front of his young daughter, "Natalie Scheffer" (Hayden Panettiere) . Too ashamed to return to work he is visited by a corporate counselor by the name of "Meg Harper" (Julie Bowen) who inadvertently gives him the idea of challenging the corporate bully "Mark McKinney" (Patrick Warburton) into a rematch. Suddenly, he becomes the rising star in the company and his behavior changes accordingly. Anyway, although this film started off pretty good it didn't seem to add anything new or interesting after the first 15 minutes or so. It was like one long joke which just dragged on for 98 minutes and it got old quickly. And while I liked the performance of Julie Bowen and I certainly didn't think her presence or that of Kelly Lynch hurt the scenery in any way neither of them were able to elevate this film enough for me to rate it any higher than I have. Slightly below average.

Recap: Joe Scheffer is a hardworking single (recently divorced) father. Although all the effort Joe Scheffer puts in his life he remains a Nobody. No one pays attention to him at work, women don't look his way and everyone feels like they can step on him. The only person that seems to really like him is his daughter. So when a fight over a simple matter as a parking space ends with Joe being humiliatingly slapped, in front of not only his co-workers but also his daughter, something snaps inside him. He stays home, and when Meg Harper, the company's health coordinator reaches out to him and asks what he want, the reaction is great. What he wants? He wants to fight, to gain respect. And suddenly he is Somebody...Comments: This is a simple, sweet, feel good company with a few funny quirks. And throw in a few moral pointers and the package is complete. It's all about the little man, growing, maturing, and becoming the Big Man that's walking the High Road. And then of course everyone finds love, succeeds and becomes happy. If you expect something controversial, something deep and philosophical you will be disappointed. But if you sit down, and follow Joe's struggles, you will leave with a smile.Tim Allen, although according to trivia second in line behind Carrey, is a better match for the role than Carrey would have been. This is not that kind of comedy that Carrey does so well. This is the kind of comedy Tim Allen does well. He can be the small trampled guy, and he can be the confident smiling man. Julie Bowen has the role of the love interest, and even if she has pretty much screen time, her role is kind of limited, and Bowen's talents not really put to use. The character of Meg hints at a complex and interesting side, but that is never explored. I guess that is because it would have stolen focus from the story, and changed the feel good comedy-genre into something else.There are two other memorable characters. First, the daughter Natalie, skillfully played by Hayden Panettiere, who also hints of a more complex truth beneath the smart and talented surface. All blissfully ignored of course. And then there is James Belushi, whose character Chuck Scarett, an action-movie star turned martial arts trainer fits the movie much better.All in all, a movie certainly good for a simple evening of entertainment...6/10

JOE SOMEBODY, in my opinion, is a really excellent movie about not being afraid to stand up for yourself. When Mark (Patrick Warburton) hit Joe (Tim Allen) in the parking lot of their workplace while Natalie (Hayden Panettiere) looked on in terror from the car. However, when she tried to help him, I felt really happy. Also, when a thing between Meg (Julie Bowen) blossomed, I felt even happier. If you ask me, his ex-wife, Callie (Kelly Lynch), was a very pretty lady. Her boyfriend, Rick, on the other hand, was absolutely positively, disgustingly annoying. Now, in conclusion, I highly recommend this really excellent movie about not being afraid to stand up for yourself to any Tim Allen fan who hasn't seen it. You're in for lots of laughter, so go to the video store, rent it or buy it, kick back with a friend, and watch it.