Junior

Movies are strange things. Some are high art and some are just guilty entertainment. Except at extremes of greatness and trash people and especially reviewers will seldom agree on how good (well made ,entertaining, socially significant, whatever) a movie is. I happen to love this movie for many of the same reasons stated in the positive reviews above. In reading through many of the external reviews I am amazed how many of the reviewers, especially important reviewers from major newspapers, just don't get it . Then read Roger Ebert's review. I didn't always agree with his reviews (sometimes it seemed like we hadn't even seen the same movie) but the vast majority of the time he got it right, and this was one of those times.

For me this is one of those movies you will either love or hate, there is no in between. Having said that I loved it, but do not rate it up there with good movies, because even though I loved it, it is not really that good. I do think however that it is better than the current 4.4 rating.

Arnie and Danny Devito are quite funny together, but some of Arnie's acting can be hit and miss. I am by the way a big fan of Arnies, just being honest.

The casting is probably the best thing about Junior. It's hard to imagine any other macho actor of Arnies ilk pulling this off. As in Twins and Kindergarten Cop, Arnie plays against his macho image, getting both laughs and smiles by showing us his non macho side.

Add Danny Devito and Emma Thompson, actors I hold in high regard and you have to at least give this a go.

It gave me a few laughs and a smile, but I have no wish to watch it twice.

Arnold Schwarzenegger as a scientist who makes himself pregnant? The premise is pretty funny, even if the idea of Ah-nold in a comedy makes one suspicious. I thought "Twins" was awful, and "Conan" a comedy by accident. "Kindergarten Cop" was better because Schwarzenegger was mostly a straight man. Here he is called on to act the part of a pregnant man opposite Danny DeVito and Emma Thompson. While it is not an Oscar calibre performance, he gets the job done.

The story is reasonably simple. DeVito (a fertility specialist) and Schwarzenegger (a scientist) are partners working on a new miracle fertility drug. Their project gets canceled by the University and replaced by an ovarian study under the direction of Emma Thompson. They decide to implant an embryo in Schwarzenegger and continue the study illegally. They steal an egg from Thompson's ovarian study and the stage is set. Of course, the egg is Thompson's and she and Schwarzenegger are attracted to each other.

Ivan Reitman does a very good job with the story, keeping it simple and staying focused on the characters. Had he spent a lot of time focusing on the physical comedy, the film would have failed. Instead we get to watch the ultimate "macho" figure take on the ultimate "female" experience. The contrast keeps the comedy rolling, while the characters carry the film.

It is hardly a profound film, although it is intelligently written. The issues raised rely on simple male vs. female differences and the contrast of Schwarzenegger's image with this role is used to full effect. It's an enjoyable film with strong performances by Thompson and DeVito.

The humor in this film lies in its premise. If you don't know what it's about, I won't bother spelling it out for you. But it's pretty ridiculous. The jokes themselves are hit-or-miss. Some land fine but most miss the mark.

Schwarzenegger and DeVito of course are good together, but the writing could have been better. This film never lets up with the ridiculousness, which is nice, but if only it could have been more funny. Of course it's a classic, but it's still hard to sit through if you're not in the mood. Do not recommend.

As 'ridiculous' as the concept is, ignoring all the scientific inaccuracies, 'Junior' is a lot of fun. What would happen if men could carry babies in their 'womb'? Well you might want to try 'Junior'. Obviously the film wasn't meant to be taken seriously and that's how director Ivan Reitman treats this. Hats off to Schwarzenneger, who had established himself as the action hero, for taking up the challenge. He does a great job. His abilities in comedy have been underrated and 'Junior' just gave him that right kind of boost. And when you have people like Danny Devito, Emma Thompson and Pamela Reed then you can certainly expect to laugh. Thompson's comic flair also remains underrated and she is hilarious here without having to resort to the formulaic comedic tactics. In terms of writing, there are many funny dialogues that allow the scenes tickle. Even the more 'intense' sequences are loaded with funny dialogue (for example the sequence where Alex confronts Diana about Junior). 'Junior' is a movie that once can easily enjoy with the family. It was fun to revisit after years.