I had no idea what to expect when I started watching "Son of Rambow," but am happy to say that I got much more than I expected. A touching little coming-of-age story about friendship and loyalty that makes you chuckle along the way and root for that awkward little kid in all of us.The Good: Adorable lead cast - particularly Will Poulter does a fantastically mature job creating a sympathetic character with true feelings and realism. The film has a light, wonderful, and adventurous spirit like The Goonies with a deeper sense of friendships and relationships like The Outsiders. It's all wrapped up in a thick layer of 80's nostalgia that works pretty well. There are some very cute moments that cause you to giggle and they're played out with subtlety and charm. The camera-work and audio are first-rate, the sets are spot-on, and the use of animation to portray the child's imagination is done well. The skillful way that such a charming little tale is all based on Rambo shows the cleverness and thought behind it.The Bad: Jessica Hynes as the mother just never worked. The script hinted at inner turmoil and struggle, but the actress played it entirely one-dimensionally. She nullified the effectiveness of most of her scenes. There was a brief couple minutes involving a teacher shoving a pair of scissors up his nose that did not work at all and shouldn't have made it past the editing room. Like most films set in the 70s or 80s, nobody really looks like anybody looked in the 70s or 80s.The Verdict: It would be very hard to not enjoy this film. I think anyone from 12-70 years of age would enjoy watching it with the widest appeal to those of us who were kids in the early 80s. If you're looking for a light, funny, coming-of-age drama, you can't go wrong with Son of Rambow.

An endearing, feel-good (unless you're Plymouth Brethren!), 1980's nostalgia fest. A bit of a cross between "Kes" & "Gregory's Girl". If you haven't watched either of those 2 films - or if you have watched them and didn't like them - then I doubt whether this film will do much for you.If you can't relate to being in awe of a 'cool' French exchange student; or the thrill of being allowed in the hallowed ground of a 6th form common room; or dancing to The Cure, Duran Duran & Gary Numan, then you're unlikely to feel much of a connection with the characters in this film. It has so many uniquely 1980's British cultural references I suspect a lot of overseas audiences will be left just scratching their heads.I also don't understand why they had to have so much bad language & blasphemy in it otherwise it would have been a really good family film. Why do British film producers do that? :o(

Son of Rambow was an extreme surprise to me. I loved it on so many levels. It brings back nostalgia and makes me feel like a kid again because I have always been fascinated with video cameras and I've always loved to make little homemade movies. Exploring and making a world for myself has also been a big part of me. Will has an incredible imagination and runs wild with ideas and creations of his own and makes the world his own little masterpiece. He befriends a troublemaker, Lee Carter, and they decide to make a movie together. People who want to see some big blockbuster CGI movie should stay away from this one, this is a movie all about creating your own adventures and stories. It's about the passion of movies. This movie, on a personal level, is one of my favorites. It's extremely touching and sentimental, and to tell the truth, I was teary eyed at the end. It brought back some fond memories of my childhood and I will always hold this movie near my heart. Perfect for anybody who wants to feel like a kid again.

I was drawn into this film right from the first scene where we see Lee Carter running with a camera. From that moment onwards there was never a dull moment and the film simply rocked, at least for QUITE SOMETIME. It was funny, charming and everything else you can ask from a British film.Will Poulter played Lee Carter and he was simply special. Great acting, good humor timing and above all the way he portrayed his character was amazing. I couldn't imagine anyone else playing the role after that terrific performance.He is well supported by Bill Milner as Will Proudfoot. They formed what I call, "the perfect partnership" that carried this film from the beginning. Great to watch! The only part where this movie slacked off a bit is the middle section, there is character of a French exchange student which is really not required. This part specifically almost ended my enthusiasm.But not to worry...the film ends well and overall I give it a Thumbs Up!