The J Team (2021) Poster

(2021)

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1/10
What the..... was that?
jeff6813715 September 2021
Really? That was the most boring garbage I have ever seen. That phoney smiley upbeat dialogue is nauseating. TV programming has really gone downhill.
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1/10
Nickelodeon's magic is all gone...
cte1815 March 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Man I used to love watching Nickelodeon when their cartoons, live action sitcoms, and movies had actual heart and soul put into them. It's no surprise that this film didn't do well after their serious decline over the past decade. The J Team is basically JoJo Siwa: The Movie, if you don't know who JoJo Siwa is, she's a young and extremely popular singer, songwriter, dancer, actress, and social influencer (atleast back when she was a kid). She's been the Minnie Mouse of Nickelodeon since 2017 and was popular to a much younger audience.

I personally don't have any hate towards JoJo Siwa like a lot of people, not that I'm a fan of her work since I'm simply not the targeted demographic. This doesn't excuse how bottom tier this movie is though. This might even be the worst Nickelodeon film ever produced. The story is about JoJo Siwa getting kicked off her dance team because of a new bossy coach taking over who doesn't approve of her saturated appearance and joyful personality, meanwhile JoJo and her new dance team create "The J Team" to compete against her.

I mean this premise actually sounds passable on paper, but the movie executes it horribly as a "being accepted for who you are" type of film even to kids. It's not only painfully unrealistic and extremely predictable but the movie literally forgets this storyline even exists at times and just shoves musical number after musical numbers into your ears. This is nothing new with musical movies but the message goes nowhere after the first few songs get thrown into your face. This isn't a "Nick Jr." movie like Paw Patrol: The Movie so it can't be excused for a movie made just for preschoolers. It's poorly paced in every way and gets super boring to watch in just minutes and not much really happens aside from JoJo singing about getting herself back on stage over and over, there's no substance or character development throughout the entire film.

Speaking of character development, this movie has some of the worst characters I've seen from a Nickelodeon project. JoJo Siwa does almost nothing other than what I already mentioned, her goal is barely played out like a drama and more like an easy outgoing mission that could've been solved in 15 minutes getting back into dancing on stage with a new team of companions. There's nothing relatable or sympathetic about how she's portrayed in this film like it would be in real life in the music industry. She barely shows any concern and proper emotion because of how one-dimensional her personality is written for this film. The bad acting doesn't make it any better due to how forced the directing feels. Coach Poppy fails as a villain because of how bland her character is for an antagonist. The only reason she kicks JoJo out of the dance studio is because she stereotypes her for her bow and energetic style. Her brief backstory fails to make her an understandable antagonist and more of just an underwhelming plot device who hates happy people for no reason. JoJo's dance friends are also complete jerks to her thinking she betrayed them when getting a new team and her new team is no better, none of the other characters have a personality as they are just annoying cardboard cutouts. It's mean-spirited when JoJo has done nothing wrong for the sake of trying to bring back her happiness without hurting others and not one person gets it in their head. JoJo's dog BowBow only gets a minor role and only appears in two unnecessary musical numbers. You'd think maybe Jessalyn and Jayden Siwa would get an appearance in this film but oh well.

If that wasn't bad enough the songs in this movie feel very rushed and uninspired and only exist because it's a JoJo Siwa movie. There's no creativity put into the musical aspect of this film and only feels like a cash cow to sell Siwa merch. The film literally starts with an unnecessary opening song when JoJo wakes up and doesn't contribute to the introduction of her character or even the actual plot, it could've just been a normal slice-of-life introduction for the few who don't even know who JoJo Siwa is and just wanted to watch a new Nickelodeon film that came out on Paramount+. If the soundtrack was the only reason Nickelodeon allowed this movie then it should've just been a live musical.

Additionally this movie feels extremely TV quality with how it's filmed and edited, I don't know if a theatrical release was originally intended or not but this looks very low budget for Nickelodeon standards. This might sound like a nitpick but visually this just feels like it was shot in 10 days, the only time the visual effects look somewhat finished would be the final dance scenes at the concert between JoJo and Poppy. I've seen better cinematography even from bad Nickelodeon movies.

