It's refreshing to see a TV movie marketed for tweens that doesn't take unnecessary chances to break into song. But when you have a TV movie that finds it unnecessary to take chances within its story, then you have no choice but to pray for a High School Musical. Contest tells the story of Tommy Dolen, a bullied teen that suddenly teams up with his foe in order to win a TV cooking competition.
The film aired this past October on Cartoon Network as a part of their "Stop Bullying, Speak Up" campaign. As a whole, the story's execution, writing, and acting ranges from mediocre to below-average to man-I-really-don't-care-about-this-anymore. The editing is off-beat"”and not in an indie movie good way. Certain scenes start with characters that pop out of nowhere announcing stuff. It's meant to compress time and move the scene forward, but it comes out clumsy and choppy. As the story progresses, heartfelt moments (and some suspenseful) are there to show depth and growth, but never get the earned tug at our hearts it deserves.
If you're a tweenager, then duh"”you should like, maybe, like this movie. But if you're older than that, I can't recommend it. Despite its budget, Contest still had the opportunity to tell a good story with a good message, but it fumbles in that department. The anti-bullying message is the forgotten, watered-down subplot that ends with "bullying is bad and friends are forever"”yay!" Contest is a film with an after school message that means well, however, I just wish the filmmakers told a story that was not just trying to be honorable with its intent but something worth mentioning.
