This movie was horrible. The people giving this 10 stars either saw a different movie or are Disney channel fanatics because this was just bad from start to finish. There was barely much plot except for the protagonist trying to save his grandmothers shop and the acting and camera work were just downright bad. This was nothing but over dramatized bullying to the extreme and overzealous teens lashing out. I give it 2 stars because I found the shy kid with the accent charming and the blogger crush witty and cute for the small scenes they both got but thats about it. This is a movie you wait for release on DVD and never rent. Save your cash and especially your time and go watch something else you got an abundance of choices.

Message movies can be a bore but not contest. A good cast and a refreshing twist on encouraging positive behavior with a very timely cooking contest at the core Contest is like a sports movie with food! As in most sports movies you may well guess the ending, but you may be surprised, and the journey is with it. Young actors and a fresh group go filmmakers make this a new entry that will hopefully reach the target audience. This is a good film for families to see together. But as teenagers and young adults may balk at that prospect parents can be comfortable with this as a date night special for their teenagers. The cast is attractive and the romance angle is well played. Contest delivers a message without being preachy and that is very welcome.

Contest is an entertaining and satisfying look into the bully and the bullied. The rolls of, and the exchanges between characters are eye-opening portrayals of everyday people that I knew growing up. I think everyone knows and can identify with a character in the story that represents the feelings they had as a youth or adolescent... along with the awkward, confusing yet often beautiful emotions that they conjure. I wish this movie were around when my kids were younger, as I feel they could have benefited from seeing it. If you have teenagers, try to get this in front of them. It would be helpful, I believe, to show this film on a class-wide or school-wide level so kids could watch it together.

I saw this film at the Mill Valley Film Festival and loved it. It's well-crafted and well-acted, and I think kids will actually enjoy watching it. I say this as someone who works with kids as a librarian in a K-8 school. It has all the components: appealing characters, dramatic moments, and a satisfying conclusion. All in all, a very nice story arc that will hold the viewers' interest and leave the door open for discussion. The movie's greatest strength was in the way the relationship between the three leads developed over time. It provided a more nuanced view of bullying, taking into account that the bully is usually someone who has been bullied himself. The cast of young actors were all appealing and talented. I imagine we'll be seeing more of them. The sound track is also excellent. After watching so many mindless (or violent) films for kids, it's refreshing to watch something that succeeds in getting a positive message across without being didactic or clichéd.