Unaccompanied Minors (2006) User Reviews

Nice feel-good movie

[imdb1 · 6/10 · 5 April 2007]

I just watched this movie and I really don't understand why people think this is a horrible movie. It's a good movie, I really enjoyed it! Sure, there isn't some complex plot with several twists; it's just a relaxed ride, a feel good movie. It's un-complex. As un-complex as children ARE. You remember how good live was when you were young? No worries (well, for most people that's true anyway ;). The things the kids in this movie do are things that you CAN only do when you are still young: the adults are going to forgive you. They are doing things that no adult could ever get away with, but that is exactly why it made me feel good: you just know that there won't be consequences; it's just pure adventure and fun.

I see a lot of B-movies lately; were the acting is REALLY REALLY bad. The kind of movies that I turn off half way, disgusted that I wasted my time with it. Imho, THAT are the kind of movies that should fill up the bottom 250 on IMDb. The acting in this movie however, is good! The kids put down some professional acting (not perfect, but in most cases that is totally to blame on the director-- the movie doesn't need it either, this isn't a "The Good Son (1993)") and the adults act as adults typically act in kids movies, nothing that annoyed me.

I think that any adult can enjoy this movie, if they keep an open mind, like children and still are enough of a kid in their heart to remember how (good) it was in their childhood.

Don't expect anything deep - just sit back and allow yourself to enjoy a while without worries.

Fun Family Film

[Christmas-Reviewer · 6/10 · 13 September 2017]

BEWARE OF FALSE REVIEWS & REVIEWERS. SOME REVIEWERS HAVE ONLY ONE REVIEW TO THEIR NAME. NOW WHEN ITS A POSITIVE REVIEW THAT TELLS ME THEY WERE INVOLVED WITH THE MOVIE. IF ITS A NEGATIVE REVIEW THEN THEY MIGHT HAVE A GRUDGE AGAINST THE FILM . NOW I HAVE REVIEWED OVER 300 HOLIDAY FILMS & SPECIALS. I HAVE NO AGENDA.

In this holiday comedy, five kids have just been snowed in at a Midwest airport on Christmas Eve -- and there isn't a parent in sight! Now, Unaccompanied Minors Spencer (Dyllan Christopher), rich- girl Grace (Gina Mantegna), tomboy Donna (Quinn Shephard), geek boy Charlie (Tyler James Williams) and bashful Beef (Brett Kelly) must try to outwit a disgruntled airport official (Lewis Black--"The Daily Show") in a last-ditch effort to reunite with their families. With the help of a reluctant flight attendant (Wilmer Valderrama-- "That '70s Show"), these kids are out to prove that holidays are not about where you are, but who you're with.

Now this film runs 90 minutes and its never boring. Very far fetched at times but it also has some very funny scenes. Not a great movie but not a bad movie.

If your looking something with a 1970's "Disney" vibe then watch this.

Hey, hey, this isn't a bad movie at all

[FrostyHornyPie · 5/10 · 21 December 2006]

Well, I do give it a medium rating...not bad and not good, but if adults park their brains outside the theater before going in, they'll find it fun. Sure, you have to overlook the way the kids are smarter than the adults and the fact that firstly the security guards aren't bright enough to be working airport security and even so aren't villains but just guys trying to do their jobs. Anyway, the acting is good and the script isn't bad if you don't think too hard about it. The movie is after all targeted for a junior high level audience, but the filmmakers are skillful enough to make it enjoyable for older viewers. Sure it's a reworking and multiplication of the Home Alone theme and Christmas setting. As other reviewers mentioned, there are echos also of The Breakfast Club and The Terminal. However, it's fluffy, harmless fun and there are worse movies out there right now. BTW, how did this get down to #2 on the worst list when Deck The Halls which isn't half as good is out there?

Seemed a little childish...

