forehead1
Joined Oct 2000
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Reviews27
forehead1's rating
...in that it has turned to vinegar.
Until last weekend it had been a good decade since I last watched Caddyshack, and my memory was still tainted by childhood recollections of numerous one-liners and some hilarious set-pieces. Now a little older, a little wiser, and the film even older it comes across as outdated and muddled, with very little to recommend it to the first-time viewer.
Sure, some jokes still work and the performances of both Murray and Dangerfield still manage to raise a smile, but the disjointed plot-less storyline irritates and the puerility of some of the gags is quite unbelievable.
The format chosen by the SNL crew is understandable but the failure to develop (or even look into) the characters to any degree leaves a clumsy, confused mess that literally feels like watching an extended run of standalone (mediocre) sketches all cobbled into one.
The late seventies/early eighties brought about many teen comedies (Porky's, Animal House, etc.) that have passed the test of time. Caddyshack alas cannot be considered one of them.
Until last weekend it had been a good decade since I last watched Caddyshack, and my memory was still tainted by childhood recollections of numerous one-liners and some hilarious set-pieces. Now a little older, a little wiser, and the film even older it comes across as outdated and muddled, with very little to recommend it to the first-time viewer.
Sure, some jokes still work and the performances of both Murray and Dangerfield still manage to raise a smile, but the disjointed plot-less storyline irritates and the puerility of some of the gags is quite unbelievable.
The format chosen by the SNL crew is understandable but the failure to develop (or even look into) the characters to any degree leaves a clumsy, confused mess that literally feels like watching an extended run of standalone (mediocre) sketches all cobbled into one.
The late seventies/early eighties brought about many teen comedies (Porky's, Animal House, etc.) that have passed the test of time. Caddyshack alas cannot be considered one of them.
Having been tempted by the promise of a story about a girl making home in a supermarket, and seeing the actresses involved, I opted to watch this film ahead of another in the expectancy that it would be at least the most watchable of the two. I write this short review now in the hope of warning another poor sap not to make the same mistake.
Natalie Portman plays Novalee Nation, a pregnant teenager from Tennessee who gets ditched by the father at a Wal-Mart store in a small middle-of-nowhere town in Oklahoma. Having no family to fall back on she lives secretly in the supermarket until the birth of her child, when she is befriended by the local townsfolk who take her in.
Cue plenty of vomit-inducing scenes as Novalee learns that not all redneck hicks are knuckle-dragging rapists and serial killers, some offering her true love over the years as she grows from naïve waif to confident adult.
Fortunately, the plot is so insultingly predictable that I was able to reach for the sick-bucket well within time for each 'tear-jerking' moment. The characters are the worst kind of clichéd stereotypes and there is nothing here that hasn't been done much better in most cases somewhere before. The two-hour runtime really begins to drag.
Plus points? The direction cannot be faulted and is successful in bringing across the atmosphere of this warm but desolate place. Ashley Judd's talents are wasted as Novalee's friend and confidante, and Stockard Channing is criminally underused as the woman who invites Novalee into her home - possibly the only character depicted with more than just a single dimension to them.
Portman holds the film up, her looks and style as impressive as ever and almost making a likable character out of somebody who is so fundamentally self-centred. Unfortunately her attributes alone are not enough to save this poor example of a 'chick-flick' from its inevitable resting place: sleepover parties for pre-pubescent girls.
If you're over the age of twelve or have a Y chromosome in your body, avoid.
Natalie Portman plays Novalee Nation, a pregnant teenager from Tennessee who gets ditched by the father at a Wal-Mart store in a small middle-of-nowhere town in Oklahoma. Having no family to fall back on she lives secretly in the supermarket until the birth of her child, when she is befriended by the local townsfolk who take her in.
Cue plenty of vomit-inducing scenes as Novalee learns that not all redneck hicks are knuckle-dragging rapists and serial killers, some offering her true love over the years as she grows from naïve waif to confident adult.
