Brilliant and touching

Absolutely the worst movie.

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

Bucking for a promotion at work, Rodney Dangerfield (as Chester Lee) brags about his soccer prowess; so, his boss assigns him coach for "The Ladybugs", an inept girls soccer team. Mr. Dangerfield knows little about soccer, and less about coaching the team; so, he persuades girlfriend's sporting son Jonathan Brandis (as Matthew) to join the team, in drag. Donning a wig to become "Martha", Mr. Brandis becomes the team's star "girl" player. How long can this deception last?Promotion as "A Comedy with Balls" gives away the film's big wit; of course, there are several jokes about testicles. Dangerfield and assistant Jackée Harry (as Julie Benson) can be much funnier than they are in this movie. The problem, perhaps, is that Dangerfield is "toned down" to appeal to a younger audience. Otherwise, it's difficult to believe the situation herein. Brandis has a non-gender specific appeal; he is best in a scene entertaining a "fellow" pretty soccer player, Vinessa Shaw (as Kimberly). Watch Brandis change between "Matthew" and "Martha" very quickly, with a cool stairway trick.There are some (admittedly straw-grasping, here) admirable messages for younger girls: for example, self-conscious "Penny Pester" is made to feel pretty; and, the team is given some "you can do it" (despite being girls) confidence. However, it's difficult to believe a high school teenager would join a girls soccer team to either get close to a girl, or please a prospective step-father. And, a character's reaction to the farce is incomprehensible ("…corrupt my son!", "Go to your room!"). Worse yet is a "changing room" scene with commits a comedy sin; it's offensive without being funny.*** Ladybugs (3/27/92) Sidney J. Furie ~ Rodney Dangerfield, Jonathan Brandis, Jackée Harry

This is going to sound crazy to most of you, but here it goes. Ladybugs is one of a handful of films that made me want to be a film maker. Seriously! I was 14 when I saw Ladybugs for the first time on video. Once I watched it, I watched it again. Something about the movie interested me to be a storyteller myself. The direction, the story, even the location of the film inspired me to start writing, acting, and begin taking film classes. Something about this feel good movie made me want to make movies myself. At the time, Jonathan Brandis just started acting himself. HE had done the Never Ending Story a few years before and was an up and coming actor. A month ago, Jonathan Brandis was found dead in his LA apartment. Though I never met the man, nor worked on any of his films, his "legacy" if you can call it that, had left a mark. His talents end on such a short note, it is unfair that his best work will never be seen. Even though he has left some good and bad movies behind, I recall most of his work as work of talent and joy.

Seeing Jonathan Brandis acting as a girl in a dress really makes up for the severe shortcomings of Rodney Dangerfield acting like a complete idiot. Weird thing is that in the wig and white dress Brandis actually looks like a real girl until he starts to speak! The film had good potential until they casted Dangerfield in the role (is he some kind of american pervy Chubby Brown?) turning a childs movie into a movie for no particular age group due to the adult humour he injects. The storyline had good potential in the first half where Brandis agrees to act as a girl to help out the girls football team and also to get closer to his crush who is on the team, although the storyline is probably a bit far fetched (how many boys would go to such lengths just to get close to another girl?) until Brandis disappears for a while from the film after his mum sees him in a dress and the film goes off at a weird tangent showing a rival girls football team preparing with their military style coach and we all thought for a minute that that team would be an all-male female impersonators football team. The film ending was rather poor as well seeing the goal (sorry about the pun) was that Brandis wanted the girl and the girls football team wanted him and neither subject was well played out.

A movie with Jonathan Brandis, Jackee, Rodney Dangerfield and the stupid mother from Mr. Belvadere? What were the studio executives thinking? It seems like one big prank on the audience, but sadly it's not. And what is with the editing? And this whole Penny Pester business is a bit perplexing. She is a chunky little thing, but when they show close ups of her legs they are skinny and muscular. I don't think so. They paid people to edit this movie and obviously they weren't really paying attention, just like all people should do if they see this movie on TV. Don't even get me started on The NeverEnding story Part II.........