Les Banlieusards

Commonly tossed aside as a predictable, poorly plotted film with few laughs, "The 'Burbs" has more to offer than most critics are willing to admit.

This film is not so much about the plot(which is admittedly thin and which the critics are too concerned with) as it is about the characters who become entangled within it. Included in this terrific cast are Tom Hanks, who plays the skeptical neighbor of the new family on the block (a bunch of oddballs who never leave the house); Rick Ducommun, who plays the gluttonous friend of Hanks, who is convinced that the new neighbors are brain sucking murderers; Bruce Dern, the ex-soldier who hasn't quite left his miilitary roots behind him; and last, but not least, Corey Feldman, who plays the dopey teenage neighbor who basically watches the events of the movie unfold from the comfort of his front porch. These characters are so well-acted and so downright wacky that you just have to believe there is a neighborhood somewhere with people like this. The chemistry between everyone of the characters is simply impressive, and much of the humor of the film can be found in the often ludicrous way the director portrays their interactions.

I urge anyone who has seen this film before to watch it again, this time paying little attention to the story and focusing on the superbly acted characters.

Rick Ducommun is my cousin. I have not seen this movie in years, but remember enjoying it when I was in college and it was just released. I love to watch anything he is in, since it brings back memories of my childhood and times when he would pop in for a visit and keep my brothers and I in stitches. He sent me a big autographed glossy of he and Tom Hanks from when they were filming this movie. It seems to impress many of my friends who find out he is my cousin.

He is a wonderful man and I want to eventually allow all of my children to see all of the things he has been in. The entire family is very proud of "Big Rick" and excited about all that he has done. He is a very talented person and has always kept our entire family entertained. I am glad that he was able to entertain many more as well.

He is sick right now and has moved back to Canada, where we were born and raised. I hope to go visit him very soon.

The 'burbs is a fun diversion from the usual neighborhood comedies. Joe Dante has a way of combining dark humor and outright horror and make it convincing to a mass audience (see 'Gremlins.') That this film has a lot of dark elements and remains just a light romp at the end is a feat unto itself. All credit goes to Hanks' good natured comedic performance and Dante's fun with the material.

Dante paints a portrait of the neighborhood at the very beginning. Hanks plays Ray, probably the most normal among the neighbors. Art is like a big kid and the first one to suspect the neighbors of foul play. Bruce Dern plays a war vet where Ricky Butler, played by Corey Feldman is the loud teenager. All is well in suburbia until clues pop up that might reveal the new neighbors, the Klopeks, as murderers.

With any other talent behind the film, this could have been a very dark comedy. But instead of playing up the horror, Dante has fun with it, playing up the comedy talents of his performers (notably Hanks and Dern, who take turns chewing scenery). Dante also has fun with visuals, notably in a hilarious dream sequence that Ray has.

Everything comes together to make this film work, including a great score by Jerry Goldsmith, that is part suburban comedy and part horror, complete with organs culled from a funeral march. This film is far from perfect, but it's fun diversional comedy and reminds of the great comic actor that Tom Hanks once was before becoming Oscar's golden boy.

Wanna' sit down and watch a movie that doesn't take itself seriously and stars Tom Hanks? Here ya' go!

The basic plot to this not-quite-funny comedy is that a group of suburbanites think that a family of creepy new neighbors are actually sick killers who offed another neighbor. They go through all sorts of adventures and situations, trying to get to the bottom of the mystery that, it seems, only exists within their minds.

Who cares if the ending is cliche? Well, I do, but not in a movie like this where there is no underlying meaning or message and is just in existence to have a little bit of fun. Which is, by the way, what you'll have: a little bit of fun.

Okay, I know Tom Hanks has done some greater than great work. Forest Gump, Saving Private Ryan, and The Green Mile are truly American classics. For some reason (maybe I AM a weirdo) this is my favorite movie of his. It has a simple plot, a light tone, shades of horror, and some GREAT one-liners that have stayed in my memory since I was nine years old. This is one of those movies that never gets old. I especially like Corey Feldman as Ricky Butler. He played the best burn-out I have ever seen and he truly is an underrated actor. Rick Duccoman is great as the obnoxious neighbor, Art and his laid back manner continues to bring a smile to my face. Bruce Dern is flat-out awesome as the war-crazed vet who has all the right gizmos for the job, but always fails miserably. Almost every line out of his mouth is memorable and his response when he steps in a pile of dog crap is a classic quote.

Obviously this is a satire on Suburban life and nosey neighbors, but I could care less about all that. This is a classic that ranks (in my mind) with the likes of "The Goonies" and "Smokey and the Bandit".

If, for some reason, you missed this one, PLEASE see it. You have no clue what you're missing.