This movie was painful to watch
I can't believe I'm writing this, as it's only a matter of time until I'll be flamed. First off, I'm not going to write one of those mindless posts with little to no punctuation saying that this movie sucks and giving little to no reasons. I watched this movie after seeing Stand by Me. While looking on the IMDB forums as well as Google for similar movies, I kept coming back over and over to The Sandlot. I decided to watch it, and amazingly, struggled through every moment of it. I'd viewed different posts asking which people like more: The Sandlot or Stand by Me. Just about everyone said it was a really close call, as they are both classics. Obviously, I began watching with pretty high expectations.
The acting was extremely flat. Yes, I'm aware that these kids were obviously very young, but so was Jerry O'Connell of Stand by Me (not saying he was the best of the four, but he WAS the youngest).
The idea of the supernatural dog was annoying in itself. How was a dog supposed to outsmart a large group of kids over and over? Once it escaped, why did it only chase down Benjamin Rodrguez and not the rest of the kids? How was it able to jump through a pane of glass and walk out unharmed? Once the boys freed the dog from under the fence, how could it have just taken a liking to them? Why was the dog hoarding kids' baseballs anyways? Stand by Me definitely had NOTHING supernatural, and it was written by Stephen King! It was this that made Stand by Me so believable.
What was up with those annoying sound effect that was played whenever a pop-fly started to drop? I groaned every time I heard that. There was little in the movie to let us know that it took place in 1962. Had it not been for the drugstore, the movie could have pretty much taken place during any time period. Perhaps one of the more major annoyances was the fact that the kids never really matured. If anyone remembers Stand by Me, there are several scenes when the kids start opening up to each other about their broken homes, their hopes, and their dreams. There were also several powerful scenes which featured the kids breaking down.
If I had more time to think, I'm sure I can find many more annoyances with this movie. The only redeeming thing about watching it was hearing the song Green Onions. Overall, I'm giving this movie a 3/10.
I'm aware that I've only compared this movie to Stand by Me, but that is because Stand by Me is definitely the best example of a coming-of-age tale and was magnificently put together. It had great acting, great script, and great direction. Also, many people on these forums compare the two movies together. Stand by Me was a kids movie made for adults. The Sandlot was a kids movie made for kids. I'm guessing that the only reason this movie is viewed at as a classic is because many people saw it when they were young, and it brings back sentimental memories. Even if I'd had far lower standards (for example, if I hadn't seen Stand by Me), I still would have hated this movie. So here is my challenge: explain to me why you think this movie was so good. Also, I ask that because I've actually taken the time to write a thoughtful response, you do the same. No one will take you seriously if you don't. Thank you all for reading.