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It's hard to know who thought it would be a good idea to make a live-action version of Disney's animated classic. The one bright notion anyone had was casting Glenn Close as Disney über-villainess Cruella de Vil; her flashing eyes and angular features are a perfect match and do credit to what is one of the most indelible animated characters Disney has ever created. The story remains essentially the same, focusing on Cruella's plot to kidnap the puppies of a young married couple (Jeff Daniels and Jolie Richardson) and make them into a coat. But the dreaded John Hughes, who wrote this script, fills it with sadistic slapstick and far too few genuine laughs. The human actors work hard, but to little avail; thankfully, there's a passel of puppies to regularly steal scenes when the going gets dreary--although there are only so many laughs to be had from inappropriate dog puddles. --Marshall Fine ... Read more

Reviews (48)

Delightful story with puppies that will steal your heart
It was a stroke of genius for the legendary Disney Studio to decide to remake their classic 1961 animated feature "101 Dalmatians", as a live action feature. Never a great fan of remakes, I feel this story is a natural for a live action version and on first viewing it totally won me over. It has so much to offer viewers of all ages, whether it be its 99 gorgeous Dalmatian puppies that would melt the heart of any dog lover, a top class production with terrific sets, locations and stunts or a wonderfully wicked villianess in the incomparable Cruella De Vil played to perfection by gifted actress Glenn Close.

The film follows closely the original story and tells the tale of London couple Roger and Anita who meet through a Dalmatian dog mixup in a London Park and fall in love, marry and find themselves the happy "parents" of 15 beautiful Dalmatian puppies when their Dalmatians Pongo and Perdita begin a family of their own. Their happiness is short lived however when Anita's boss the dastardly Cruella De Vil spots the puppies and immediately makes plans to have the puppies kidnapped so that she can turn their pelts into the extravagant spotted fur coat she has always dreamed of having. What ensures is a comical tale full of laughs, great stunts and hilarious situations of the "boo the villian, cheer the dogs" variety. The Dalmatian parents, with the aid of many assorted members of the animal kingdom from woodpeckers, squirrels, and assorted sheep pigs, and dogs not only succeed in tracking down the missing puppies in their hideout but also outwit Cruella and her incompetent accomplices at every turn. The animals revenge on Cruella and her accomplices makes for most of the humour as they find themselves being dumped through falling roofs, landing in tubs of gooey molasses and being smelled out by skunks!

No expense was spared on this production and indeed all the live action characters bare an amazing resemblance to their cartoon counterparts. Gleen Close towers over the whole production in her performance as Disney Studios most famous villianess the totally over the top Cruella De Vil. Her makeup, hair styles and clothing is everything you would imagine Cruella to be. It is to the credit of Glenn Close that she succeeds totally in bringing to life such a well known and "loved" cartoon villianess. A supremely talented actress as seen in such diverse roles as those in "Fatal Attraction", "Dangerous Liaisons", "Meeting Venus", and "Paradise Road" among others, she is a total riot as the bizzare fashion designer with an extreme fur fetish. It is she who makes "101 Dalmatians" such memorable viewing and her encounters with the animals in the second half of the film will have you laughing for ages. The sight of Cruella rising out of the tub of molasses where she has been unceremoniously dumped by the animal brigade will bring fits of laughter to the viewer. The film also boasts the great talents of Jeff Daniels and the lovely Joely Richardson as Roger and Anita the loving couple drawn to each other by their fondness for Dalmatians, and the gifted Joan Plowright as Anita's former Nanny who finds herself performing the role again but this time for the 15 puppies in the house. Much of the comedy stems from the great playing by Hugh Laurie and Mark Williams as the wacky Jasper and Horace employed by Cruella who's job it is to steal the puppies for Cruella. They receive the main brunt of the animals "revenge" to great comic effect as does John Shrapnel in the role of the sinister scarred Skinner who is employed to turn the puppies coats into Cruella's new coat. The animal stunts performed in this film will have you gasping as the animals seem top take on human personalities of their own to brilliant effect. The location photography around London and in the snow scenes at Cruella's hideaway also create a very pleasing look to the film.

I never fail to watch "101 Dalmatians" without finding a smile appearing on my face. It is a totally delightful film that is just as much for adults as it is children which is a real credit to the Disney Studios. Glenn Close really makes the film a viewing experience with her over the top playing here but if you are in anyway a dog lover you can't help but be totally captivated by these delightful 101 spotted creatures charming the audience in "101 Dalmatians". Enjoy!