[Jane_Deaux · 4/10 · 6 December 2006]

You should know that I had decided I'd rather watch "Minors" than "Santa Clause 3" or "Deck the Halls," so going into the movie I was probably more lenient with it than I might have otherwise been...

But anyway, I saw this and I thought it was okay. It reminded me a little of Home Alone with more kids and antics. I thought the four main kids--the ones stuck in the airport--had good chemistry and went well together. The adults (Black, Valderrama), while they've done okay in other movies/shows, seemed to be "acting down." In fact, the whole movie kind of seemed that way.

These kids must be 13 or 14 but they're acting more like eight or nine. I'm sure it was as the director wanted but even the adults were talking slow and using lots of animated hand gestures. At the very beginning of the movie, one girl sits on a young, hip Santa's lap and tells him he "hot" and then the rest of the movie has the exaggerated and childish feeling of an episode of Blue's Clues. But, since I was ready to watch and enjoy this movie, I laughed at all the falling down, food-throwing, name-calling activity.

I noticed a theme. I think this theme or message is what some parents will like about the movie and what some might decide to steer clear of: children of divorce do well on their own, perhaps even better than kids whose parents are still married. My parents divorced when I was 14 and I don't really feel like it had a huge impact on my life but today's kids are... different. Maybe "divorce kids" will enjoy this divorce kid fantasy more than everyone else. Parents will approve of it because, even with the happy ending, the divorced parents in the film were still divorced in the end.

My kids liked it

[mysterylover3591 · 5/10 · 30 December 2006]

I gave this movie a 5, which is a compromise. There were a few smiles in it, but mostly not such a great plot - but my kids, 11 and 14, enjoyed it, the 11 year old the most. If I were making the decision for myself alone, I wouldn't watch it until it came on TV, but it was worth it for a couple hours of enjoyment for the kids. The acting by the child actors was surprisingly good; it was the story that was not well-developed. I guess I should have realized that it wasn't that great when I discovered that it was located in the smallest theater in the multiplex! Overall, I'm sorry I spent over $17.00 to get us all in, but somewhat mollified by the fact that my daughter laughed out loud, repeatedly.

Better than it might seem

[jgesselberty-1 · 7/10 · 6 January 2022]

I got this as part of a cheap 4 disc set and was pleasantly surprised that it was better than I was expecting. Sure, there are a lot of gags and kid stuff, but it had some heart, that a lot of juvenile romps don't have. Trust me, it outranks a lot of the lame Christmas kids flicks that are out there.

The director? HA HA HA HA HA what a joke!👀

[captzeppelin · 6 February 2022]

I will never work for Paul Feig again so don't call me. This was his first movie.... It should have been his last. His company treated me badly. Any questions? I designed his shots for him. He was an unfunny stand up comedian who called me to help him out.

NEVER AGAIN. Go back to school.

My mom's boyfriend says that Christmas is when Frosty the Snowman fights the devil.

[Sylviastel · 7/10 · 10 July 2019]

This film might appeal to families and younger viewers. I didn't even know about it until I stumbled at the dollar store. It's a cute premise about kids who travel without their guardians or parents. They're stuck at Hoover Airport during a blizzard on Christmas Eve. Lewis Black has a starring role as a miserable pilot whose flight to Hawaii gets canceled. Wilmer Valderrama is good as the appointed temporary carer of two siblings, Spencer and Katherine. Their mother is back home with grandmother (played by Terri Garr). Their father must find a away to get to the airport. The airport was ill-equipped to handle so many children. It's like Lord of The Flies down there. The film has it's moments too. Brett Kelly who was awesome in "Bad Santa" played one of the kids here too.

Give It A Chance, You Might Smile

[Pioneer75 · 5/10 · 2 August 2007]

Plot Summary: Due to a weather storm, an airport gets shut down on Christmas Eve/Christmas, stranding everyone there. All the kids get tossed into a room when our main character kids decide to bust out, leaving trouble in their wake. As punishment, they're isolated yet manage to escape several times in an attempt to bring Christmas to others, among other things.

