Dir. Paul Weitz
Writ. Paul Weitz
Act. Hugh Grant, Dennis Quiad, Mandy Moore, Sam Golzari, Willem Defoe

Its movies like these that make me second guess my desire to have a movie review website and Podcast. In a world of movies with no purpose and reason to be made, American Dreamz takes the lead. If the producer's goal was to be insulting to the audience, then congratulations you achieved it, because you certainly could not have expected a good movie from the script.

American Dreamz is about an American Idol rip-off TV show called American Dreamz where people from all across the land compete to become the star. The sanctimonious, pompous ass, star of the show Martin Tweed, played by Hugh Grant (Love Actually) is looking for something fresh to invigorate the show. So he tells his people to go out and find an Arab to be on the show. Enter Omer, played by Sam Golzari, who is in a terrorist training camp because his mother is killed in Iraq. However, he is not the typical terrorist because he is inept in every way and he likes Broadway Show tunes. So the leader sends him to America to get them out of their hair. Omer ends up on the show. Also on the show is a "home town" girl, Sally Kendoo, played by Mandy Moore (Chasing Liberty) who is anything but home town and will do anything to get on the show. Added to this is President Stanton, an obvious President Bush imitation, played by Dennis Quaid (The Day After Tomorrow) who is tired after his re-election win and goes into hiding, while his Chief of staff, a Dick Cheney rip off, played by Willem Defoe (Spider Man) is worried that the President is ruining his image so he tells the President to be a guest judge on American Dreamz which then forces Omer to try and assassinate the President on the orders from his leader, which Omer may not want to do.

Doesn't that story sound like a bad idea? Producers should really look at scripts and realize that even if there is a good idea on the pages, making fun of American Idol, it does not need to be made if the story itself sucks d*ck! I really hate stories that show people acting like a**holes and there is no consequences to their actions. American Dreamz is all about people being evil and being rewarded for it and people trying to be good and being punished for it. This movie insults the President of the United States (no surprise), the military, small town men, hell, small town people in general, Middle Easterners and the movie going audience. Writer/Director Paul Weitz has done some good work in the past, but clearly this was written when he was still basking in the glow of his Academy Award ® nomination and not thinking clearly.

The only good thing to come from this movie is the actor Sam Golzari. He is the lone actor to try and attempt to create something from nothing when it comes to character development. I actually saw a character struggling with the choices he needed to make and the value of them. This is Golzari's first movie and I hope to see more of him.

I shall not speak of the rest of the cast because I am guessing that they were lured for the money and then discovered how crappy it really was but had to stay because they signed a contract. Except for Mandy Moore where I am going to guess she was doing her best Britney Spears impersonation and she didn't do a bad job, unless she was typecast and then Mandy Moore is an evil woman.

I would tell you all to skip this movie, but judging from the box office results, you already decided too. Smart choice!

Brian - the Naked Gun