"101 Dalmatians"
Having watched both the live-action and the animated versions of "101 Dalmatians," I find the live-action version to be vastly superior. This updated classic has a fresh, fun storyline. The actors who play the characters seem perfectly suited for their roles. Glenn Close is particularly good as Cruella De Vil. The movie was filmed in England and each scene is beautifully crafted. The director has done a remarkable job of giving the dogs respected status as emotion-feeling, three dimensional characters without resorting to the silly and mundane method of giving them human voices. Being a dog trainer myself, the thing I most enjoy about the movie is the absolutely phenomenal job done by the dog handlers. Not only are the trained behaviors remarkable, but the handlers have elicited responses from the dogs that readily convey understandable "emotions" to the audience. The ONE glaring fault of this movie is the final scene where all of the dogs have been allowed to breed ad infinitum. I find that totally irresponsible and the reason this movie gets 4 stars instead of 5.

CORNY!
One of the WORST films by Disney is this "101 Dalmations", which is a live-action version of the original cartoon movie & is nowhere near as good. All it was is just a retelling of the story obviously, but very little excitement and fun, bad acting and cheesy, cheesy, cheesy special effects. (not to mention the jokes sucked!) It is also TOO short! They could've added in more and it would've been better but it all ended too soon. Disney is really going downhill with these sequels and remakes and I suggest that they STOP now!! How anybody could like this film is beyond me! This is the stupidest, crappiest movie remake ever! Save your money and buy the original cartoon version instead cause it's 100% better than this smelly pile of dog crap! Your kids will also like it more.

A dog's life
Don't expect this type of overacting Disney movie that can be a sweet movie. It was pretty funny. It will be better than the second movie 102 Dalmatians.

Calling all dogs, we must find the puppies!
We purchased the cartoon version at our first opportunity, and this has been a heavily watched movie by our kids, especially when they were pre-kindergarten. This is still my 6 year old daughters favorite movie and the family voted it #8 of 41. Not quite up to the production standards of other Disney movies, this one was popular with all 5 children and is very watchable with repeat viewings. It narrowly beat out Fox and the hound for the 8th spot.

Cruella De Vil sees the 15 puppies of Pongo and Perdita and decides that she needs to make a polka dot Dalmatian coat with their fur. Her henchmen kidnap 86 puppies from around London and with these 15 she has 101. Pongo and Perdita call upon their doggie friend to search for the lost pups in hopes of engineering a rescue.
We had a lot of fun by gathering the family together to rank the 41 Disney movies we have that include some cartoon work. All the kids, ages 6 to 27, participated along with mother and dad. Peter Pan is no Codfish, we rank it #2. Lion King was selected number 1 of the 41 as the family favorite, but narrowly. Peter Pan was 2. Pete's Dragon 3, Beauty & the beast 4, Sleeping Beauty 5, Snow White 6 and Robin hood 7. These 7 movies all received a 5 star rating from us and complete our magnificent 7. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Disney had an unexpected hit with this predictable comedy about a smug lawyer (Emilio Estevez) busted for drunk driving and ordered to coach a sad-sack team of hockey-playing kids as community service. The kids triumph over their sundry problems, and Estevez's character grows up a little. End of story.A perfectly harmless movie for kids and adults who are giving their brains a night off. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (22)

The first movie of the "Mighty Ducks" trilogy! 5 STARS!
When he was young, Gordon Bombay (Emilio Estevez) used to play hockey but when he blows a really big game, he quits. Now thirty, he's a lawyer who doesn't know anything about fair play or teamwork. When he gets arrested for drunken driving, he has to perform community service. And not just any community service, he has to coach hockey to kids! His team consists of Charlie Conway (Joshua Jackson), Greg Goldberg (Shaun Weiss), Dave Averman (Matt Doherty), Peter (J.D. Daniels), Gee Germaine (Garette Ratliff Henson), Jesse Hall (Brandon Quintin Adams), Connie Moreau (Marguerite Moreau), Dave Karp (Aaron Schwartz), and Terry Hall (Jussie Smollett). And they are an AWFUL team! Bombay hates the kids and doesn't try hard to coach them, and so of course the kids don't respect or like him at all. Will they ever be able to work as a team with Coach Bombay acting like the good coach he should be? And will they have enough time to make it to the finals against unbeatable team, Hawks? Also starring is Hans (Joss Ackland), Mr. Ducksworth (Josef Sommer), Fulton Reed (Elden Henson), Tammy (Jane Plank), and Tommy (Danny Tamberelli), Coach Reilly (Lane Smith), and Adam Banks (Vincent Larusso).