Review: The acting is a bit lacking at points, and its full of clichés and overused schticks, but it still turned out alright. Quite honestly, I was bored out of my mind the first 15-20 minutes, which felt like half the movie should have been over already. But it really turned around past that. Its got a lot of slapstick comedy and should be enjoyable for the family, providing laughs and a pretty feel-good ending.

Overall: OK, so this movie's not gonna win any awards. But I didn't see why it's rated so low here. Maybe once the DVD hits shelves, people will realize its not all that bad of a movie. No one was expecting the "Citizen Kane" of kids movies here, so if you just want to see some funny stuff and have some laughs, you might actually be satisfied with the movie "Unaccompanied Minors."

Absolutely love this movie - I'm among very few too

[UniqueParticle · 10/10 · 4 December 2020]

Such a joyful Christmas story about a bunch of kids without adult supervision, love the way everything plays out! Might be odd but it's comforting to me when I see this. Lucas Black is a goldmine of entertainment along with the rest of the cast! The dialogue is pretty solid for what it is.

We just saw it -- my kids loved it

[beckyrps · 7/10 · 2 December 2006]

I had low expectations for this movie based on the trailer, but was pleasantly surprised. My kids loved it and it does have some good messages, such as an older brother who genuinely cares about his little sister, racial harmony, and a truly happy ending.

Apparently the movie was based on a "This American Life" incident in which some children who were traveling without adults were stranded in an airport during Christmas because of bad weather. To avoid the horrible "unaccompanied minors" room they lead the officious airport authority on a chase through the airport.

The PG rating is apt -- it's not G but has very few objectionable parts. I wouldn't pay full price to see it but it's worth the price of twilight admission.

Strictly for under tens

[cosmic_quest · 3/10 · 6 January 2008]

I had the misfortune of catching 'Grounded' the other day and found it to be a rather pointless little film not worth the ninety minutes or so it takes to view it, and I'm usually lenient on Christmas films. The film revolves around five kids of divorced parents, aged between twelve and fifteen, who are travelling alone before Christmas to visit their other parent. When the airport in snowed in, they go on a rampage with predictable 'Home Alone'-style tricks and out-smarting of airport staff.

I can't complain too much about the acting of the kids. It's nothing special but neither are they terrible, although it is only Tyler James Williams (better known as Chris, from the TV show 'Everybody Hates Chris') who stands out for his expressive ways and wide-eyed sweetness. The adult cast are forgettable since they barely make much of an appearance other than the brief scenes where they come across as inept losers in face of the kids' antics.

'Grounded' fails, largely, because the five kids are far too old to be carrying on like the eight-year-olds they are depicted as nor is there much of a point to their unruly behaviour. They were locked up because they acted like brats and don't deserve to be portrayed as heroes we should all hail. At least, in 'Home Alone', Kevin was not only just eight but he was justified in his tricks because he was defending his home. The toilet humour and the dumbed down show of kids outsmarting big, stupid adults only added to why this film is aimed at undiscerning youngsters under the age of ten. What didn't help elevate the film was the way it portrayed divorced kids as being 'special' and somehow less well-off than children of married parents when there are many well-adjusted kids of divorced parents out there who would be offended by this idea.

This film is pointless for anyone who's seen 'Home Alone', a superior Christmassy film about a kid trumping the adults. I can't see many folk past primary school-age who will find much interest in it.

Bad script + bad acting= One Bad Film!

[golfnut801 · 1/10 · 13 December 2006]

I was excited to see this film, seeing it was filmed in Utah. To me watching for places I was familiar with was more interesting than the film itself. The only laugh from me was the Kids In the Hall Cameo playing musical chairs…that sadly was my only laugh. Oh and there was one fairly funny site gag. The kids that were in front of me was so bored they left early in the film.

