Chasing Liberty

I suppose that the complete fabrication of a world in which the President and the secret service would compromise the safety of the first daughter for the purpose of deceiving her could be forgiven in light of the fact that it supports the unusual circumstances needed to have these two people "fall in love". But I don't forgive it because it's so completely and utterly stupid. I also can't overlook the fact that she is a self-centered and nasty person throughout this entire film. I had no sympathy for her character. I have no idea what it must be like to have a fantastically rich, powerful, and loving family and yet have a strong desire to be foolish and reckless, placing yourself and another person in danger because you feel your own life lacks something. Any man that has been in a position of selfless sacrifice in favor of a woman he loves, only to have her carelessly treat him, will despise her character. She pursues her own desires without concern or even any thought how it might affect others. As far as she knows the man she is with is an amazingly kind stranger, but she treats him like dirt. She imposes upon him to drive her all over town, she gets him mugged, and then when she doesn't get her way she pouts and leaves him stranded on a dirt road. She jumps in the back of a passing truck and leaves him stranded in the middle of nowhere. That's before she kicks him in the crotch at the end of the movie. What man would ever find such a whiny, selfish, heartless woman attractive? I despised her character in this film and I was hoping Ben, the male lead, would develop a backbone and tell her what a selfish and spoiled little brat she truly was. But, alas, it never happened. The ending was as predictable as the movie was lackluster. This is a definite thumbs-down. Boring and predictable with an unbelievable premise and a lead female character so selfish and spoiled I wanted to smack her.

I've just seen this movie for the first time and I loved it. While it wasn't overtaxing, it was adorable. Matthew Goode and Mandy Moore had lovely chemistry together and their relationship was so lovely; equally as cute was the subplot concerning Morales and Weiss's romance and Mark Harmon as the President and the Agents in sunglasses were hysterical. While it didn't stretch my brain, it did brighten up my evening and there should be more made like this. Matthew Goode was excellent in the role - despite the stiff British accent - and he has a excellent future ahead of him while it's one of Mandy Moore's more likable roles.

This is one of those age-old questions. You see a film that is horridly written and acted. The characters are poorly developed and as shallow as the kiddie pool. The story involves just a number of helicopter shots of the characters having fun in foreign cities, while bad music plays. It literally looks like one of those Brady Bunch television shows when they go out and shoot on location. You know, the music is playing while Marcia tries on a goofy hat and the sisters look on in laughter. BUT, fans will say, oh you, it was a sweet movie made for young people. What kind of young people? Stupid young people? I'm sorry, a bad movie is a bad movie, period. I am giving it a 1, I'm sure that my 1 will be balanced by the numerous stup...erhhh...young people that will be giving it a 10.

There's a sequel planned. It's called 'Chasing the Liberties' and it will star Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen. They'll be the twin daughters of the US president and see all their dreams crushed on a double date in town. Then the entire family will fly to the Czech Republic and the 'Liberties' will escape, running into two mysterious 23 year olds named Benuno and Bendue. People aren't really this stupid. The studios want to believe they are and if they keep hammering away at preteen pea brains, maybe people will eventually succumb. This is a preteen girl flick. You can know because it starts with lots of close-ups of MM putting on lipstick and mascara and then segues to shots of her trying on different kits for her Big Date. As MM has absolutely no innate charm, beauty, or sophistication, it can't be meant for red blooded males. It HAS to be a preteen girl flick. You travel to four supposedly big hotspots on the Eurorail tour. Wow, what sophistication. And if seeing MM wander around these magnificent places isn't enough to jar your senses, wait to see how she acts (clue: there's no acting - it's just a succession of postcard shots with the cameras moving around) and hear what she says on the audio commentary (if you can last that long). MM is an ambassador for the US all right: in her wee nutshell size brain she epitomises everything everyone hates about the US and everything that's wrong with that country and people of her incredible ilk. Go see French Kiss instead. PS. The answer to the title riddle is 'yes, one - MM'.