Great movie entertainment! I just love the whole Mighty Ducks trilogy! They teach great values about trust, teamwork, fair play, and as Coach Bombay used to say, 'all that other junk'. It's also very, VERY hilarious! Some parts you can just die laughing, for example when the kids get in trouble from the principal and are put under detention. The hockey games are pretty suspenseful and fun, too!

But there is a reason for the PG rating for this movie. Mostly it's because of language which at times is pretty bad. Also the kids in the movie are pretty naughty at times. I think the movie is best aimed for kids maybe 10 and up, great for adults, too.

Then of course there are the other two "Mighty Ducks" films. "D2: The Mighty Ducks" have Bombay again coaching the Ducks, this time there are going up against the world as Team USA! Some of the hockey players aren't in this movie, but they get some new teammates. In my opinion (though it's a very hard choice), this movie is the best of all three. "D3: The Mighty Ducks" has the Ducks getting a scholarship for Eden Hall academy. Their main adversary are the Warriors, the varsity team of Eden Hall. If you liked the first "Mighty Ducks", I highly recommend the next two sequels! I sincerely hope that Disney will have the whole trilogy on DVD soon!

Great fun on the ice!
Emilio Estevez scores the winning goal as Gordon Bombay, a smug, smarmy lawyer who is arrested for drunken driving and is ordered to do community service as the coach of PeeWee hockey team "District 5," a ragtag group of kids with doubtful playing abilities. He expects it to be hell, but instead he faces his own demons and learns about the importance of teamwork and what REALLY makes a winner. Typical cliched Disney fare, with Bombay redeeming himself in the end and we know even before watching it for the first time which team wins the grand finale, but nonetheless a harmless and inoffensive movie which children and parents will undoubtedly enjoy.

GREAT MOVIE!
I love this movie! I would reccomend it to anyone who likes hockey. So buy it if you like hockey and you won't be dissapointed!

one of the best hockey movies ever
I love hockey and I loved hockey before I saw this movie. this movie did help bring a lot of people my age into hockey to abd a lot of them didn't stay on the Mighty Ducks are a bunch of great kids who will keep kids and adults laughing and even though a lot of the on ice action is corny it is still cool to watch

mighty ducks...
I think mighty ducks is a great movie and its really funny. ... ... Read more

Amazon.com

An earnest and at times overblown story of a music teacher's impact on those around him, Mr. Holland's Opus is at times a genuinely touching drama in the vein of It's a Wonderful Life. Richard Dreyfuss (Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind) plays an aspiring composer and musician who takes a job teaching music at a local high school to save money while he composes his music. But when his wife (Glenne Headley) becomes pregnant, Glenn Holland must put aside his dreams and address the everyday realities of his life, from the melancholy and sometimes tragic fates of his students to the discovery that the son he cherishes is deaf. Building to a highly emotional climax in which the teacher sees the impact he's had on the world around him, Mr. Holland's Opus is a showcase for a fine Oscar-nominated performance by Dreyfuss and an engaging, heartwarming story. --Robert Lane ... Read more

Reviews (88)

A Rare Contemporary Film that will Stand the Test of Time
Hats off to Steven Herek for creating such a beautiful and realistic, life-affirming masterpiece. Unlike so many of today's films that rely on sex, violence, and trends that last all of 15 seconds, here is a movie that is appropriate for anyone who loves music and a thoroughly enjoyable story.

Glen Holland (Richard Dreyfuss)is a musician who hopes one day to compose a piece of music he will be immortalized for, so he takes a job as a high school music teacher believing that he'll have spare time to achieve his goal. He is sadly mistaken after, having had a few rough months reaching his students, he becomes one of the most popular teachers in his school and community. Free time for his own musical pursuits is the last thing he has left as his life becomes a parallel to the line in John Lennon's "Beautiful Boy"--Life is what happens to you when you're busy making other plans.

This life involves a vice principal who's jealous of him for being more popular than he is, never ending schedules to teach marching bands, individual students how to play their instruments and lessons in life, driver's ed, and school plays.

