The First $20 Million Is Always the Hardest

Not that it was in the 'so-bad-it-was-good' category (though close in some ways), but it wasn't the cinematography, or the dialog or anything of that sort that I liked. What did it for me were things like the sneaky insertion of some good concepts, and topics I'd thought about years ago but didn't believe anyone else ever had.

Back in 1985 I was thinking about a cigarette-box-sized computer with holographic display and voice i/o, while frustratedly assembling 256k(!) 8088 machines with full-height 5-1/4" 10MB(!) hard-disks and 12" amber CRT displays. I didn't think of the space-touch interface, but hey that was almost 20 years ago.

Where these guys really shone was in their 'when life serves up lemons, make iced tea because everyone else will be making lemonade' approach to problem-solving. It's like looking at a boating magazine and seeing an idea that helps you with a home design. Synergistic cross-pollination beats idea theft and cro-magnon style greed in this film and that's refreshing no matter what vehicle it's riding in.

Anyway, that's my 2¢ worth.

Remember reading those nice adventure stories when you were about 10, where a bunch of kids invent something from their garage and it costs less than their weekly allowance combined? Replace the kids with four old guys, the garage with a lab and you get this movie. You'll love this movie if you don't have a clue about "computers", otherwise, you'd have to try very hard to keep yourself from banging your head on the wall until the movie ends!

I enjoy the writing of Po Bronson, with Bombardiers being right up there with Catch-22 as one of the funniest books I have ever read. I remember enjoying The First $20 Million Is Always the Hardest as well, although I think I keep confusing it with Microserfs by Douglas Coupland. When I saw this movie was playing on Showtime, I had no idea that it was made into a movie. I guess it was only released in L.A. and New York in 2002. Well, it's certainly a cheeseball interpretation of the book, with sub-par writing by Jon Favreau, who adapted the screenplay. But, being a movie about the dot-com generation, I can't resist. It's not horrible, and having Rosario Dawson cast as the female lead certainly doesn't suck.

Are you kidding me? Jon Favreau wrote the screenplay for this movie? ::shaking head:: Jon, what were you thinking?! This movie is predictable and sophomoric, and the characters are shamefully stereotyped. I get the feeling they were aiming for Revenge of the Nerds, but ended up with Revenge of the Nerds IV: Nerds in Love. It's a shame that I'll never get that 105 minutes of my life back.

It is sad that the reviews on this movie are so poor. Personally my wife and I thought it was very good. I enjoyed the movie and the concept of a 99 dollar laptop is nice. We are quite some time from a price like that, but one can dream. Anyway, I have learned to never let someone else's opinion spoil what could be a great movie. I really enjoyed the film and hope the reviews get better!!