Gooby

This is a very odd movie, from beginning to end. From the start, there is a very big disconnect between the voice & the character of Gooby. With Gooby being a man in a suit, how were they unable to get Robbie Coltrane to just climb into the suit? When the voice doesn't match the face, things can only go downhill from there. Matthew Knight happens to be a talented young actor, as the boy who owns Gooby, but I think his talents are wasted in this role.

Gooby is supposed to be the star, and I could not look past the suit to see the character he was portraying - partly because of the way his eyes are painted on in-expressively. The film has a small amount of quirkiness, notably the fact that Gooby retains his "cleaning instructions" tag sewn into his side, but other than that, there's really nothing to recommend. I think kids and adults will be more freaked out by this large stuffed creature than happy to see him.

WHEN is someone going to write a GOOD script for David James Elliott?? He's proved well beyond any doubt that he can carry a good show/movie, working for some of the biggest and successful names in the business. Now he's doing kid movies and obviously poor script opportunities. I've been amazed at what he's had to stoop to, to support his family.

Where is Bellisario now? What about Bellisario's next new series?; or even an updating of his character from JAG? I've heard many people miss the show and are upset to only find an occasional episode on USA network/channel. Many feel it could have a comeback with more current times and themes. It is, after all, the semi-spin-off for NCIS 1 and 2, frequently strolling many JAG actors and characters through the story lines. I'd LOVE to see DJE in a good solid role again, playing the type of character he can challenge and make his own, and not be canceled after a season...

Go for shows that aren't duplicates of all the others. Look what USA network/channel has done with unique story lines; no carbon copy shows, and they are QUITE successful. Find one that fits D J Elliott because the man deserves much better than he's been offered. Pretty soon the poor guy will be lowered to commercials--- when you really have at least a Pierce Brosnan and potentially a Tom Selleck at hand;-- if he could get a chance to really work out some of his better challenges as an actor.

Let's imagine you're a Canadian filmmaker with a sound 6.5 million dollar budget. Not enough for a big genre piece but enough for a solid 90 minute comedy or drama, provided you don't blow your budget on star power. What do you do? If you answered "hire Eugene Levy for a secondary role and Hagrid from Harry Potter to voice the giant dead-eyed teddy bear," you are Wilson Coneybeare, the Writer/Producer/Director of this straight-to-DVD abomination. While hailed as "heart-warming" and scoring "five doves" on ChristianCinema.com, there is nothing heartwarming about this film. Featuring a bear costume that makes the Country Bears look realistic and a plot we've seen done better several times already, it's unclear what the filmmakers thought Gooby would bring to the table. Aside from, you know, a host of double entendre that was either the world's biggest oversight or a deliberate attempt to sneak incredibly creepy subtext by the dove guys we mentioned earlier.

The film opens by introducing us to Willy, who monologues for a bit to establish his role as the main character and introduce his negligent power-career parents. We're treated to about a second of a CGI character that probably cost thousands of dollars just to model that we'll never see again before learning that Willy's parents are moving and introduced to Gooby, a teddy bear. After a few days being miserable in his new environment, Willy starts to notice something is about. He tracks it to the Friendship Shed, where he discovers that Gooby has come to life mutated into a dead-eyed all-devouring abomination which, apparently, is wearing a scarf suspiciously similar to Tom Baker's. From here, we're just going through the motions as we simultaneously follow the list of "things to do when ripping off Calvin and Hobbes" and "my imaginary friend is real and an adult is trying to expose it." Though that's not to say it doesn't do anything original, they just tend to be horrible things with no rational reason to be in the movie. The film ends with Gooby luring Willy to a derelict house and leaving him dangling over a pit, ostensibly so his father can save him and rekindle their relationship.

This movie is bizarre. It doesn't come off as heartwarming, it's creepy. The bear suit is horrifying, the plot is from a handbook on child endangerment, and the message is "if your parents ignore you, don't make friends, just retreat into your imagination and put yourself in peril to get attention." And let's not forget that only black character in the film is swiftly replaced by Eugene Levy.

This film truly made me and my whole family so happy. We didn't have anything to watch, but luckily I found this gem and turned it on, and I'm glad to say that my children were horrified and that was funny. Made my day.

No, it isn't Monsters, Inc or Toy Story but a solid, "clean", family film. My kids are 7 & 10 and they enjoyed it. Purposely low end special effects but it produces smiles and lessons in growing up. The parents actions are a bit far-fetched, but hey---it's a movie. If your kids only like high action, semi-violent PG-13 flicks, then this isn't for them. One word review: CUTE. A boy has to move to a new town and school (that's never been done in a movie) and can't make friends (Hmmm?). There's a bully! Inattentive parents. A not-so-great baby sitter. I know what you're thinking...you've seen this all before! But for some reason, it works better than similar flicks. I think "less-is-more" here. Simple story, with a few laughs and some touching moments. The ten and under crowd should love it or they've grown up way too fast.