Excess Baggage

Spoilt brat Emily Hope, (Alicia), seeks attention from her snotty rich dad, (Thompson), by organising her own kidnapping. This time around its the girl who cried wolf when Vincent, (the very funny Benicio), ends up stealing a car with her in it. All hell breaks loose when good old Uncle Raymond, (Walken in his usual style of acting), comes on the scene in search of the two. It's Benicio's performance that hooked me in, it's quirky with a feel of spontaneity . Even Alicia gets in on the act joining Benicio's playfulness. And to top it all off, add Christopher Walken and you've got an interesting level of performances.

Don't be put off by the negative comments you may have read, this is a lighthearted enjoyable film. It's more a romantic drama than a comedy however and those expecting a comedy will probably be disappointed. While it is not the best film ever made it will certainly entertain you on a rainy day.

Lots of dissing for both Alicia and Benicio but it seems disingenuous. This is not a profound film but it IS a fun one. Nice photography, a plot that has a good rhythm and tempo, engaging characters that are well acted and clever film devices (for one, the conflict regarding her smoking that set up the plot complication in the first place). Walken is great as usual as a character both scary AND endearing. Spark a blunt, open a beer and enjoy this silly but fun little flick.

Not as bad as some people make it out to be. Alicia Silverstone is as beautiful as ever. And Christopher Walken played his typecast dangerous dude role the way he always does. Yes, the plot had some good sized holes in it. The film is meant to be light entertainment and it made that mark. That doesn't mean it's great or anything. I couldn't recommend spending money on this unless you're a hard-core Silverstone fan. But if it comes on cable, it's an OK hour and forty. Grade: C-

This was much better than what I expected.Since it had such poor reviews,I rented the video only to watch my new favorite actor, Benicio Del Toro .I was actually pleasantly surprised at how good he was in a romantic comedy.He should do these more often! He has proved himself in serious roles already, but I think he can be a very refreshing lead in romantic roles. Haven't we seen enough Hugh Grant movies yet? I wont' go into details about the plot,which had an interesting start but looked like it wasn't sure where it was headed at the end.Then again, a movie starring Alicia Silverstone can't be expected to be so plot-conscious...If you're a fan of Benicio, you'll enjoy his unique debonaire charm in this movie.For once, he doesn't look that intense or sad, and we can really feel the tenderness behind his half-smile...I might not be such an objective viewer, but this movie is such a nice distraction from the Julia Roberts, Sandra Bullock romantic comedies...