Why is it that every big star in Hollywood has to do a comedy where they change their gender at the time of their popularity? Of course their were two successes Dustin Hoffman in "Tootsie" which is my favorite movie of all time, and then a decade later there was Robin Williams in "Mrs. Doubtfire" which was not a masterpiece like "Tootsie" but still was an entertaining and fun film. Of course since "Tootsie" and "Mrs. Doubtfire" did wonders for Dustin Hoffman and Robin Williams turning into women they had to do it with Schwarzenegger and I can tell you it did not do much for him like the other two actors. This is not a bad movie but the whole plot is one joke. Danny De Vito manipulates Schwarzenegger into putting sperm into his body for an experiment because no scientist will believe De Vito's experiment and De Vito wants to abort Arnold's baby but he wants to keep it. And Schwarzenegger becomes feminine, gets fat, and becomes a mommy. Then Schwarzenegger has a relationship with De Vito's rival at his lab (Emma Thomson) and she gets pregnant and Arnold becomes both mommy and daddy. And the finale of "Junior" (I felt I have already given enough away so I won't mention the finale) is very predictable and not very funny. This is an average film. It really could have done wonders for Schwarzenegger and De Vito's career if the writing was more unpredictable, more fresh, and more witty. Instead we get a recycling of "Tootsie" and "Mrs. Doubtfire" that is mediocre. I can also see why Schwarzenegger did not do much comedies after this one. He had his moment with "Twins" and "Kindergarten Cop" but he was not very funny anymore after "Junior". Another annoyance was De Vito's ex-wife (Pamela Reed) and how De Vito was supposed to be her baby's father but she was dating another man. I got really tired of that after a while. Gender-bending comedies were funny up until "Mrs. Doubtfire" but "Junior" was one perfect example of that humor draining away. They just can't make them like in the good old days of Dustin Hoffman and Robin Williams.
Reviews
14 Reviews
Junior
(1994)
Hollywood should have stopped gender-bending comedies right after "Mrs. Doubtfire"
24 February 2008
Warning: Spoilers
Nine Months
(1995)
Its slow but it's not bad
24 February 2008
It always remains interesting to me when you see a movie you like by a director then the next year or two comes and you look forward to their next movie you are slightly disappointed. In this case the director of "Nine Months" is Chris Columbus and before he made this movie the movie I enjoyed that he directed was "Mrs. Doubtfire". Since I enjoyed that one I thought I better take a look at Columbus's next movie. But this does not have the same level of laughs and originality that made "Mrs. Doubtfire" fun. The other particular things I found annoying in this was Tom Arnold's character. I am sorry if you disagree with me but with the exception of a few movies I think Tom Arnold is annoying and he had the perfect chance here to show the audience how annoying he really is. I will give it a bit of a compliment I did enjoy Robin Williams in this movie. When it had its slow parts he made them slightly more alive. "Nine Months" is too slow and some scenes are appallingly unfunny but it is not a bad movie. I would probably rank it as average if anything else. I think it would have been more funny if it had been more original. We see these types of events happening frequently in our movies. If you want to watch a better piece by the director and star of this movie, definitely go for "Mrs. Doubtfire". But if you have nothing better to do it may be worth a trip to the video store.
