Movie Review: I Heart Huckabees

IronSerif · 18-August-05, 07:56 AM

Well, while Im_gumby leaves us all for vacation, he has left us with us with a movie review! So enjoy

I Hate Huckabees

And for that matter, most of Wes Anderson's movies as well.

Now most of you have seen the kind of humor I have, based on my posts and captions.
I would call it off-beat. Now most of the reviews I've read (unfortunatly after the fact)
of this movie call it "Quirky and Off-Beat", so I figure that the Off-beat aspect of this should appeal
to me and be worth a couple of laughs...

Nope.

I consider myself well educated (5 classes away from my MBA) as well as having a decent background in the arts,
which comes in handy when your wife is the Director of PR at the local art museum.

So why is it that this movie completely escaped me?

I don't think I actually laughed more than twice. And this is SUPPOSED to be a comedy!

Wes Anderson's movies are only marginally better. At the Life Aquatic, there were several spots which
I found humorous, but it seems to me that his movies are bizzare just for the sake of bizarreness.
The movie had a decent plot, but when they went underwater to look at the jeweled shark, it completely lost
any semblance of quality.

I can suspend belief for sci-fi movies, TV, etc... but those I expect the bizarre from beginning to end, so
the juxtaposition of obsurdness doesn't ruin anything. And yes, reality checks should be made on "normal" films
as well. A normal pump-action shot gun (witout extending the magazine) will carry 5 shots. PERIOD. And who
is the jackass who puts the sound effect of a pump action to a double barrel? But I digress.

Huckabees attempts to be quirky and ironic. I'm guessing in an attempt to appeal to the art house film crowd.
But if that is the case, why market it as a mainstream movie? Sure it had star power, but why would Dustin Hoffman
look at a script which has him portraying an "Exestential Investigator" who promotes the idea that everything
is interconnected, and routinely spouts pithy phrases to that effect?

The acting is good, but when the story line is as forced and contrived as it is, does anyone notice?

Personally, it seems to me that these movies are marketed on the same principle as the Emperor's New Clothes.

(And to my mind, most impressionist art as well, but I will save that for a different post)

All you need is a good agent to pitch this, with the backing of big stars, and you got yourself a movie.

But should that movie have been made?

In this case... I don't think so.

Save your free Blockbuster rental for something worthwhile, like Yentl or perhaps Ishtar.

flounder405 · 19-August-05, 08:00 AM

ya.....thats the way i felt about the last 4 star wars flicks. Anyway i like wes andersons movies. \I will admit i did not see i "love" the huckabees" his films are allways fun for me. it more wordy humor and do take things to the limits. but huckabees looked like he was trying to get away from his usuall style and try something different that did not go over well.

Foe · 19-August-05, 08:30 AM

Im_gumby
That is the same way I felt about the movie Sideways. Everyone raved on it, and how terrific is was. Rented and watched it with the hubby and daughter. At the end we all looked at each other like, "Huh?" What the heck??? We just wasted 123 muntes of our lives?!

Just goes to show everyone can't go by the critics, it is all based on what you like personally.

TheOutcast · 19-August-05, 09:34 PM

I work in a movie store... I see this alllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll the time.

People ask me what's good, I say "What d'you like of x, y, and z" ....cause its just not fair to say well x is good and y sucks.... because they come back next week and say wow x sucked, lemme try y.

*shrug*
So it goes..

18-August-05, 07:56 AM		#1 (permalink)
IronSerif Lead Pimp Writer? Hell Yeah!	Movie Review: I Heart Huckabees Well, while Im_gumby leaves us all for vacation, he has left us with us with a movie review! So enjoy I Hate Huckabees And for that matter, most of Wes Anderson's movies as well. Now most of you have seen the kind of humor I have, based on my posts and captions. I would call it off-beat. Now most of the reviews I've read (unfortunatly after the fact) of this movie call it "Quirky and Off-Beat", so I figure that the Off-beat aspect of this should appeal to me and be worth a couple of laughs... Nope. I consider myself well educated (5 classes away from my MBA) as well as having a decent background in the arts, which comes in handy when your wife is the Director of PR at the local art museum. So why is it that this movie completely escaped me? I don't think I actually laughed more than twice. And this is SUPPOSED to be a comedy! Wes Anderson's movies are only marginally better. At the Life Aquatic, there were several spots which I found humorous, but it seems to me that his movies are bizzare just for the sake of bizarreness. The movie had a decent plot, but when they went underwater to look at the jeweled shark, it completely lost any semblance of quality. I can suspend belief for sci-fi movies, TV, etc... but those I expect the bizarre from beginning to end, so the juxtaposition of obsurdness doesn't ruin anything. And yes, reality checks should be made on "normal" films as well. A normal pump-action shot gun (witout extending the magazine) will carry 5 shots. PERIOD. And who is the jackass who puts the sound effect of a pump action to a double barrel? But I digress. Huckabees attempts to be quirky and ironic. I'm guessing in an attempt to appeal to the art house film crowd. But if that is the case, why market it as a mainstream movie? Sure it had star power, but why would Dustin Hoffman look at a script which has him portraying an "Exestential Investigator" who promotes the idea that everything is interconnected, and routinely spouts pithy phrases to that effect? The acting is good, but when the story line is as forced and contrived as it is, does anyone notice? Personally, it seems to me that these movies are marketed on the same principle as the Emperor's New Clothes. (And to my mind, most impressionist art as well, but I will save that for a different post) All you need is a good agent to pitch this, with the backing of big stars, and you got yourself a movie. But should that movie have been made? In this case... I don't think so. Save your free Blockbuster rental for something worthwhile, like Yentl or perhaps Ishtar.

19-August-05, 08:30 AM		#3 (permalink)
Foe Apex Tech God	Good one! Im_gumby That is the same way I felt about the movie Sideways. Everyone raved on it, and how terrific is was. Rented and watched it with the hubby and daughter. At the end we all looked at each other like, "Huh?" What the heck??? We just wasted 123 muntes of our lives?! Just goes to show everyone can't go by the critics, it is all based on what you like personally.

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19-August-05, 08:00 AM		#2 (permalink)
flounder405 The Mack Daddy	ya.....thats the way i felt about the last 4 star wars flicks. Anyway i like wes andersons movies. \I will admit i did not see i "love" the huckabees" his films are allways fun for me. it more wordy humor and do take things to the limits. but huckabees looked like he was trying to get away from his usuall style and try something different that did not go over well.

19-August-05, 09:34 PM		#4 (permalink)
TheOutcast Minnes-hoe-tan	I work in a movie store... I see this alllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll the time. People ask me what's good, I say "What d'you like of x, y, and z" ....cause its just not fair to say well x is good and y sucks.... because they come back next week and say wow x sucked, lemme try y. shrug So it goes..