Bongwater

I have a soft spot for the Stoner genre - I can't help it. And, unlike some of the posters about this film, I really enjoyed "Half-Baked" - it was good-natured and humble. Though the cover for "Bongwater" gave me impression of those indie movies given a shamelessly misleading advertising "angle" by companies eager to earn back even a third of the money they spent on it, I took a chance because I like Jack Black and Luke Wilson and there's always room for one more stoner movie. Bad idea. Not a stoner movie (the drug sequences are uniformly embarrassing), not a comedy, and never affecting, "Bongwater" stinks; blighted with a strained script, unfocused direction, and the kind of nebulous yet righteously sadistic morality that belongs in a Joel Schumacher opus, not an indie film. Even more disturbing, this movie shook up my opinions about actors I'd always thought I liked. Luke Wilson, so laconically charming in Wes Anderson's movies, is wooden here, the usually amusing Andy Dick is boring, and comic god Jack Black appears in only one scene that even begins to make proper use of him. And then there's Alicia Witt - I liked her OK in "Cecil B. Demented," but her performance in "Bongwater" is so excruciatingly pretentious, bratty, and shrill (she must have attended the Liza Minelli school of acting) that I pledge to never again watch another movie in which she appears.

Bottom line: I'd take the most braindead of stoner comedies over this tone-deaf, small-minded, and almost utterly unfunny movie. Even if you're a Tenacious D completist, think hard before you spend money on "Bongwater."

Fans of movies such as "Half-Baked", "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas", and "Orgazmo", should see this once in their lifetime. Don't be fooled by poor reviews. This movie is the best vehicle for Jack Black's obscure comedy I have seen to date (07/2005). Inter character relationships and general plot progression are over emphasized and simplified in a camp like fashion that, reminds me "Cheech and Chong". Sometimes this is done at a sacrifice to depth, but come on if I wanted to watch "Fight Club" or "Lord of the Rings" I would have. This movie only does one thing well, as so many movies do today, but that doesn't make it dull. I recommend this only to viewers who want to have some friends over, eat a big meal, get "into" the movie, and laugh at potheads being potheads.

Unlike many of the people here, I did enjoy this movie. It's not going to appeal to someone looking for Half Baked or any other stoner comedy, because it's really a romance. It has comedy elements tied in throughout the film and it does have its moments although nothing is totally laugh out loud funny. The characters are not nearly as ludicrous as half baked (people don't literally go flying out their windows when there stoned), but I felt they were more true to life. It is very much your typical love story backbone. The bottom line is if you hate love stories you will probably hate this. It's like the Chasing Amy of stoner films. I gave it a commendable 7/10.

When I first saw the trailer for Bongwater, I thought, "This will be the best movie of all time." I really did think that. This could not be further from the truth. Quite frankly, I'm not quite sure what I saw. I would analogize it to cotton candy(or Chinese food, just hear me out). I ate a lot, but it just kind of dissolved. I know that I watched this movie, but what was it that I saw? Was I too deep for it or was it too deep for me?? Unfortunately, this is another case in the grand tradition of "Mr. Wrong" and "Dude, Where's My Car" where a trailer writes a check that it's ass simply cannot cash. My advice is to watch the trailer continously- it's hilarious on so many levels. Watch the "Mr. Wrong" one as well to really get a taste of unbridled potential gone horribly awry.

This is a movie which is just for fun. I think you just have to get it or like this kind of film to enjoy it, as I am sure a ton of you out there will think its a waste. I liked it very much. Alot of familiar faces in this one before they became more well known. Andy Dick is great, so is Jack Black. Some cool songs too which worked great with the scenes. Just a messed up fun escape for an hour and a half, if not just to see some of these stars of today in a smaller indie film. Simple, witty, and a guilty pleasure.