I remember a cold February night in 2004 almost two decades ago when my dad and I drove to the nearest theater to see Welcome to Mooseport.
As an adolescent I was very interested in politics so the premise was intriguing. I was not a huge follower of Everybody Loves Raymond but I would see it passing through in reruns and it was funny enough. And Gene Hackman is simply one of the finest actors to embrace our silver screen.
Yet this movie became a huge flop with both critics and audiences alike and I was shocked to hear that although Roger Ebert and Leonard Maltin two respected critics recommended it and both could be hard to please so that ought to say something.
I also remember the theater being pretty busy as well. But this movie flopped so hard that Hackman retired and Romano didn't do much aside from ending his popular sitcom and lending his voice to the Ice Age franchise, although he has made a comeback with Paddleton and The Irishman both on Netflix.
The movie is nothing extraordinary but Romano and Hackman have good chemistry. Dustin Hoffman my favorite actor was supposed to play Hackman's role but backed out. Of course I am biased in saying the movie could have been a little better if Hoffman was in it but Hackman is not a bad substitute at all and definitely holds his own.
I wonder if it's maybe the made for TV movie feel or the political humor that some audiences missed leading to this flopping.
Surely it had every reason to be a hit Romano was after all the one of the most popular sitcoms stars at the time and Hackmans name meant excellence in acting.
Donald Petrie directs solidly and brings the same small town charm he brought to the original Grumpy Old Men film a decade earlier.
Of course this movie isn't as good but it's good enough.
Stream this now to see if time will change your opinion. Yes it could have been a made for TV movie but Hackman and Romano sell it.
It's not laugh out loud funny always but there are funny moments and it has its share of charm throughout.
Not one of the best comedies ever but a pleasant fun little movie that kills time.
In an era of reboots and sequels this should provide some satisfactory entertainment and that's enough for me to recommend you see it for the first time or re-watch it on streaming.
If it's not free on streaming pay $4 on Prime Video or Vudu and have a couple laughs. I think it's worth a small streaming rental price.
As an adolescent I was very interested in politics so the premise was intriguing. I was not a huge follower of Everybody Loves Raymond but I would see it passing through in reruns and it was funny enough. And Gene Hackman is simply one of the finest actors to embrace our silver screen.
Yet this movie became a huge flop with both critics and audiences alike and I was shocked to hear that although Roger Ebert and Leonard Maltin two respected critics recommended it and both could be hard to please so that ought to say something.
I also remember the theater being pretty busy as well. But this movie flopped so hard that Hackman retired and Romano didn't do much aside from ending his popular sitcom and lending his voice to the Ice Age franchise, although he has made a comeback with Paddleton and The Irishman both on Netflix.
The movie is nothing extraordinary but Romano and Hackman have good chemistry. Dustin Hoffman my favorite actor was supposed to play Hackman's role but backed out. Of course I am biased in saying the movie could have been a little better if Hoffman was in it but Hackman is not a bad substitute at all and definitely holds his own.
I wonder if it's maybe the made for TV movie feel or the political humor that some audiences missed leading to this flopping.
Surely it had every reason to be a hit Romano was after all the one of the most popular sitcoms stars at the time and Hackmans name meant excellence in acting.
Donald Petrie directs solidly and brings the same small town charm he brought to the original Grumpy Old Men film a decade earlier.
Of course this movie isn't as good but it's good enough.
Stream this now to see if time will change your opinion. Yes it could have been a made for TV movie but Hackman and Romano sell it.
It's not laugh out loud funny always but there are funny moments and it has its share of charm throughout.
Not one of the best comedies ever but a pleasant fun little movie that kills time.
In an era of reboots and sequels this should provide some satisfactory entertainment and that's enough for me to recommend you see it for the first time or re-watch it on streaming.
If it's not free on streaming pay $4 on Prime Video or Vudu and have a couple laughs. I think it's worth a small streaming rental price.