Frank OzReviews

Acting: 4.5; Theme: 5.0; Content: 4.0; Language: 4.0; Overall: 4.5

A famous psychotherapist (Richard Dreyfuss) accepts a very mentally unstable man (Bill Murray) as his patient right before going on a family vacation. Minus the vulgarity and inappropriate language, this was a very funny movie and highly recommended. ***August 18, 2024***½

Synopsis: 'Business blooms at Mushnik's Flower Shop when an exotic potted plant called Audrey II arrives. It turns out to be a carnivorous "mean, green, mother from outer space," filling that little shop with lots of horrors.' From DVD case
Review: What a wonderful musical! Love the cast and the premise of the movie. This is the latest remake of a 1960 movie and 1980 off-Broadway musicl.½

2354

1867

Very good cast stuck in would-be farce that just doesn't know what is funny. The script sets up potentially good situations, but fails to deliver the laughs that should make your stomach hurt in something like this. It is a funeral gone badly wrong, for god's sake! But still interesting to watch folks like Jane Asher as the widow and real-life couple Macfadyen (as one of her sons) and Hawes dealing with mayhem at Asher's husband's funeral. The ending is also pretty good, though it isn't funny, nor is it intended to be. If there are going to be dead bodies in the picture, you really need Uncle Teddy and Mortimer Brewster on hand if you want some laughs!½

A plant from outer space eats human blood.

2/4 (Indifferent).

I know this is a weird complaint to make about a musical, but... everybody just keeps singing.½

Hijinks ensue at a funeral.

2.5/4 (Okay).

There are some hilarious bits, some unfunny gross bits, and a bunch of drama that I don't care about. The leads don't have enough charisma to carry a comedy.

Gorgeous, evocative and immersive, and with a very fun core concept and t heme at heart -- but the plot and pace are both rather too meandering for my tastes. Recently rewatched it after finishing the excellent Netflix prequel series, and found that impression still held (though I now have added fondness to it due to it spawning that spin-off). But the pacing aside, I'm awed by the effort and sheer scope of this film in its own right, and as a fantasy fan, I'm thrilled it and its magnificent world still exists in the public consciousness. Will definitely watch this a third and likely a fourth time, too.½

Con artists try to out con each other.

2.5/4 (Okay).

The story's kind of fun, but there aren't nearly enough laughs.

A safe cracker reluctantly agrees to do a heist with an asshole.

3/4 (Good).

The acting is bad, the characters are boring, and the necessary plot twists are barely there. But there's enough suspense and heist-process-stuff to make it an enjoyable movie.½

The kids liked this one back in the day, but I always thought it was too, um, dark.

An orphan is sent on a quest to save the world from creepy-ass bird monsters.

How did this ever get made? Here's a tip: when releasing a ground-breaking film with the potential to transform cinema, don't open it opposite fucking E.T.. Just saying, might make you look bad.

Concept: A
Story: B
Characters: B
Dialog: C
Pacing: B
Cinematography: B
Special effects/design: A
Acting: B
Music: A

Enjoyment: A plus

GPA: 3.4/4

(Oct. 2011)

The Muppets try to open a musical on Broadway.

Frogs and dogs and bears and chickens and things. The plot is dumb and cliche, but never in a way that stops the movie from working.

Concept: C
Story: D
Characters: A
Dialog: A
Pacing: B
Cinematography: C
Special effects/design: B
Acting: B
Music: B

Enjoyment: A plus

GPA: 3.0/4

(Nov. 2011)

A man with crippling neuroses stalks and harasses his psychiatrist.

This movie should have been an awkward, uncomfortable train wreck, but instead it had me grinning through the entire thing. Part of that's Oz's timing, and of course Murray's ability to make a mediocre script funny, but mostly - unexpectedly - it comes down to Richard Dreyfuss. He hits the perfect balance of believable and cartoonish. There's just the tiniest ounce of sympathy with his character, so that you can appreciate how horrible the situation is without his pain ever being anything but funny.

Concept: F
Story: B
Characters: B
Dialog: B
Pacing: A
Cinematography: C
Special effects/design: C
Acting: B
Music: D

Enjoyment: B

GPA: 2.4/4½

Hilarious, well done, and does put the message out there of tolerance. Well cast. Kevin Kline dancing...oh dear.

On another planet in the distant past, a Gelfling embarks on a quest to find the missing shard of a magical crystal and restore order to his world, before the grotesque race of Skeksis find and use the crystal for evil.
(source: TMDb)

Steve Martin, Michael Caine Director: Frank Oz