The plot itself is rather bland. It branches off into sub-plots that annoyingly seem to be resolved in brief, convenient fashion. For instance, Kelly instantly believes Zack when he quickly tells her the truth about the escort service while dangling on the balcony of their room - would any fiancée believe that just an hour (or less) after seeing her man with another woman? But especially annoying was how the mob guy was built up to be a slick criminal, only for his whole plan to go to pot when the Zack, Slater and Screech play their "three stooges" routine and lock the goons in the safe. Then we don't hear from them for the rest of the film; that whole sub-plot over, in seconds, with a simple door slam. If you ask me, there is a huge lack of thought into how these sub-plots were meant to tie together and how they were to be resolved.
Other issues that irked me was the inclusion of largely irrelevant characters. The loud guy who voiced Iago in Aladdin was probably only put there to try and impress young kids, 90% of whom probably didn't know who he was (SBTB also did this kind of thing in the series; Kasey Kasem aka Shaggy from Scooby Doo made cameos and I was wondering "what's the point?") The hippie guy plays a role in the diamond heist plot and fixing Lisa's car, but other than those, he's never really seen or adds anything to the film.
For sentimental value the wedding at the end is essentially all you need to watch the film for, so if you fast forward to the last five minutes, you're all set. It's awesome seeing Mr Belding making an appearance - it wouldn't be SBTB without him - and the wedding satisfies what the majority of fans had been crying out for for years: Zack and Kelly, married, like they were meant to be. Heck, the gags in the film seem to have got negative press but I personally chuckled a little, as some parts like the car conversations between Lisa and Kelly being contradicted by Zack and Slater talking about something completely different than what Kelly assumed is a gag typical of SBTB episodes. Even Screech's silly faces during the mug shots scene was pretty funny - again - it was something I'd expect in a typical SBTB episode.
Basically, as most critiques have stated, this is only a film for fans of SBTB desperate to see the conclusion of the two main stars of the series. I think SBTB will belong to the generation who actually grew up in these times and thus could immerse themselves in an early 1990s film. Kids of today, I don't think, will feel as intimately tied to the film as the people who essentially "went to school" with Zack, Kelly, Slater, Lisa, Screech and Jessie and grew up with them - literally.
Prior to a few weeks ago I hadn't watched the show in years, but started watching all the episodes again on YouTube before watching this film as the final act of the SBTB show. Watching the film was like doing a mundane job but knowing that at the end of the day, you'll get paid for it. Seeing Zack and Kelly with cameos from Jessie and Mr Belding made it worth it for me, but the overall film? Mediocre.
Other issues that irked me was the inclusion of largely irrelevant characters. The loud guy who voiced Iago in Aladdin was probably only put there to try and impress young kids, 90% of whom probably didn't know who he was (SBTB also did this kind of thing in the series; Kasey Kasem aka Shaggy from Scooby Doo made cameos and I was wondering "what's the point?") The hippie guy plays a role in the diamond heist plot and fixing Lisa's car, but other than those, he's never really seen or adds anything to the film.
For sentimental value the wedding at the end is essentially all you need to watch the film for, so if you fast forward to the last five minutes, you're all set. It's awesome seeing Mr Belding making an appearance - it wouldn't be SBTB without him - and the wedding satisfies what the majority of fans had been crying out for for years: Zack and Kelly, married, like they were meant to be. Heck, the gags in the film seem to have got negative press but I personally chuckled a little, as some parts like the car conversations between Lisa and Kelly being contradicted by Zack and Slater talking about something completely different than what Kelly assumed is a gag typical of SBTB episodes. Even Screech's silly faces during the mug shots scene was pretty funny - again - it was something I'd expect in a typical SBTB episode.
Basically, as most critiques have stated, this is only a film for fans of SBTB desperate to see the conclusion of the two main stars of the series. I think SBTB will belong to the generation who actually grew up in these times and thus could immerse themselves in an early 1990s film. Kids of today, I don't think, will feel as intimately tied to the film as the people who essentially "went to school" with Zack, Kelly, Slater, Lisa, Screech and Jessie and grew up with them - literally.
Prior to a few weeks ago I hadn't watched the show in years, but started watching all the episodes again on YouTube before watching this film as the final act of the SBTB show. Watching the film was like doing a mundane job but knowing that at the end of the day, you'll get paid for it. Seeing Zack and Kelly with cameos from Jessie and Mr Belding made it worth it for me, but the overall film? Mediocre.