This movie is just a sad waste of time. Again I do not hate JoJo Siwa but this might honestly be the worst Nickelodeon movie to date. The same studio that brought tears to our eyes from the emotional scene in the SpongeBob Movie gave us this unwatchable lifeless cashgrab. This is all just my opinion and I know it's nothing new to see Nickelodeon make these kind of things, it's just sad to see wasted potential in what Nickelodeon could be doing in this day of age. They just milk everything they get their hands on that makes them the most money.
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10/10
Entertaining
mvasilion3 September 2021
I loved this movie. The story. I love Tisha Campbell and her for this role was amazing. She had me dying laughing. I loved the characters. Her guy best friend. I totally recommend this.
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6/10
It's Cute...For a kids movie
matteatch19 September 2021
Yes it's formulaic, and yes you can probably predict the ending within the first half hour of the movie. But it's cute and really is it such a bad thing to have multiple movies telling kids it's a good thing to be unique. The songs are pretty good actually and the dancing is really well choreographed. It's not winning any awards but if you want to watch a lighthearted movie that you don't have to think too hard about the plot of it's good for that.
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10/10
.
marianaborgesoliveira4 September 2021
This movie surprised me positively, it's very amazing.
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7/10
The Kids Will Love It.
STEVE24BUS6 September 2021
So why is a sixty five year old bloke watching a kids dance film? Because my wife loves Jojo. This is actually entertaining and full of energy, full of quite catchy songs. A great film for the children, you know the story, you know how it's going to end, but it's a great fun feelgood movie. Not something I would normally give the time of day to, have a fun family day with it, the kids will love it.
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10/10
Great movie!!!
candyaceswag4 September 2021
Loved the energy, passion and commitment to being yourself, friendship and the power of team. Great music, great cast led by Jojo Siwa, Tisha Campbell, Julia Marley and more! Our family will certainly be watching (and soon be singing along to) this fun, spirited movie again and again!
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6/10
Entertaining for Tweens and Teens . . . So there's that
bluvd-560127 September 2021
High energy, tons of color, masterful Disney Channel acting -- and that's about it. Drawing on what I consider to be a painful backstory, Jojo is being attacked for her individuality and style by a bully of a dance coach. Sound familiar? This dance coach pales in comparison to the real life coach Jojo was submitted to endure during her tenure on Dance Moms. Still, these spunky teens work through problems that are appropriate for the plot to be enjoyed by targeted audience. And the ending is predictable.

One of the things I most appreciated about this film is that Jojo maintains a relationship with a coach who models a healthier perspective. Also, this coach can dance. She doesn't dance like a teenager, but she is still in the dance scenes, up on her feet and moving. Hoorah for a coach who walks the walk AND talks the talk.

I wish there were more positive adult role models in this film. Other than the former coach, there really aren't any. Where are these dancers' parents really? More of that dreaded Disney disease where a mother or father or both are dead and poor orphan dancers are left to their own devices? (Exception: one dancer who won't approach her parents about leaving a dance team because they already paid for the costume and will get mad? Not a good example of solid communication.). It's not really addressed.

There is miscommunication, pettiness, and a lack of stepping up to address solving a problem in a timely manner to avoid more problems because those are the easy, typical conflicts in teen-dom flicks. Owning who you are is a pretty common trope, as are the outcomes of forgiveness and rising above. At least those are positive lessons taken away.

It could have been deeper . . . But, it is what it is -- a very dance-y Jojo Siwa showpiece where she is fully committed to being her energetic, bow-wearing, colorful self. She's hardworking and positive. If kids can be inspired to hold on to those attributes, then the movie has hit its target.
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10/10
Impressed
zcfcwryzs8 September 2021
I just watched this movie thinking it was going to just be a movie down the drain, but man was I wrong . This movie has such a deep meaning that so many people will probably over look. From what I got from this movie is " be yourself , and don't change for anyone. Love yourself and don't be afraid to show your true colors" I highly recommend this movie and really pay attention. You may find your self surprised on how she captures a subject that so many people push aside every day out of fear.
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7/10
Great for kids
geoffreyho-264683 July 2022
My 6 yr old loved it. Through the lens of a kid, it was fun, had good music and cool moves. Plot was standard but meh..it's for kids. Adults might find it boring, but it's not really meant for grown-ups.
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10/10
AMAZING movie!!!!
jakubnorbertl9 September 2022
I love anything that JoJo does, the movie was on point. It was very enjoyable it had so much energy, passion and commitment. That I have never seen on any other movie before. The choreography was on point everyone followed the instructions and everything was timed so well.

I was also singing along with all the songs, because you know I'm the biggest JoJo Siwa fan in the whole wide world, so I know all the song of by heart and I can sing any of her songs without mistakes.

The songs were really catchy, and I loved them, I felt excited to finally be able to watch it after ages for waiting for Parmount + to come to the UK

I really hope we see anyone movie in the future made by JoJo, because this one was awesome and I wanna see more.

I love you JoJo, keep up the good work!
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10/10
If you're watching this and you're not a tween....
jessicaacrow21 September 2021
Or a parent of a tween, then WHAT ARE YOU DOING???? This movie is PERFECT for the audience it is intended for. Good message, positive role models. Enjoy!
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10/10
Amazing
cassiehensley-287789 September 2021
Not gonna lie i really thought it was gonna suck. I'm literally 17 watching this movie it was actually really good. The best part honestly was almost all of the positivity. There where a few times i was bored but my guess is just because it was mostly to entertain younger kids than myself. I'll also probably recommend this to my friends bahaha.
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10/10
Nobody can change JoJo & no one should
mlott-6391812 November 2021
This is a very uplifting movie! It's an amazing musical style movie intended to remind kids & everyone in between to follow their dreams & just be their authentic self! JoJo has always done that her entire career! Her talents truly shine in this film! I can not wait to continue to watch her grow & evolve as an entertainer & young woman she is becoming! The lyrical style solo was one of my favorite scenes in this movie!
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10/10
I'm obsessed with Jojo
coronahorse5 September 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Incredible film, gorgeous cinematography all wrapped up in a story of self acceptance with definite gay subtext. Love.
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