Archie: To Riverdale and Back Again

I just watched this on Tubi for the first time. I like that the characters are on point with the way they are portrayed in the comic. It's funny but also pretty corny which is very accurate to the comics, as is the plot. However, it was a little boring.

The Riverdale tv show on Netflix is better in many ways but I hate that it is such a stretch from the comic which I know and love from my childhood.

I always thought they should use twins to play Betty and Veronica who are wearing different wigs. Archie and Jughead were not very handsome in the comic and they certainly picked the correct actors for that too.

This was a really good movie. It was entertaining, that's all that matters. I think the "self-proclaimed" Archie buffs who gave the bad comments about this movie didn't watch it with an open-mind. Even if you read the comic books, you would find this movie believable. Sure it would've been nice if the characters in the comic books turned out to be just the way you wanted them to be, but that's not what life's about. You should expect to be disappointed in life, just as with this movie. If you plan on being disappointed when you go to watch this movie, then you'll be relieved when you watch this movie (because it isn't all that bad). Going in with high hopes will give you the Siskel-Ebert syndrome where you find yourself scrutinizing every scene and character interaction. So I recommend this movie to anyone who has an open mind, and who's a fan of Mystery Science Theater 3000 (the TV show that's no longer around). If you can make fun of a movie, and still enjoy it, then you're getting your money's worth. Like it or hate it, Return To Riverdale is worth the money (you just gotta be open-minded).

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To start off, I think this movie definitely was horrible! I have been an Archie fan since I was very young. I love the comic books, but I don't love this movie.

This movie sucked because Jughead shouldn't be a shrink, the teenage Jughead we all know does not give a dam* about other people! Yeah, he was an excellent friend to Archie, but Jughead isn't the type to refrain from eating cheeseburgers' all day and listen to pathetic problems.

Not only was the character 'Jughead' bad, but Reggie Mantle, the thug we all know would not seek that type of revenge to the gang. Reg was full of dirty gags, but he wasn't like that. Reggie was a jerk, not a jack***! Geez, even Reggie had 'some' morals.

And Betty and Veronica's sad attempt to win over Archie didn't seem to be too realistic. The ending is pretty sad, also..."just friends"--right. That is the love-sick Archie we all know. NO way, Archie would not loose contact over the woman he loved for his whole teenage years for an annoying fiancee. Puh-lease, who made this movie?

Overall, this movie stunk. Big Ethel will never be a model, Jughead had no intentions to become some 'rap wannabe'. Along with Archie's Weird Mysteries, this has been a horrible movie and I'm sorry I ever watched it.

I read Archie comics from age 5 to 13--they were like old friends. That was many years ago but I'm still sentimental about them and was eager to see this movie after learning about it years after its initial release. When I finally got the opportunity I viewed it with a bit of trepidation; I'm more or less a purist and for me its success would be dependant on the characters physical resemblance to their comic book counterparts. Personality was important too but the artwork was a big part of what I loved about the comics. I wanted the movie to respect the Archie tradition. I was disappointed that of the original teenagers only Veronica and Reggie bore a strong physical likeness to their comic book originals but during the course of the film Archie, Betty and Jughead seemed to transform...the actors ably portrayed the essence of the characters and convinced me that yes, this is what they would look like and act like fifteen years after graduation. As far as personality goes, that was well captured, too; after all, we all grow up but retain our essential character. There are places where the plot stretches credulity but that's part of the Archie heritage...the comic books were often madcap beyond belief! Except for some unnecessary sexual innuendo which didn't add much to the story, this was a tender hearted look at the power of friendship to endure teenage angst and be the better for it. (For the record I agree with everyone's comments about Jughead and the forgettable rap song--I dare say genuine rappers would be offended! Is there ANYONE out there who liked it?)

I don't know why people trash this movie, it's not bad at all! Of course I can understand why people don't like it, due to the 'grown-up' Archie characters...Plus this was probably a pilot for a TV series that never took off the ground (I wish that this had been a series.) And remember you can't explain everything in a pilot episode. I'm a fan of the comics and had been for many years when the movie came out.

But all in all, it's a great film. Some characters are the same years later, others are very different they where in the comics!

It's 15 years since the gang has graduated from the halls of Riverdale High:

Christopher Rich plays Archie, now a lawyer, getting ready for a move to the big city, and he's engaged to Pam, a very stuck up woman.

Sam Whipple is Jughead, a shrink now, (A very far strech for Juggy) but he's divorced, with a son, and has women problems.

Karen Kopkins plays Veronica, Ronnie is still the same, after 4 husbands, and she's still daddy's little girl, but Ronnie is realizing that money doesn't buy happiness.

Gary Kroeger is Reggie, He is no longer the wisecracker he was, while in the halls of Riverdale High, Reg probably owns the entire block that houses 'Pop's Choc'late Shop'...

and last but not least of the gang is Betty, wonderfully played by Lauren Holly. She does a great job of being the happy-go-lucky character that Betty is! And Betty has a boyfriend, who is not the happier to meet Archie Andrews.

Plus we get to meet Moose and Midge, Big Ethyl, Mr Weatherbee, Mrs Gundy, Coach Taylor, but sadly the movie is missing Dilton, and Coach Taylor's son Chuck.

All of the characters are back in town for the class reunion others have been in Riverdale since school ended. The movie is like an Archie comic, in a 'years later' kind of way. The storyline has many different side stories, but is a fun movie to watch.

I'd give it 8 out of 10 stars....