Click (2006)

I enjoyed Click a good deal more than I expected. I loved the concept -- and the trailer scene where the dad uses the magical remote clicker to freeze-frame reality long enough to permit physics to exact his revenge on the obnoxious neighbor boy -- but I had been led to believe Click was a mediocre piece of meh. To the contrary, the movie's premise and development were sufficiently believable (once you accept the machination of a magical remote that can freeze, rewind, or fast-forward not television but life itself) but the techno-mystical milieu of the remote was above par in design and exposition. Besides that, I'm not certain Christopher Walken can do anything wrong -- even his vacant stare (pick one of a few) wafts across several levels of recognition and poignancy. The movie's message will probably hit home with some oomph for the parent of any child who would like to avoid life's aggravating moments but never miss one moment of transition, growth, tradition, and joy. I suppose the point is that we can't bloodlessly choose which of these moments to avoid or experience -- we just need to be there and live through them as they come. Like every human being, including each of our loved ones, the good comes with the bad and every strength corresponds to a weakness. Take life as it comes -- we can't capsulize or control it nor should we selectively check out or withdraw for our own convenience. 4 stars for technical merit, 4.5 stars for emotional impact. (10-27-10 posted 11-3-10)