Seen it all before ***
Nothing real original here, but Coyote Ugly should keep audiences happy as long as they
go to theatres without high expectations.
It’s the common story of a small town girl
looking to make it big in the city who has to overcome some form of internal adversity to
succeed. Something producer Jerry Bruckheimer has done so often over the years and in a
way it’s nice to see him return to more simpler films after the action of Gone in 60 seconds and Con Air in
recent years.
But in all these sorts of films, it’s the
secondary characters and story which drives it and in Coyote Ugly it’s the New
York bar (called Coyote Ugly… duh) which is where most of the good stuff takes place.
The music is kicking (how wanky does that sound)
and Def Leppard fans will rejoice… Pour Some Sugar On Me is played not once, but
twice.
In terms of acting, solid performances all around,
particular from Australian Adam Garcia. His
role was originally going to be an American but the people in the know liked the accent
(and Garcia himself admitted he does not do the best American accent) so he became an
Australian.
An Australian character with an Australian accent
in an American film… how odd.
It’s funny, upbeat and fast moving… the
usual from Bruckheimer, and is a film which could appeal to both sexes.
Coyote Ugly is definitely worth a look, but
as for being a Cocktail for the 21st century? A valiant attempt which
falls short but should still be enjoyed.
- Philip Henderson