Gone Fishin'
(1997)
Watchable but what a waste of Pesci and Glover's talent
18 February 2008
Warning: Spoilers
I think Joe Pesci and Danny Glover are very good actors. They can play great dramatic and comic roles. But with "Gone Fishin'" their first attempt at comedy together someone ought to encourage both Pesci and Glover not to make any other comedy movies together. It's obvious that the biggest problem with "Gone Fishin'" is its script. Pesci and Glover are not to blame they are trying to act good. Its the writers and director's fault. Some of the lines in this film are extremely annoying e.g. "This trip ain't even a one its a frigging zero", or when Pesci tells the film's villain that he is a freak about 10 times and tells him "why don't you join the army if your'e a tough guy you freak". The other problem is that with the exception of the first two "Home Alone" pictures you cannot give Joe Pesci a script that is PG rated and expect him to act funny with it. Joe Pesci needs stronger material. I am not saying they needed to make the film R rated with the f-word every other word, or extreme violence but why couldn't they make this like "Grumpy Old Men" and make it on a PG-13 rated level? If they would have done that this movie would have been ten times funnier. And why didn't they actually have Pesci and Glover actually go fishing in the movie instead of a million disasters preventing them from going fishing? They do not fish in the entire 94 minutes of the movie except for the finale. Danny Glover has made a few other movies since this one but I have only seen Joe Pesci do two other movies since this one. I am wondering if its because he was embarrassed by how he acted in this movie. "Gone Fishin'" certainly is not awful but its such a shame to see two exceptionally talented actors act with such an annoying awful script. Its the kind of movie you might want to watch if the weather is really bad outside and you have nothing better to do. But if you are a big fan of either Pesci or Glover you might want to avoid this one because they are trying to act good with a bad script and in the end they have made a pretty big mistake by making "Gone Fishin'"
Tommy Boy
(1995)
Farley was no Belushi or Candy but this is hilarious
5 December 2007
I think every critic who panned "Tommy Boy" when it was released in 1995 ought to go back and watch it and learn it is not a bad film at all. Every critic panned Chris Farley and David Spade's movies. Yes "Coneheads" was funny but kind of had a one joke premise and "Black Sheep" I agreed with the critics is one of the worst movies ever made. But "Tommy Boy" does not fall in the category of "Coneheads" which could have been a little funnier and "Black Sheep" which is a piece of tripe. It is very funny and entertaining. I do agree with the critics that Chris Farley was no John Belushi or John Candy as he claimed to have idolized those guys and those guys had a genius for comedy but Chris Farley was very funny and I wish he were around longer to prove to critics that yes he was no John Belushi, or John Candy but he was very funny. The scenes between Farley and Spade as nemesis are side-splitting hilarious and the premise is also laugh out loud hilarious. It is very sad that Chris Farley is no longer here to make us laugh but we have movies like "Tommy Boy" to remember how truly funny he was. "Tommy Boy" is one of the 1990's best comedies.
Tootsie
(1982)
Hollywood has never made a better comedy than this. An American Masterpiece.
22 November 2007
I cannot believe it has been 25 years since "Tootsie" was first released in 1982. I was not alive then and there have been many funny movies from the last 25 years. But I guarantee you none of them were as original, as hilarious and as entertaining as "Tootsie". It might be my love for Dustin Hoffman as an actor but I have never seen a better comedy than this. This was also rehashed sort of as "Mrs. Doubtfire" 11 years later and that film was a terrific story and was excellent in its own way. But it did not have the entertainment or comedy value of "Tootsie". I also think with the exception of "E.T." there was not a better film in 1982 and I think it is ridiculous that the Academy gave "Gandhi" Best Picture when that Oscar most definitely belonged to either "E.T." or this. That was a huge mistake. I also don't like the fact that people when they want to watch a comedy watch some dumb and mindless garbage when they can be watching terrific entertainment like this. This is not mindless but you do not have to overly think. I also have not seen Sydney Pollack do a better film and if it had not been for "The Graduate" or "E.T." "Tootsie without a doubt would have been my all-time favorite movie. I also think Dustin Hoffman should have picked up his second Oscar for this rather than "Rain Man". Yes he was terrific in that movie, but there has never been one actor who dresses up as a woman and has played a woman to perfection like Dustin Hoffman. Jessica Lange also deserved her Oscar for this as well. I urge you if you have not seen this get a copy of it immediately. I mean sure Will Ferrell and Adam Sandler might come out with another good movie coming up but it will not be to perfection like "Tootsie". Simply put there is no other way to describe this film other than an American masterpiece.
