Bubble Boy

I caught this movie by mistake after it was broadcast on BBC1 at midnight last night, I just had to go straight out and get the DVD. It only had a one star rating in my television magazine which I think is terrible. It was a highly entertaining film which myself at 26, my 24 year old girlfriend, my 53 year old mother and even my very young daughter highly enjoyed - A really entertaining, pleasant family movie and obviously VERY under-rated in the UK. It was just one laugh after another, a really uplifting, funny story with a not-too over the top ending (although it was a little predictable). I would, however, like to send my respect to the family & friends of Matthew McGrory, as he always played great characters in all of his movies - I was very shocked and upset to hear that he passed away earlier this year, he will be immortalised by all of the great roles that he entertained the world with.

OK, I admit it. I was a child of the 80's. I distinctly remember sitting in elementary school and reading about the boy who lived in a bubble in my Weekly Reader. Naturally, when I saw the trailer for this movie, I asked myself, "Hey, whatever happened to that boy that lived in a bubble?" I knew I had to watch this to satisfy my curiosity. You've got the perfect character...an odd teenage boy that lives in a bubble. Write up an adventurous plot and throw in a cameo by Fabio and some M. C. Hammer on the soundtrack, and you've got yourself a movie that no Gen-X'er can resist.

I was fully expecting this film to be along the lines of "Wayne's World" or "A Night at the Roxbury." The characters are hilarious and exaggerated, but the non-existent plot drags on like a 10 minute skit that has gone 80 minutes too long. To my surprise, Bubble Boy has a fast-moving plot. OK, it is somewhat of an overused plot: Boy falls in love with girl; Girl gets engaged to someone else; Boy interrupts the wedding to get the girl back. You've watched enough movies like this to know how it is going to end, but, as always, it's the journey that Bubble Boy takes to get there that makes this movie interesting and redeeming. Just when you think Jimmy is finally on his way to Niagara Falls, and the movie is going to start dragging, BAM! The ice cream truck hits a cow! After mud wrestling two women while Japanese male spectators cheer him on, Jimmy is back on his way. Just when you think it can't get any more crazy, it does. That bubble plastic must be some tough stuff.

There is an important lesson can be learned from this movie. It is best expressed by Jimmy's dad who is really the only normal character, and only speaks once in the entire movie. He asks, "What if Neil Armstrong flew to the moon, but never set foot on it?" This movie is about taking chances...breaking out of our so-called bubbles, and experiencing life...not just sitting around watching it pass us by.

The dialogue and the jokes can be lame sometimes, but the humor really comes from the absurdity of the characters and the improbable situations the main character runs into. I have to give the writers an A+ for imagination. The movie is sanitized for younger viewers, but gives a wink and a nod to more mature viewers. This is a perfect modern day farce if you are looking for a light and uplifting comedy at the rental store.

FYI, in case you wondered, the original bubble boy, David, died at the age of 13 back in 1984 after an unsuccessful bone marrow transplant. Today, infants born without immunity to disease undergo the transplant procedure at a young age, so they don't have to live the rest of their lives in a bubble.

well, NOT really. The mom is what made this movie very funny. Her character was great, especially with all the not so nice things she did and said, but then in the next sentence she would praise Jesus. I also got a kick out of all the weird characters bubble boy meets on his trip to Niagra Falls.

This movie was so much better than a lot of other comedies. I guess all the controversy over the fact this movie makes fun of people who really live in bubbles is what killed it at the theater. If I'd known this was actually worth watching, I would have seen it a lot sooner.

FINAL VERDICT: Remember this is a comedy. Don't take it so seriously. This movie is silly; it is not trying to be offensive. Just take it for what it is worth and you will laugh and have a good time. This is definitely worth the 90 minutes it takes to watch it.

You'll watch this and feel like you've seen it before.

Jake Gylenhaal in a goofy, funnier role.

This has all the typical silly gags of this era yet still has some wholesomeness to it.

This was my first introduction to Beetlejuice, who I found terrifying back then but the more I looked int, is actually hilarious.

This is a fun, dumb, flick.

I can understand why people hate it as comedy as always been a hard one to master.

It's either too juvenile or too serious.

This falls into the juvenile category but may still get some laughs.

Worth the watch if you're sick of the seriousness of the world and need an easy laugh.

This is one of the most disagreed-about movies in the IMDB. Depending on how this movie struck you, you either love it or hate it. Or you think it's pretty good. I've never seen a jury so divided.

I think the key to this movie is watching it with low expectations. It's a silly movie. Don't look for high comedy. It's the kind of movie that makes you chuckle in spite of yourself.

And it has one of the truly memorable lines in filmdom. I'm referring to the kids chasing the Ice Cream and Curry truck.

I give this movie a 6 out of 10, which is about what the user ratings would average out to, if you threw out the people who loved it and hated it to the extreme.