Saying that, this film is super bad, awful and very disappointing. This film is a huge waste of some really funny actors. The script is horrible; the kids are annoying and really not believable. Lewis Black is one of the funniest people alive and does not have a single funny moment in the film. Simply put, see something else.

Horrible....just horrible

[TurboFan1961 · 1/10 · 30 December 2006]

I took my eleven year old daughter to see this movie after Christmas. We had seen the very short trailer on TV commercials, and she thought it looked funny, so we gave it a shot. I've never been so bored by a film in my life. The story was so loosely strung together, it was almost like they made it up along the way. The big selling point of this one was that it starred that Hispanic guy from "That Seventies Show" but he had such a small insignificant roll, I wonder why he even bothered. The African-American boy was hilarious in his roll, but it wasn't because they gave him funny lines to deliver, but purely his facial expressions while delivering them. I hope this kid gets many more rolls, he's great. I just hope that future casting directors will have the patience to watch this film to see how incredibly talented he is. I asked my daughter at the end of the film what she thought, and she said, "It was really dumb, Mom. We should have seen Charlotte's Web, instead." I suppose we would have rented this one after it came out on video - we usually rent most family movies to check out good ones to buy and have in our library - now at least I won't have to waste another dime to do that. By the way - the "mentally challenged" group of young men sitting in front of us in the theater seemed to enjoy this film. Perhaps that should be a clue.

a disappointing movie, avoid it at any cost

[barrys82 · 5/10 · 7 September 2007]

It was a decent movie nothing excellent but viewable. The story is based on real childhood experiences from writer Susan Burton, but it makes me very difficult to believe that a bunch of pre-teens do that kind of things. The plot was kinda weak and undeveloped. the cast has decent acting, all performances were good but the best one in my opinion comes from Tyler James Williams. Wilmer Valderrama's performance was so unconvincing and disappointing, its like watching him in his role of Fez but working in an airport and Lewis Black as the movie villain was good. In conclusion, this movie is dull but enjoyable to watch it on a boring weekend.

A funny movie, but don't watch it too seriously.

[mountain_walrus · 7/10 · 9 December 2006]

Unaccompanied Minors is a funny movie for kids and adults. I recommend that the adults watch it without being too critical. Watch it realizing that it is a kids movie and ignore some of the cheesy lines. If you do that, then you will enjoy it and have some good laughs.

When the movie starts, you are thrown right into the plot. There is little character development in the beginning. The introduction to the plot is also weak. The plot isn't deep and there are a few plot holes. Also, a lot of the comedy is physical comedy.

The child actors did fairly well. Tyler James Williams, who plays in "Everybody Hates Chris" does really well with his role. His performance in the movie was the best performance of the child actors.

I would recommend seeing this clean, cute movie but don't watch it too seriously. Leave that hard nosed critic that is in you at the door and you will enjoy this movie.

A nice surprise of a movie

[ayoreinf · 7/10 · 29 December 2012]

It's not a masterpiece, it's not pretending it is, but it's fairly well written, with good characters for leads and the actors give their share, like good actors do when they're given good roles to act. It avoids almost entirely cartoonish characters, restricting them to the third or even fourth tiers. In fact the movie surprises with some unexpected depth at moments were a cheesy joke would've been easier. Very little slapstick, limited to specific scenes which call for some physical humor. And apart from some excess saccharine and cliché at moments, there's some solid story telling here, which I always appreciate. The two leading kids Gia (Gina) Mantegnia and Dylan Christopher got the looks and the talent to be going places if they just conduct themselves right. Lewis Black takes a cartoon villain and makes him human, and Paget Brewster and Teri Garr present some lovely background cartoons that complete a surprisingly nice movie.

not sure why anyone over the age of 10...