Bottle Rocket
(1996)
Watchable, but should have been better
19 November 2007
I think Anderson and the Wilson brothers have gifts for making good comedic farces. "Bottle Rocket" is not an awful or not even bad movie. But I was expecting more energy from these guys as I have seen them give it in their other movies. The other surprises that later turned into disappointments were one of it's executive producers is James L. Brooks who made and produced some unforgettable Hollywood box-office hits and gems such as "Terms of Endearment" "Big" and "As good as it gets". He is also an executive producer on "The Simpsons" which I love. The Wilson brothers are also very funny so my question is why didn't all these guys use all their energy they have shown in other movies and do it in this one. If they would have this film would have been brilliant. The other thing I don't like about it is it takes it's characters to different places and settings and never leaves them in a couple of places for more than five minutes. Examples are a drug store snack counter, a motel, a barber shop, a country club and all sort of other places. If it would have left it's characters in those places for more than five minutes this film would have been much better. To wrap it up: not bad but has so many low points that should have been made up for later on and they never did. For a better Owen Wilson film watch him in "Meet the Parents" rather than this.
Oscar
(1991)
Stop Panning It! It's actually pretty funny
14 November 2007
Why does everyone think Sylvester Stallone is terrible at comedy? I never saw "Rhinestone" as that is considered one of the worst movies ever made and while I thought "Stop! or my mom will shoot" was illogical and hokey at times it was mostly entertaining. But "Oscar" out of all his attempts at comedy is Sylvester Stallone's best attempt at comedy and it remains a mystery to me why this did so terrible critically and financially. Maybe critics and audiences had trouble accepting Stallone as a gangster doing something different from "Rocky" or "Rambo". I mean yes like "Stop! or my mom will shoot" this one is very illogical and confusing at times. But if you put your full mind into the movie and think about it you will realize it is very funny. While Stallone is terrific I think some of the best scenes in this film belong to Tim Curry. Some of his scenes made me want to laugh out loud! I cannot really summarize the film because many parts are confusing but I can certainly say that critics and audiences need to stop putting it down and give it another try because they don't know what their missing. Sure it's no "Godfather" or "Goodfellas" but it is a very funny little gangster comedy that has the intelligence one misses in comedies. All in all "Oscar" is no masterpiece but it is very funny and enjoyable and that's enough for me to recommend it. It also proves that Sylvester Stallone is not a terrible comedy movie star.
Black Sheep
(1996)
I agree with Gene Siskel. This film is absolute trash.
14 November 2007
While many critics did not like the comedy duo of Chris Farley and David Spade I thought those guys were funny and while 1995's "Tommy Boy" was panned miserably by critics I thought that film was hilarious. Since that film did well at the box office director Penelope Spheeris who made the hilarious "Wayne's World", lost her directing skills a little bit with "The Beverly Hillbillies", and improved once again with a 90's version of "The Little Rascals" thought it would be a good idea to re-team the comedy duo for another film that would be released almost a year after "Tommy Boy". Boy did she make a HUGE mistake. This film makes "The Beverly Hillbillies" look like "Citizen Kane"! The story of how I got to watch "Black Sheep" was after I saw "Tommy Boy" and loved it I took a trip to Blockbuster and picked this up. I thought it would be hilarious the storyline seemed funny but there was not one part in this film I laughed at. If you don't know even Gene Siskel before he died said this was the only film he ever walked out on in a theater since "Million Dollar Duck" in 1971 which forced Roger Ebert to say "boy Gene I envy you". So do I Mr. Siskel and I typically listen to audiences not critics. But I should have listened to you in this case. I even turned this off immediately and turned it back to Blockbuster because it sucked so much. An embarrassing waste of talent. If you need something to watch with Farley try his next film after this called "Beverly Hills Ninja" it is hilarious. If you under any circumstances see "Black Sheep" I will never recommend a good film to you again.
Fargo
(1996)
A brilliant Masterpiece
5 January 2007
I had watched this movie last night for free on-demand on Comcast because I had heard it was excellent. I had also seen a few clips of it on the AFI's 100 years 100 movies. I usually don't listen to the critics or other people but they were right. This is a brilliant film. It deals with a car salesman (William H. Macy) who meets with two con-men (Steve Buscemi, I don't know the other guy's name). Anyway Macy hires Buscemi and his friend to kidnap his wife so his wealthy father-in law can pay a ransom. It then leads to the con-men going to Brainerd Minnesota after they kidnap her and a local cop (Frances McDormand) tries to investigate (after she is murdered) the murders of Macy's wife and other people. There are no complaints I have about this film. It has a little too much violence and profanity but oh well. I love McDormand's brilliant Minnesotan accent! She definitely deserved an Oscar. I demand you to check on-demand if you have it and watch this. It is under the free movies section. Enjoy the show!
