Duck

As fairly clear from the reviews already written, either you'll love this film or hate, and that will depend on how misanthropic you are. Be warned, this is not a cute animal movie either.

This is the story of a man who bounds with a duck, both of which have been discarded by society. Through their travels within the greater Los Angeles area, they experience for the most part the more negative aspects of humanity and finding redemption and purpose by saving and befriending his avian cohort.

I liked the film overall, but I'm a pretty easy critic as long as the film succeeds in its primary function: to entertain. The story meandered a bit, but stayed interesting enough to keep me hooked. The relationship between the man and the duck seemed genuine to me. The social commentary in this film is tough and biting, and probably a little heavy-handed. As I said earlier, the commentary is the deciding factor on whether you'll like this film.

Philip Baker Hall lends his calm demeanor perfectly to a low-key tale of a man who has lost hope, until his life is given a little meaning by a duck. This movie is all about a performance that is believable and endearing. Rarely has a film been so perfectly cast. If you enjoy the likes of "The Straight Story", or "The Station Agent", then you will probably enjoy "Duck". This is not a "message" movie as some other reviewers have suggested. If you are trying to find hidden political meaning that grinds on you, then it's easy to find fault. Enjoy it for what it is, a charming performance by a charming actor. Recommended. - MERK

Philip Baker Halls best work in my opinion, a strange tale of man's relationship with a duck that has spilt the reviews quite dramatically. It's not for everyone but please don't be put off if you get a chance to watch this charming story, do it, you never know you may be missing a real treat..... remember the duck doesn't do tricks...he's just a duck and that's enough!

It is so refreshing to see something original and intelligent in this time of remake after remake.

This story is wonderfully acted by Philip Baker Hall about an elderly man who has lost his wife and does not have anything more to live for. Arthur refuses to become a victim and saves the life of Joe the duck and Joe returns the favor. The powerful scene in the manicure shop is incredible!

The writer has a wonderful way of putting powerful social issues in perspective while peppering it with humor.

See this movie! For now you can see the trailer at www.DuckTheMovie.com

The positive reviews* on IMDb are very misleading. This story is not a cute, sentimental frolic for animal lovers. It's a very bitter, pessimistic nightmare where all human beings are cruel & malicious predators who abuse the weak. I feel sorry for any person who has such a cynical, distorted view of the world. Funny, I thought Fox News had the monopoly on xenophobia, but here we get it doubly thick from the opposite end of the political spectrum.

A mild-mannered old man loses his family, his friends, his home and his money, so he decides to live on the streets of Los Angeles with a duck. In what amounts to a paranoid nightmare, he is mocked, ridiculed, threatened, assaulted, arrested and treated like crap by every human being he meets (as well as a dog). And it never lets up. It's like watching a quadriplegic trying to go 15 rounds with Mike Tyson while his pet duck goes 15 rounds with Michael Vick. And there's no referee in sight.

I'm not exaggerating; the old man meets douchebag after douchebag for the entire length of the movie, and each time he manages to escape for only a moment before meeting another douchebag. Everyone is a douchebag: landlords, garbage men, construction workers, motorists, firefighters, police officers, overprotective mothers, college kids, yuppies, bus drivers, Chinese delivery boys, other homeless people, born again Christians, and of course animal control officers (duh!). This movie makes you hate all human beings.

For that reason, it's the worst movie I've seen in years. What is it trying to accomplish? Spread more distrust, rage and cynicism in the world? The few feeble swats at humour are completely inappropriate, like cracking a joke at the World Trade Center ruins.

You may have noticed that I barely mentioned the titular character: the duck. That is because, contrary to what you're led to believe, this movie is not about a duck. It's about an old man getting kicked around by society for 90 minutes, and he happens to be hauling a duck under his arm. Oh, and a warning to animal lovers: don't be surprised to see the duck getting manhandled, chased and even vomited upon.

I can't stress enough how depressing and corrosive to the soul this movie is. I'm sure it had good intentions, which is why I'm giving it even 2 stars. But jeez, save yourself the aggravation. Or save yourself $5... Go down to the department of motor vehicles and try to get a license with no forms of ID. If you really enjoy hating the human race, be creative about it. You don't need some hack director telling you the world sucks.

*About the positive "reviews" here on IMDb. Click on the authors' names and you'll notice they haven't reviewed any other movies. Some have the audacity to post spam links to the official Duck website so you can buy the DVD for $19.99. Hey, I'm all for self-promotion, but misleading the public is just plain tacky.