The Brady Bunch Movie

OK, I'm as fed up with the polyvinyl, well-scrubbed Brady family as anyone, so a spoof on the entire genre was most refreshing. But I think people who are not familiar with the series may take some pleasure in the 90's-steeped humor that's also present. Certainly not for everyone, but I can only rate a movie as I see it, and I was thoroughly amused (rating: 7/10).

I was surprised by how funny I found this one. Gary Cole, Shelley Long, Christine Taylor, and Michael McKean are all treats, and the rest of the main cast are formidable as well. The way television portrays American family values across generations is a gold mine for satire, and what's great about The Brady Bunch movie is that it doesn't feel mean spirited. It simultaneously pays homage to and spoofs the original sitcom. Jan's pathological envy of her older sister is particularly funny, as are Gary Cole's speeches about family unity that seem to go in circles forever. This is a perfect example of what a spoof movie should be.

The 1970's family The Brady's find themselves in the 1990's but still with the same virtues we all know. However their next door neighbour is trying to get all the land around the area acquired to build a mall. He has been hiding their mail and causing them to build up $20K in unpaid taxes. The kids set about trying to raise the money to save the family home.

Reading the reviews shows me that people just don't get this film. I think this is a great example of what should happen when you remake a cheesy TV show from all our childhood's. The whole film is one big self-mocking joke about the values of the Brady's. The plot is not really important but it is a good summing up of the daft plots they had back then, however here it is just a device for the jokes.

The joke here is that we have a slightly modern spin on the family. We see them being all cheesy and full of morals even when surrounded by the dog eat dog world of LA in the nineties, but they are still the same. I find this funny and the moral lessons etc are all delivered tongue in cheek. The best bit of self mocking is the modern expansion of the characters – this thing is full of innuendoes and nice touches – like Jan hearing voices etc

The cast are all spot on. Long and Cole talk it straight but let their looks and glances tell a different story (Long is excellent), while the kids are all very very good. I'd never seen the show till after this so I didn't see any cameos or anything but really this isn't important.

This is great – you don't need to have seen the show. It's wonderfully self mocking and very very funny. Those who criticise it for not being serious or for being a joke just are getting it at all. Great fun!

The Brady Bunch Movie (1995) is, in my opinion, one of the best spoofs in movie history. Every character is deliciously well done in true '70s style, the decor is excellent, and the whole plot is hilarious: the Bradys in the '90s. An excellent movie on the whole, complete with cameos by the original Brady Bunch cast and '70s icons.

The beauty of this movie, has I've mentioned before, is that it is done so authentically. There are little touches here and there (you may need to watch the movie a few times to notice), such as 'The Partridge Family' bus going by just before the singing competition scene.

There are some hilarious moments (some quite cringe worthy too!). Mike Brady giving a 'wise' speech, Marcia getting hit in the nose by a football, Marcia's dance and so many more. I even find when Jan knocks some boxes off funny! Pacing wise, it moves very fast so you don't get bored. It runs smoothly. No qualms there.

It is really amusing to see a naive, sweet '70s family fit in with '90s California grunge. It's a great movie - many great memories of this.

Shelley Long, Gary Cole, and Christine Taylor lead the cast to recreate the iconic 70s TV family. It's a stroke of genius to bring the gang into the 90s. They are a school of fish out of water. The storyline to raise $20,000 for back property taxes sounds so familiar.

Jennifer Elise Cox is especially funny as the head bopping insecure Jan suffering Middle Child Syndrome. "But Jan, you don't have any friends." Everybody in the family is funny. Some of the modern people overplay their characters. It's not really necessary. Most of them are better off playing the straight character to the family's wackiness. Although Alanna Ubach turns in one of the funnier characters as Marcia's pining best friend.