Defending Your Life
(1991)
Brooks' best. A film that needs to be more recognized
3 January 2007
I cannot believe every person I have told this film about to has never heard of or seen it! It's brilliant! It makes you feel good about what happens to you after you die. The story involves Brooks' as a L.A. businessman who gets hit by a bus and dies. He then goes to a place called Judgement City where a defender (Rip Torn) has to defend parts of his life in a courtroom. Parts of Brooks' life are played on a movie screen. Brooks' wants to go back to earth but soon meets a woman (Meryl Streep)and feels differently about Judgement City. I would classify this as one of my all time favorite films. Then one day I happened to be at my local video store and they were giving away films that they didn't want any more for a dollar or two. This happened to be in there! I immediately picked it up and purchased it. I would classify this as one of my favorite films, but for goodness sakes! If you have not seen or heard of this I demand you to find a copy of it as soon as possible. You'll love it!
Scenes from a Mall
(1991)
OK... Was that Necessary?
28 December 2006
I happened to rent Scenes From A Mall one time at a video store. The box made it look hilarious and I thought how could you beat a couple like Midler and Allen? But then I popped it into the VCR and was very disappointed. It dragged, it was incoherent, and an 87 minute movie made it seem like three hours. Midler and Allen go to a mall somewhere in L.A. for a wedding anniversary, while they are there Allen confesses to Midler that he has been having an affair with another woman. Midler then wants to file for a divorce but soon confesses to Allen that she has had an affair with another man. It is not a bad storyline but it just drags and leads to nowhere. The profanity level and sexual content is also unnecessary. I would say if you want to experience something like this go spend 87 minutes in a mall. But don't watch this because you will be very disappointed. It is a very unnecessary film.
There's Good Boos to-Night
(1948)
Pure Crap
28 December 2006
Warning: Spoilers
I remember I saw this cartoon when I was 6 or 7. My grandfather picked up the video of it for free at the mall. I remember that it really sucked. The plot had no sense. I hated the fox that became Casper's friend. He was so stupid! Casper cried his head off if he couldn't find a friend. So what? Get over it! The only good part and I don't want to sound mean-spirited was when the fox got shot and died at the end. I laughed my head off in payback because this cartoon sucked so much. The bad news is the fox resurrects and becomes a ghost. I wish he had stayed dead. I think I even gave the video of this to somebody because I hated it. No wonder they were offering it for free at the mall. If you have a child don't let them watch this. They will probably agree with me that it sucks.
Cocktail
(1988)
Dynamite the first half, poor the second half
27 December 2006
I saw this on my on demand for free on Comcast. It was not bad but it could have been much better. Cruise goes to New York to do his dream making it big on Wall Street. He fails and decides to become a bartender. He wants to open his own place so he goes to Jamaica where he meets Elisabeth Shue's character, and they fall in love. The first half of this film is dynamite thanks to strong performances. But when Cruise goes to Jamaica all goes downhill. It should have picked up in the second half. I would recommend "Top Gun", or "Born on the Fourth of July", if you are looking for Cruise's best work. But don't watch this otherwise. Rated R for sexual content, nudity, profanity, violence, and vulgarity.
Father and Scout
(1994 TV Movie)
Corny jokes, but excellent in many ways
27 December 2006
I happened to pick this film up at my local Blockbuster one weekend and was surprised because it was not bad. The story involves a paranoid author named Spenser Paley (Bob Saget, who I believe filmed this in his second to last season of "Full House".) Saget has not been spending to much time with his son (Brian Bosnall, form Family Ties. When Bosnall gets invited to go on a camping trip with his school Saget does nothing but ruin it by complaining. His companion is Stuart Pankin (who played the sheriff in Arachnophbia.) His enemy is David Graf (Who played Sam in The Brady Bunch Movie.) I loved Bob Saget growing up on Full House so it is not too surprising I enjoyed it. I will warn you however there are many corny jokes and if you are not a Saget fan stay away from it. Otherwise enjoy the show! Rated PG for some vulgarity and violence.
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