[MLDinTN · 3/10 · 24 December 2007]

would give this movie a good review. I was expecting much better after reading several positive reviews of this film. Maybe those reviews were posted by little kids, because I think that is the only audience that would enjoy this film. I found it silly and not really funny. Sure kids getting into trouble, making adults look foolish can be amusing, but it doesn't make a great film. Basically, the movie is about some kids, who are traveling alone, get stranded at an airport over Christmas. They are all put in this room where everyone is going wild. They escape and cause havoc all over the airport for the airport customer guy. In the end, they want to spread some Christmas joy for all the stranded passengers.

FINAl VERDICT: Not funny. Maybe kids would like it, but skip it if you're over 12.

Hilarious

[trebordjackson · 8/10 · 7 December 2018]

Home Alone meets the Breakfast Club this movie is a little low brow but hilarious.

typically average but good

[bob362 · 7/10 · 21 January 2008]

the movie grounded was typicall of it's movie contestants,it defined most meanings and explored all emotions possible to explore.the main thing i liked about the movie is that it represents most common kids and i have to say the acting was spectacular,i mean absolutely fascinating but all in all i have to be serious and give the movie a chilling average 7 out of 10 because the movie is not eye cathing and in many terms great but i do admit as a child myself i am overwhelmed with words to this comment. i especially liked the bonding scenes and the promises that were fully successful and many made the overall movie have a happy ending i do contest with anyone who calls this movie a waste of time because i do not understand how? but it was clearly sad but happy and truly shocked me with the comedetic scenes and lines etc to finalise my compliment to this movie grounded i bid you a due and only advise you to watch the movie.

Faces

[tedg · 28 May 2008]

Few things are more deterministic than kiddie genres, and therefore few things less interesting.

One of the things I notice in these, going back before John Hughes, is how the world of kids is divided up. Here there are 5 or six types, depending on how you count. Its extremely important that you recognize these are the right types in order for all else to work.

What's new — or seems new — are two character types. One is the black kid, who other than a jive number, plays a type that is more deeply human than racial. Its a notable evolution.

The other is that the "rich girl" is not only sympathetic without changing, but she's lovely. To play what I think are supposed to be 12 year olds, they chose a darling 16 year old. She looks a lot like Anna Popplewell, that 20 year old playing a 14 year old in Narnia 2. Its the same general type as Scarlett Johansonn: full lips and full cheeks. Also Ann Hathaway.

I do not think this is a trivial evolution. It seems that we are well into an era where women's and girls' screen faces are meant to communicate with lips only rather than full faces, or eyes as it once was. Renee Zellweger and Julia Roberts are probably the first big names who practice this style of acting exclusively. I'm not sure what it means. And I'm not sure what it means to merge this ideal with the supposedly spoiled rich girl. But it seems significant, a significant reshuffling of archetypes.

It accompanies a more obvious shift. These are all kids from some sort of dysfunctional family. The usual style would be to have parents. If you were missing one, it was because they died. Then the parents could be virtually absent by simply being too dumb to matter. Its more theatrical to show absence by having partial absence. So this all seems significant, even though the movie, well its a waste.

Ted's Evaluation -- 1 of 3: You can find something better to do with this part of your life.

The island of misfit minors

[StevePulaski · 3/10 · 16 December 2012]

Unaccompanied Minors blows such a grand opportunity for a kids film, so much so that sticking around to the end is a chore because you see so many ways the film could've subverted its dead end cliché material and watching it stay gridlocked to cheap, disposable schlock of the least common denominator is painful to say the least. With the wealth of talent and directorial experience on recognizably professional TV shows, I would've expected director Paul Feig to give this film proper guidance into sustainable entertainment and not that of a facile nature.

The film stars a wealth of talented youngsters that you hunger to see in better material. They are all "unaccompanied minors," planing to fly alone to travel to one place or another for Christmas, when all the flights at the airport are unexpectedly grounded because of an enormous blizzard that has consumed the entire town. We first meet Spencer and Katherine Davenport (Dyllan Christopher and Dominique Saldaña), who are scheduled to fly to Pennsylvania to spend Christmas with their father, but are instead, transferred to the ominous U.M. room when their flight is cancelled.

