REVIEW: 'Son of Rambow' an ode to youth and movies

By DAN BENNETT - Staff Writer | Wednesday, May 14, 2008 9:11 AM PDT ∞

Young filmmakers are often inspired by the masters ---- Hitchcock, Welles, Ford. In "Son of Rambow," the lead characters are 11-year-old filmmakers enamored with Sylvester Stallone in "First Blood," the initial Rambo movie. All the better for us.

"Son of Rambow" is an ode to moviemaking, but more so an ode to youth, particularly the carefree days around age 11. Set in '80s England, "Son of Rambow" stars two young actors with no previous experience. Bill Wilner plays Lee, a little tough guy frequently kicked out of class, but with an obvious imagination. Lee enlists the quiet and sheltered classmate Will (Will Poulter) to star in the homemade movie he's making ---- a sequel to "First Blood."

That filmmaking process brings the reserved and cautious Will from his shell, allowing him to finally behave as a kid. Jumping from trees and into lakes, firing arrows and acting like an action hero allows Will the opportunity to express himself for the first time, and get rid of some pent-up frustrations. The creative partnership and unlikely friendship also allows Lee to channel his negative energy into something vaguely positive. The result is an unlikely alliance.

Funny, touching and easily celebrating the joys of youth, "Son of Rambow" gets a little creaky with its sentimentality at times, despite some behavior that earns the film a PG-13 rating. The film ultimately emerges as a likable and worthy ode to childhood, friendship and the magic of movies.

B+ "Son of Rambow"

Starring: Bill Wilner, Will Poulter

Director: Garth Jennings

Studio: Paramount Vantage

Rated: PG-13 (for some violence and reckless behavior)

RT: 95 minutes

First name only. Comments including last names, contact addresses, e-mail addresses or phone numbers will be deleted. Attempts to misrepresent your identity or impersonate any person will not be approved. All comments are screened before they appear online, so please keep them brief. Comments reflect the views of those commenting and not necessarily those of the North County Times or its staff writers. Click here to view additional comment policies.