Fortunately, the plot is so insultingly predictable that I was able to reach for the sick-bucket well within time for each 'tear-jerking' moment. The characters are the worst kind of clichéd stereotypes and there is nothing here that hasn't been done much better in most cases somewhere before. The two-hour runtime really begins to drag.
Plus points? The direction cannot be faulted and is successful in bringing across the atmosphere of this warm but desolate place. Ashley Judd's talents are wasted as Novalee's friend and confidante, and Stockard Channing is criminally underused as the woman who invites Novalee into her home - possibly the only character depicted with more than just a single dimension to them.
Portman holds the film up, her looks and style as impressive as ever and almost making a likable character out of somebody who is so fundamentally self-centred. Unfortunately her attributes alone are not enough to save this poor example of a 'chick-flick' from its inevitable resting place: sleepover parties for pre-pubescent girls.
If you're over the age of twelve or have a Y chromosome in your body, avoid.
A film about drag-racing motorbikes was never likely to win any screenplay awards, but the least an undemanding audience could expect is some brainless thrills, a couple of decent-enough performances and perhaps an enjoyable but throwaway 100-minute experience. Well, at least the brainless part was achieved
Suffice to say, it's a long time since I've seen a major cinema release directed so badly. Reggie Rock Bythewood fails spectacularly at just about every aspect, not least his utter inability to inject any feel of excitement into the integral racing scenes. The bikes appear to be doing a sluggish 30mph and the effects shots and camera movements used to mask this are laughably amateur. Even the limited stunts are totally unimpressive. Surely a few bucks spent on the odd jump or explosion here and there isn't too much to ask? Needless to say there were strict restrictions evident on the shoestring budget.
"But Larry Fishburne's in it!" I hear you cry. "It can't be all that bad?" Unfortunately the erstwhile Morpheus just adds to the horror, the poor bloke obviously realising just what he'd gotten himself into early on. You can see the wincing embarrassment on his face as he's forced to spout out tedious lines while strapped into uncomfortably snug leathers, playing a cringeworthy 'hip dad' role not seen since early '90s sketch shows.
The rest of the cast are even worse, and coupled with very poor editing the film comes across like lots of individual scenes cut together rather than as one flowing storyline. The ill-fitting soundtrack follows suit (banal post-2000 hip-hop/RnB mostly) as it is often completely out of synchrony with the 'action' on display.
If you must see this film, it will only be for the benefit of viewing some truly hilarious (but utterly unintentionally so) moments (e.g. the 'tragic accident' at the start), which actually added the second star to this almost so-bad-it's-depressing movie.
In comparison, The Fast And The Furious looks like the bloody Shawshank Redemption.
Suffice to say, it's a long time since I've seen a major cinema release directed so badly. Reggie Rock Bythewood fails spectacularly at just about every aspect, not least his utter inability to inject any feel of excitement into the integral racing scenes. The bikes appear to be doing a sluggish 30mph and the effects shots and camera movements used to mask this are laughably amateur. Even the limited stunts are totally unimpressive. Surely a few bucks spent on the odd jump or explosion here and there isn't too much to ask? Needless to say there were strict restrictions evident on the shoestring budget.
"But Larry Fishburne's in it!" I hear you cry. "It can't be all that bad?" Unfortunately the erstwhile Morpheus just adds to the horror, the poor bloke obviously realising just what he'd gotten himself into early on. You can see the wincing embarrassment on his face as he's forced to spout out tedious lines while strapped into uncomfortably snug leathers, playing a cringeworthy 'hip dad' role not seen since early '90s sketch shows.
The rest of the cast are even worse, and coupled with very poor editing the film comes across like lots of individual scenes cut together rather than as one flowing storyline. The ill-fitting soundtrack follows suit (banal post-2000 hip-hop/RnB mostly) as it is often completely out of synchrony with the 'action' on display.
If you must see this film, it will only be for the benefit of viewing some truly hilarious (but utterly unintentionally so) moments (e.g. the 'tragic accident' at the start), which actually added the second star to this almost so-bad-it's-depressing movie.
In comparison, The Fast And The Furious looks like the bloody Shawshank Redemption.