Such a frustrating disappointment

Did you people see the same film I saw?

A Masterpiece!

The tone of this movie is interesting -- the stakes are both dramatic and high, but it's balanced with a lot of fun, tongue and cheek dialogue.

Filmed on location in a drab real world setting instead of on an artistically designed backlot, this production, like many a remake, suffers by comparison to the original hit show and other better remakes, such as the Little Rascals or Dennis the Menace. The narrow focus of the dull witted producers seems to have been on production design and the issue of how to tastefully update from the golden age 50's to the 90's. In so thinking, they have put style above substance and altogether fallen short of the achievement of the original. The mise en scene moves from the idealized small town suburb of Hollywoodland to the gloomier landscape of an authentic 90's exurb, with the occasional camp fast food sign and ugly parking lot thrown in for ironic documentary effect. This is meant to make the audience believe the remake is more realistic, yet it drains the beloved TV favorite of iconic appeal. The bland characterization and lackluster acting suffer from a similar shortcoming--a missing sense of drama or a lack of imaginative expressiveness, all in the service of verisimilitude. There's unfortunately also "studied anachronism." 50's cars are randomly thrown onto the set together with more modern makes, a fumblingly inappropriate attempt to capture nostalgic 50's feeling. Probably the lead headed film makers thought they were being clever but it fell flat like the rest of the movie. A good remake may still be made. Until then, watch the reruns.

LEAVE IT TO BEAVER, in my opinion, is an excellent film adaptation of a classic TV show with appealing performances. Despite the fact that the punk (Glenn Harris Jr.) was a despicable thief, I fell madly in love with him. If you ask me, the way that Wally (Erik von Detten) fell for Karen (Erika Christensen) was absolutely romantic. When they were together in a scene, I felt really warm and tingly inside. Also, even though everyone gave an appealing performance, I liked the Beaver's (Cameron Finley) the best. In addition, I thought that Eddie (Adam Zolotin) was an unctuous guy. However, I thought that Judy (Brighton Hertford) and her mother (Shirley Prestia) were absolute b******. In conclusion, I highly recommend this excellent film adaptation of a classic TV show with appealing performances to any fan of the series who hasn't seen it. You're in for a good time, so go to the video store, rent it or buy it, kick back with a friend, and watch it.

As weird as this may sound it's true. I just end up watching LEAVE IT TO BEAVER every time it's on. Even though it's pretty dumb, there's just a charm the film has that I can't help but notice every time it's on the Disney channel. It's fun for the whole family, and worth seeing. I'm not sure why though. 3/5 stars

I have read a bunch of these other reviews, in which many people seem to strongly dislike the 1997 movie "Leave it to Beaver." Well, I have one question for them: Do you even watch the show?! The 1997 movie combines countless themes and storylines from various episodes of the original series, a technique that is enjoyable and funny. The actors are great, and it is wonderful to see some of the original show's cast making cameos in the film (such as the actors who originally played June Cleaver, Eddie Haskell, and Lumpy). The movie gives a fresh twist to a classic television series, and effectively bridges the gap between generations. This film is enjoyable for younger children and teens who may not have seen the original series, as well as being exciting for parents or other adults who know and love the Cleaver clan from way back in the 50s. This film is a true winner, despite pointless criticisms that it may have received.