Hoot, based on the book by Carl Hiaasen, is an inspirational little film in tune with Walden Media's mission of providing family-friendly entertainment by bringing popular children's literature to cinematic life in movies like Holes, Because of Winn-Dixie and The Chronicles of Narnia. However, while Hoot comes across as a nice, simple, laid-back picture, it cruises down Easy Street so many times that the driver starts to fall asleep at the wheel. 

Our hero is Roy Eberhardt (Logan Lerman), a kid who, because of his dad's government job, has been hauled around from state to state throughout his life, so he's perpetually the New Kid in school. The latest big move lands the Eberhardt clan in Coconut Cove, Florida, where Roy quickly becomes the target of a nasty bully, is puzzled by a kid named Mullet Fingers (Cody Linley) who sprints barefoot through town, and encounters Beatrice (Brie Larson), a tough girl who may be his friend or his foe -- Roy can't figure that out yet. 

Just as Roy starts getting settled into his new surroundings, he becomes involved in a fight between the mysterious Mullet Fingers and a corporation determined to build a new pancake house in town. The problem? The construction site is the home for a group of precious little owls, and it's up to Roy, Beatrice, and the elusive Mullet Fingers to sabotage the building in order to save the birds' lives.

Some studios don't seem concerned about the content in family films, so I'm glad to see Hoot putting forth an effort to encourage kids to believe in something instead of playing out 90 minutes of toilet humor. Hoot is never mean-spirited, preferring to remain in an easygoing environment generated by the sunny setting and the soundtrack, laced with tunes from the modern-day king of kicking one's feet up, Jimmy Buffett (who also produced and has a supporting role in the film). This gentle spirit helps Hoot come off as a breezy watch with a good message about doing what one can to save the environment (even if it means dancing around the law). Too bad this approach sometimes results in an over-reliance on tired humor and a fairly bland spirit cast over the actors.

Larson displays some charm as the tomboyish Beatrice, and Lerman fulfills the minimum requirements of being the Scrawny New Kid, but Linley's Mullet Fingers is surprisingly boring for a character who's supposed to be mysterious (and none too bright, either, as exemplified in a scene where he lets loose a bunch of cottonmouth snakes in the very site the owls he's trying to protect call home). 

In the supporting cast, the great underrated Tim Blake Nelson lives it up as the increasingly-frustrated construction foreman, but as the corporate bigwig who comes down to ensure construction goes underway, Clark Gregg turns in a performance so hammy, cliched, and predictable, he might as well be wearing a nametag saying, "Hi, I'm Bob Evil." And then there's Luke Wilson as a well-intentioned but dimwitted local cop. The kids will think he's funny, but most adults will probably find him tiresome.

You could do a lot worse than Hoot in terms of movies to watch with the whole clan (yes, even Grandma and Grandpa). Although the film's own simple charm prevents it from making a stronger impression on viewers, Hoot still proves to be more engaging than recent family film releases like R.V. and The Shaggy Dog. 
 

MY RATING: ** 1/2 (out of ****)

(Released by New Line Cinema and rated "PG" for mild bullying and brief language.)