The most challenging thing for Glen Holland may be that he has to come to terms with the disappointment of being a music teacher whose own son is deaf, and the most touching thing is the closure he finally discovers with him after realizing his own infalibilities when almost tempted to run away with a young student cast in one of the school's low budget musical productions.

Not only is this film moving, but it has several moments of down-to-earth humor: Check out the kids who think they have talent as they try out for the Gershwin review. It may remind you a bit of American Idol. My personal favorite? Just before he reports for his first day of classes, Glen says to wife Iris, "What kind of people like to go to work at 7:30 in the morning?" I can only laugh and think what kind of people like to go to work at ALL?

Normally I don't care for Richard Dreyfuss, but he's so wonderful as a not-so-perfect Glen Holland who you sometimes don't like so well, and he's surrounded by a wonderful cast of characters. Olympia Dukakis as the principal is one of the best characters, and Alicia Witt is endearing as clarinet player Gertrude Lang.

This movie also has a strong message about the dangers of cutting creative programs in favor of turning kids into athletes and business machines. If you love music or any form of the arts in general, this is a movie you should see. Not only that, but it's also a life-affirming look at somebody who hated their position in life and, until he had to think about it years later, realized how much he loved it!

Please give this movie a go, even if you've heard it's corny sometimes. Life itself has corny moments. Beside that, what do you think will be playing on a classic movie channel 50 years from now: Mr. Holland's Opus or Hidalgo?

Great drama, character development
"Mr. Holland's Opus" takes the viewer on a journey through the life of a young musician (played by Dreyfuss) and his family. When pregnancy enters the picture the couple decides that, for the present, life on the road is not a good idea while the baby is on the way. He then accepts a position as a High School music teacher, just to make ends meet, and to give him time to compose. Then real life hits...

In the end it is teaching, not performing, that defines Mr. Holland's life. He is faced with personal and family challenges, motivated and ambivalent students, turbulent social times, and the continuing desire to compose...but there never seems to be enough time to do everything.

This is an excellent movie! The acting is wonderful, and the story is compelling and believable. And the sound track is great.

This movie is a triubute to the human spirit, and to the effect dedicated teachers can have on lives of their students. It deserves nothing less than 5 stars.

If you haven't watched this movie, do yourself a favor and give it a look. If, however, your movie tastes are driven by action, adventure, high-tech special effects, etc., then this movie may not be for you.

To all the teachers out there -- of music and everything else -- THANK YOU!

Alan Holyoak

Movie that I think enspires the Deaf to watch
In my opinion this movie is an excellent way for the Hearing In Paired to watch movies like this one.There should be more movies like Mr Holland's Opus.I have read in one reveiw which The Beatles are the main topic of the movie (music)which is crap as there are all types of music in the movie wheather there influence is there or not,watch the movie and love the music or don't watch it at all.

A Great movie for the whole family
Glenn Holland[Richard Dreyfuss] is a man who has a dream of becoming a classical music composer. But it turns out that he teaches a high school music class. He first thinks that he shouldn't be teaching this class and he should be composing music. The story tells how he goes through his life helping his students, his wife and his deaf son Cole. After teaching for 30 years, he then discovers that teaching was really the correct job for him to do. He also discovers that he loved teaching for all those years even though that wasn't his first decision.

I thought that Richard Dreyfus did a great job. I thought that the movie was very well done and I thought that the story was very heartwarming. I also think that if you loved the movie, the soundtrack might also be worth getting. I own the soundtrack and some of the songs I really like.

Director Steven Herek has made a movie with a story that I will never forget.

SCHMALTZY AND CLICHED, SAVED ONLY BY DREYFUSS
Most of the reviewers on Amazon seemed to have loved this movie. They've said it made them cry, and think. This movie didn't provoke a tear from me.

I am not sure I'd attend classes that begin with rhetoric like 'What is music?' but Dreyfuss does a decent job of a quasi-inspiring teacher. Although this band master could be a little less mean when returning assignments.

The acting overall in the film is pretty plain though, and the somewhat interesting premise gets old real quick.

Some scenes are even borderline idiotic. First, our supposedly great teacher expects kids who don't know how to play their instruments to be playing Mozart after one day.

Then, there is a scene where he is teaching a girl how to play her clarinet. She has been playing the thing for 3 years but still can't get out a note. He tells her to think of the sunset, and suddenly she can play perfectly.

