Snow Day

On a stormy day off, a band of kids lead by Zena Grey (The Bone Collector) resolve to defeat their most wicked adversary--the comically sinister Snow Plow Man (Chris Elliott)--before he clears the roads and they have to go back to school. Clever concept. Too bad first-time director Chris Koch can't stick to it. Half the movie is wasted on trite and tiresome tripe about a crush-struck junior high boy (Mark Webber, Drive Me Crazy) nervously pursuing the Unattainable In-Crowd Girl (Emmanuelle Chriqui, Detroit Rock City) who has a Bullying Jock Boyfriend. Chevy Chase and Jean Smart contribute to additional, useless parental subplots. As unambitious, generically populated kid flicks go, you could do a lot worse, but you could also do a lot better. Not a necessary purchase. (R. Blackwelder)