Mandy Moore plays Anna Foster, the 18 year-old daughter of the President of the United States (Mark Harmon). She has a dream of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness without an army of Secret Service agents around her at all times. The movie begins with Anna going on a first date, and the Secret Service agents ruining it. On a trip to Europe, Anna ditches the Secret Service agents and meets Ben (Matthew Goode). Anna thinks she is finally free to live like other teenagers, and she sets out to tour Europe with Ben, with whom she falls in love. This is a lighthearted, enjoyable comedy. The story is thin, but the landscapes of Europe are beautiful. (Warner Brothers Pictures, Run Time 2:00, Rated PG-13) 4/10

Pop singer Mandy Moore plays Anna Foster, the 18-year-old daughter of the President in this romantic comedy set in Europe, as she tries to ditch her Secret Service handlers to enjoy a bit of fun and romance with her new boyfriend (Matthew Goode). It's pretty obvious that not a lot of thought went into this film. The whole thing is pretty generic and predictable. It's all been done before and it's all been done much better. I really only watched Chasing Liberty because my girlfriend wanted to watch it. We both ended up not liking it. The whole film was just very dull and pointless. I know its just a harmless chick flick but that doesn't mean it should be so lifeless. Most of the film is just Mandy Moore running around Europe with two security guards watching after her. The subplot with the two security guards is the only interesting aspect this film has to offer, Unfortunately, the subplot doesn't take up much screen time. The acting is just as generic as the script. Mandy Moor is a decent actress but here she's completely dull. Her acting is so unconvincing and wooden though she does appear to be having fun and this helps a little. Mark Harmon plays her father and he gives a bland performance. The only person to give a good performance is Jeremy Piven. He plays one of the security guards and he's the only thing keeping the film together. Director Andy Cadiff moves things at a really slow pace and he will put the audience to sleep fast. He usually just directs fluff like Growing Pains so that's not much of a surprise. I think the worst part about the movie is the music. It's so corny and annoying. If no one was talking then some cheesy song would be playing. It's almost like they wanted to punish their audience with all the bad music and acting. Surprisingly, the running time is only 105 minutes. Of course, it feels much longer and a lot of this stuff could have been edited. Also, I don't think teens will really like this movie because it's probably too long for them. It's not mature enough for an adult audience so the only people that will like this film are fans of Mandy Moore. Make that only die hard fans of Mandy Moore. In the end, this generic teen film is worth skipping. Rating 3/10

While this was not DEEP material by any standards, no romantic comedy is! This is probably the first romantic comedy to come out since "How to Lose A Guy in Ten Days" that I've really really enjoyed. And probably the first comedy of any kind that has made me actually laugh out loud in the theater. Mandy Moore is much more than a pretty face and voice, she CAN act. And Matthew Goode was is great with dry humor, and a decent actor. The scenery was gorgeous, the story humorous, the actors pulled if off well...this movie should have done so much better.

I really loved this film. I will freely admit that I have a penchant for romantic comedies, but I have seen my share of bad ones and this is definitely a must-see for fans of the genre. It works because it has a far-fetched storyline that allows for the two main characters to frolic around Europe with two secret service agents on their tails. It also works because of the beautiful backdrop of Europe as the setting for this fairy tale romance. The locations the director chose are stunning- mainly Prague and Venice. Gorgeous! The romantic glow of Europe makes the movie so much more romantic. It's not hard to believe that Anna and Ben fall in love while taking a moonlit gondola ride. I also really enjoyed the story line of the two secret service agents who are trying to find Anna- Weiss and Morales- in many ways their romance is even more enjoyable storyline than that of the main characters. The music used in the film works very well, too. Mandy Moore and Matthew Goode are new actors but they have palpable chemistry and both work perfectly in their roles. For a romantic comedy I'd have to say... 9/10

I know, I know. This is a teenybop, sickly sweet movie. But I can't help it. It is my biggest guilty pleasure. I have seen this movie over 10 times and am now buying the DVD. In a world were most movies are so full of sex and/or violence...you have Chasing Liberty. Sure you can guess the end within the first 10 minutes, but so what?!? Mandy Moore is just adorable and Matthew Goode is just...hum...really great eye candy!!! He is just too cute for words! The music in this movie is pretty techno and I really enjoyed the scenes in the concert and at the Love Parade. Keep looking for the CD of the soundtrack to come out. Anyhow, I am sure 98 of 100 people will say don't waste your time, but I disagree. I just love this movie.

Entertaining teen flick about the daughter of the President of the USA. This girl is not spoiled or snobby, no, so there's not the typical cliché. The problem with her is that she can't enjoy her liberty at full because all of the events that surround her father's "Job". Everything changes for her when she travels to Europe and decides to escape to chase her liberty. She there meets one of her father's private investigators and there a typical movie romance starts. But the events of the movie are really entertaining and also suggest a message for those girls who are chasing their liberty or whatever. I caught this movie on HBO about two years ago and I enjoyed it pretty much mainly because of Mandy Moore's unique on-screen charisma and her beauty. Also, the story has enough elements to be considered as entertaining and funny. I recommend this movie for those who can enjoy light humor and some clichés from teen flicks.