30 Second Bottom Line: An all-girl rock band learns their chart topping music is being used to take over the world by inserting subliminal messages into their songs. They decide to take action to prevent that from happening.

Story Line: Josie and the Pussycats has so much in your face satire, that you may miss the more subtle messages right away. But don't worry they keep hitting you over the head until you do. Fans are going crazy over the boy band, Band du Jour (aptly named), as they climb out of their stretch limousine at an airport hangar. While on the private jet, chock full of easily recognizable brand merchandise and killer product placement, the boys in the band ask their manager Wyatt (Alan Cumming) what the words are they are hearing in the background of their recordings. These are subliminal messages hidden in the music to market products. Now that the band is aware, they can no longer be manipulated, so Wyatt takes action to rid himself of the Band du Jour.

His search begins right away for a new group of kids, with the right look and willing to open their mouths and sing. Sounds vaguely familiar as the premise of a couple of recent TV shows. This "rigorous" search results in Josie and the Pussycats becoming a true overnight sensation. Literally within a week, they go from playing in a bowling alley, where no one listens to them, to having the # 1 song on the pop chart titled Pretend to Be Nice.

Josie (Rachael Leigh Cook) is the lead singer and guitarist; Melody (Tara Reid) plays the drums and Valerie (Rosario Dawson) strums the bass guitar. They are struggling with their lack of success in spite of being talented, and are thrilled when they are discovered. Melody is a scatterbrain who is pleased as punch with just about everything that happens. Valerie becomes insecure and angry when the name of the group is changed to Josie and the Pussycats (as in Diana Ross and the Supremes). She is also miffed that Josie is invited to press parties while she and Melody are not. Josie likes her newfound fame and success, but is even more suspicious than Valerie about why so many wonderful things are going well so quickly, after being totally ignored for so long. The more she learns, the more she takes action to save the world from subconsciously inspired spending sprees; while continuing the success of the band, of course

Wyatt is the road manager from hell; with a smile on his face projecting an image of always trying to look out for the group's best interest. He gives them a life with perks such as private jets and limousines. His real mission is to sell products whose advertising messages are placed subliminally into their teenybopper songs. He is in cahoots with Fiona (Parker Posey), who runs a marketing development center located deep underground, where plans are made to deliver secret messages to the consumers of the world to boost the sales of the products she represents.

As the evil marketing people of the world pursue their goals, Josie and the Pussycats jump start their careers, get their love lives together and thwart the mind manipulation of customers around the globe through TV commercials and hidden messages in songs.

Tell Me More About It: For an adult, sitting through this movie and keeping still is an "ants in your pants" challenge. Unlike Spy Kids, Josie has more difficulty holding the attention of both adults and children. A more solid ending might have helped redeem it. The story is not about Josie and her boyfriend but that's what the ending would have you believe.

While I don't want to underestimate the intelligence of the people who will like this film, I think it's aimed at the bubble gum set of 7-12, more so than teenagers and young adults. Just take a look at the toys and accessories that are being sold in conjunction with the film; Fiona would be proud. That said, the satire in the movie, which is quite good, is aimed at people 16 or older who can drive to the mall, might have a job and a fair amount of disposable income to buy the things that the subliminal messages in the songs are suggesting.

The satire of how we are brainwashed with commercials is lost on the audience, much like the messages of staying in school and not getting pregnant was in Sugar and Spice. Last year Cast Away won my dubious award for having the most blatant use of commercial placements. There, it was supposed to be somewhat subtle and not obscure a great story with an Academy Award nominated best acting performance by Tom Hanks. Here, the main message in the film is how advertising and marketing will become "…the epicenter of all trends"…and "to make the world one TV commercial."

The best thing about Josie and the Pussycats is that it has the irony of satirizing advertising in the general society by using a movie jammed with product placements to make the point. All the logos, labels and packaging are familiar…so remind me again how mind manipulation works. J

Rachael Leigh Cook: AntiTrust	Tara Reid: Dr. T. and the Women
Rosario Dawson: Light it Up	Alan Cumming: Spy Kids
Parker Posey: Best in Show	Harry Elfont/Deborah Kaplan: Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas

Josie: Rachael Leigh Cook	Melody: Tara Reid
Valerie: Rosario Dawson	Wyatt: Alan Cumming
Fiona: Parker Posey	Director: Harry Elfont/Deborah Kaplan