mullermike

I might not be the best judge for this movie. I fell asleep from boredom and never really figured out what was going on during this one. I hadn't heard good things about this flick. However, I've been a fan of Wes Anderson ever since Bottlerocket came out (that film has proved to be his best). I didn't bother when it was in theaters. Recently I saw it at the video store so I paid my $4, got home and popped it in.

A cousin of mine described this movie as Wes Anderson imitating Wes Anderson. I didn't get the same notion, yet I will say this. Anderson hinted at pretentious indulgence with Rushmore, upped the ante with The Royal Tenenbaums, now he's created an entire movie out of it. What do I mean by pretentious indulgence? Well, in Bottlerocket you had a movie dominated by interesting characters. The story was solid as well. You combined the two and the result was an unforgettable classic (according to me at least).

But with each followup film Anderson has forgotten to create vivid characters. Only Gene Hackmans character from Tenenbaums was a character with any life. His films now consist of mopey duds that stare blankly into space. His characters don't speak as much because not much is going on -- there's no script to work with. Does he want the viewer to figure out everything? He's forgotten that his job is to entertain and maybe getting us to think. He certainly didn't entertain and the only thoughts I had were how dull this movie was.

The characters of this film also had a major flaw -- they were imperfect people but you despised them. At least Hackmans character from Tenenbaums and the morons from Bottlerocket (especially Dignan) were likable. Despite their weaknesses (and recklessness) you couldn't help but warm up to them. The characters in Life Aquatic (aside from Wilson) were cold, cruel, and not the slightest bit charming. Not only that but the overwrought atmosphere made it impossible for one of them to stand out. Anderson was obviously going for subtle humor. The characters were always subdued -- even when hijacked by pirates. Deadpan humor worked in Airplane but not here. Instead the humor seemed calculated and mean spirited. The blaze attitude also seemed apathetic, as if the characters themselves were about to yawn.

I also found the profanity in this movie untimely. Foul language can add humor but it can also debase a film. Yes, it debased it this time around. And when Goldblum's character smacked the dog, I wanted to smack him. Here Anderson had a dead scene so he went for shock value. He's never had to rely on shock until now. This dog slapping, an obvious attempt at humor, reinforced what was apparent throughout the film -- none of the characters were likable. If Goldblums character had stood out and we actually liked his sleaziness maybe this cheap gimmick would have worked.

Sadly Anderson's career path is headed to the ash heap. Tenebaums seemed like a breakout and luckily he still packs his movies with good tunes. But his movies have become slow, weary, overblown affairs. I know the artsy fartsy crowd loves Anderson's fascination with his own so-called genius. I hate to offend the urban snob community but this movie lacked substance and style and it shows that Anderson isn't living up to the potential he displayed in Bottlerocket. Hope he can awake from the hypnosis that is destroying his films.

This is a movie I had walked past in the movie aisle for years. It always thought it looked intriguing. The cover along had the look of an independent film. However, independent can often mean independent of entertainment -- just watch 200 Cigarettes, abhor. I knew it'd be risk watching this flick but I was up to the challenge.

Labeled as a laugh out loud comedy (though I found it in the drama section), Bruce Paltrow crafted a very touching flick. Here you have a full-time karaoke wise guy who is reconnected to his long lost daughter --a corporate slave who goes overboard and meets a stranger in the middle of nowhere -- a sensitive taxi driver (a Patrick Dempsey clone) who meets a bimbo who thinks she's all that.

These 3 sets of people are all on different paths. But they're all on a path to nowhere. Whether they have family or not, a strong emptiness exists in each character. This could be an excuse to get overly gloomy as Hollywood is often keen to do. Not quite the case.

I don't want to comment on the individual performances -- none of them stood out. They were all real, believable, and you could feel compassion for each of them (even the bimbo). Each person has their own demons that may or may not be obvious to themselves. That's not to say the characters aren't strong -- they all have a distinct personality. But all of them mold perfectly into the comforting feel of the movie.

This movie isn't trying to make any grandiose statements. It's really a tale about 6 lost souls that take a liking to karaoke. Despite their separate journeys they all meet one in Ohama for an event nobody will forget.

I'm struggling to get in depth about this movie so I'll leave it here. You won't be blown away but you will walk away feeling very satisfied. Despite some sadness the movie ends on a good note. Hollywood told a good story here. Highly Recommended.

I recently watched Caddyshack for the first time in years. I loved it years ago and still quote it today. Before viewing, I told my brother I was gonna rent it. After all, I hadn't seen it since college. He said "dude, this movie hasn't aged well." I retorted with a quick "you're crazy." This is Caddyshack, one of THE all time great comedies. A modern day comedic masterpiece according to everyone, including myself. In a past review about Used Cars, I even marveled about how it's jokes had aged well, whereas UC had lost it's edge.

About an hour into it, I realized "oh my God, my brother is right." The film isn't just dated because of the polyester, unkempt hair and short shorts. The jokes simply aren't as funny. Lines that I regularly quote didn't hold up. I can't tell you the disappointment I experienced in learning this. First of all, I'm a huge fan of Rodney Dangerfield. And some of his lines are quotable, even from this movie. But many of his antics simply haven't held up. Other Dangerfiled films like Back to School have aged much better. Then again, I haven't watched it in a few years, maybe it's lost it's humor. It did have William Zabka, the poster child of 80s blond haired goons. So who knows.

I never cared about the plot of this movie. Neither did Harold Ramis. It's basically about the vastly different members at a country club. It's character driven, not plot based, and gag ridden. And some of the jokes are fun to quote with friends. But hearing them during the movie will not make you laugh. Even on DVD, the film just hasn't aged well. It really feels low budget.

I don't want to get in depth about this movie. Nearly everyone on earth has seen it. The writing is good, Harold Ramis knew what he was doing. And watching it, I could see the similarities with this and Animal House. Ramis didn't direct AH but the music in each was similar. And each movie really had no plot. But whereas Animal House still gets the party going, Caddyshack seems hopelessly antiquated. Seriously, picking your boogers and eating em? The Baby Ruth in a swimming pool? That was funny when everyone was saying "sike."

Having said that, there's no denying Caddyshacks place in film history. It showed the screen talent of Dangerfield to a new generation. It catapulted the careers of Chevy Chase and Bill Murray (who supposedly disliked each other). Plus some of the one liners, though a bit mean-spirited, are still being quoted by the kids. But watching the film, it's just not as captivating. I don't know if there's really a way of preventing that. You make a movie with material that's funny at the time. Styles and humor are gonna change, so it's hard to know what will be funny in 10, 20, 30 years.

I'll always have a special place in my heart for Caddyshack. I spent many nights watching it with friends, so it has nostalgic value. And I'll forever love Dangerfield, Murray and Chase (until he became unfunny). Yet after seeing how dated it is, I'll never watch it again. I'm simply gonna remember Caddyshack for what it was years ago. Not how it looks today.