And what a room this "U.M. room" is. It's the most archaic sight in a kids' movie since watching Eddie Murphy, Jeff Garlin, and Steve Zahn get man-handled by a bunch of rugrats in Daddy Day Care. The room is crawling with about fifty or sixty ankle-biters, running lawlessly throughout the large, mundane room. The dopey but somewhat likable Zach Van Bourke (Wilmer Valderrama) is conned into watching the kids, but after he is tackled, several kids manage to escape and run wild in the airport. They are prettygirl Grace (Gina Mantegna), smart but overly-goofy Charlie (Tyler James Williams), sensitive Donna (Quinn Shephard), and the quiet Beef (Brett Kelly). They are captured by the head of passenger relations Oliver Porter (Lewis Black), and sent back to the ominous room, where the activity has died down since the remaining unaccompanied minors were taken to a quiet lodge for the night, but the six kids manage to sneak out once more, with Spencer desperately trying to get a doll delivered to his sister, who is now at the lodge.

All the kids here are great and can be very effective in better material. We already know the capabilities of Brett Kelly, who was perfectly cast in Bad Santa, but here, he is made into the bumbling, mysterious fat kid, who we know even less about at the end of the film than at the beginning. Tyler James Williams of Everybody Hates Chris fame works well in his little role, but after a while, his character, much like he would in real life, becomes a pain to deal with. An nerdy, confused, quirky little albatross.

We could think of these five kids as misfits and the airport as their island. This already poses an interesting setup. But, unfortunately, writers Jacob Meszaros and Mya Stark make the film nothing more than a collection of slapstick gags, and only incorporating the ideas of divorce, loneliness, and being an outcast as little minor character backstories the film chooses to do noting with. I believe that many, many kids would be more interested in watching kids go through and handle the same problems they possibly are going through rather than lumber around setups concocted from a fourth graders daydream.

Starring: Dyllan Christopher, Dominique Saldaña, Tyler James Williams, Brett Kelly, Gina Mantegna, Quinn Shephard, Lewis Black, Wilmer Valderrama. Directed by: Paul Feig.

airport full of kids

[kairingler · 5/10 · 3 June 2014]

A bunch of teenagers get stranded at a huge airport, and then decide to take it over and have a holiday of their own. apparently a bunch of vacation plans were made,, kids get dropped off, and all of a sudden Mother Nature decides that she has other plans,, stranding all the kids without adult supervision from their parents,, all that is left to keep the peace is Airport Security.. now you have teenager run amok in the airport,, so the antics start to fly fast and heavy,, lot's of laughs and pranks along the way,, you get to learn a little bit about a few of the character in the movie and such,, and one of the children tries to help one of the adults at the airport find his family or something along those lines,, all in all not a great movie,, but not a bad movie either,, pretty much right in the middle of the road.

Christmas Can't Save This One

[adambombnola · 4/10 · 9 November 2019]

Suspension of disbelief is required, but will not help this disaster of a film that seems so scattered and reckless.

Not a bad Re-Hash

[desertwolf2002 · 7/10 · 1 August 2007]

Unaccompanied Breakfast Club Minors. Almost character for character re-hash of a decent 80's film, yet still entertaining though mostly for it's one liners. I would recommend it to a select few since not many would pick up on the resemblance to Breakfast Club Without previously seeing Breakfast Club this is just a Home Alone slapstick comedy, only entertaining in a see how many times we can hurt the adults in a painful and unusual way. I believe if it wasn't for Lewis Black, this wouldn't have taken off. Definitely a generational film. One good item that wasn't carried over was the excessive drug use and references and of course language. This made for U.M. to be a much more enjoyable film. It is difficult to lean one way or the other, but enough of the film was worth watching to the end to make me lean more toward the excellent side.