Minutemen (NR, 2008)

If you could go back in time, is there any single event you'd change? For Virgil (Jason Dolley), the answer is obvious: the first day of high school, when he tried to defend a geek from a crowd of football players, an incident that left both of them social outcasts. Fast forward three years, and Virgil's the self-described captain of the dorks, jealous of his childhood friend, who's now the school football star. Virgil's new best pal is Charlie (Luke Benward) -- aka the geek he saved on Day One -- who happens to be a scientific genius. When Charlie invents a time machine, they become the MINUTEMEN, repeatedly traveling back in time to protect their fellow dorks from the wanton attacks of school bullies.

Minutemen is rife with stereotypes. There are jocks, cheerleaders, and other popular kids, as well as plenty of nerds, geeks, dorks, and other misfits -- including Zeke (Nicholas Braun), a hulking social outcast from shop class who's recruited because Virgil and Charlie need someone who's good with tools.

The film's strength is the way that it lays out these stereotypes and then tweaks them. When Zeke examines the plans for the time machine, he surprises everyone with his knowledge of advanced physics. "Yes, Mongo read," he tells Virgil and Charlie, making it clear that he knows he's considered a brain-dead loser -- and simultaneously proving that he's not. And as the trio saves other nerds from humiliation, the school's dorks and geeks begin to gain confidence, upsetting the entire social order for the better. Though parts of the film are silly and predictable, Minutemen offers a fun look at what school could be.

Studio: Walt Disney Pictures
Director: Lev L. Spiro
Cast: Jason Dolley, Luke Benward, Nicholas Braun
Genre: Science Fiction
Run time: 92 minutes
Theatrical release: January 25, 2008
DVD release: May 27, 2008
MPAA Rating: NR