Corny. Very corny. Dreyfuss is pretty much the only thing going for this one-time rental. ... Read more

Description

Nab the star-studded comedy-adventure that dazzled moviegoers everywhere! It's the action-packed tale of three loyal swordsmen (Charlie Sheen, Kiefer Sutherland, Oliver Platt) who are joined by an eager recruit (Chris O'Donnell) to protect the King of France. Together, the foursome battle enormous odds in their attempt to defeat an evil royal advisor (Tim Curry) and a seductive envoy (Rebecca De Mornay) plotting to overthrow France's crown -- fighting against both time and scores of enemies! You'll cheer out loud when these exciting muskeeteers face danger, fun, and adventure at every turn -- proving they are the greatest swashbucklers who ever lived! ... Read more

Reviews (95)

My favorite musketeers movie
All right, let it be said. This movie has NOTHING to do with Dumas's novel. It isn't even close. There, now that that's out of the way, let me just say that this is a great film. It's done in typical Disney style, with an incredible cast that brings to life this classic tale with a lot of flare and some good, old-fashioned fun.

The entire cast is great: the three Musketeers (Kiefer Sutherland, Oliver Platt, and Charlie Sheen) are hilarious, and the impetuous young D'Artagnan (Chris O'Donnell) proves the perfect complement to this already comic trio. Add Tim Curry and Michael Wincott as the bad guys and you've got yourself a comic, action-packed adventure that is sure to please the whole family.

Loved it
I found this movie very entertaining... Oliver Platt (Porthos) provided some great laughs. Charlie Sheen (Aramis) was one of the nice looking ones. Kiefer Sutherland (Athos) could have acted a bit more bitter... but he did an over good job. Chris O'Donnel (D'Artgnan) no. I don't think he took to this part well at all. I agree with several other reviewers. He turned it into mush. Tim Curry (Car. Richeliu) LOVED HIM! He played that part two ways to the director... funny or scary/serious. The director wanted to go for the funny way, mainly because everyone else in the cast would be as well. I would have loved to have seen him play it serious. Rebecca DeMornay( ?) was quite good as a seductress. The man w/the patch (can't remember name) did fairly well. Wasn't the best performance, but wasn't mush either. I give this film only four stars, mainly because of Chris O'Donnel's performance. No,it didn't stay true to the book, but I liked it anyways.

F.U.N
is this film corny? silly? fun? YES! its a FUN romp! The acting is great the story is great its a very well done version of the classic story. the sword fighting isnt bad either. If you have seen this you must get it quick, most disney films don't last long. If you like swashbuckling movies that are fun and pay homeage to the films of days long gone this is for you!

BRAVO!!!
Definitely a great epic movie and one of my personal favorites, The Three Musketeers, brings to the screen the tale of who else, but Athos, Porthos, Aramis and D'Artagnan. Kiefer Sutherland, Chris O'Donnell, Charlie Sheen, Oliver Platt, Tim Curry, and the gorgeous Rebecca De Mornay whose performances are simply amazing, make this movie one of the best of its kind. (Tim Curry's character, in particular, as Cardinal Richelieu, steals the show!)
The actors' great talent and chemistry clearly shows, thus providing an entertaining film that can be watched over and over again. The castles, the battles and the costumes are all wonderful! The Three Musketeers is a movie about love, honor, bravery, loyalty, and heroes from a time long gone. It is a great movie indeed!

Wish I could give it O stars
The cast seems ludicrously out of place in this movie--only Anwar is partially believable and her part is slight.

If you wish to see an interesting an authentic three musketeers, look for AISN B00006LPC5 , a 1972 version that is incredible. ... Read more

Reviews (47)

One Crazy Summer
What did Christina Applegate do during her 1990 summer hiatus from television's popular series, "Married...with Children"? Well, she made this charming, highly entertaining comedy of a Los Angeles teen that finds herself in a tough predicament one summer. After her mother leaves on a two-month trip to Australia, Sue Ellen (Applegate) finds herself taking care of her four siblings after the mean, elderly babysitter that was hired by their mother for the summer drops dead from natural causes. Unwilling to put a dent to their summer fun, the kids decide to rid the body and take care of themselves for two months without having to tell their mom. Only problem is that when they dropped the body off at the local mortuary, they forgot to check the babysitter's pockets for the money their mother left for groceries for the entire summer.

Determined to keep the fun and food flowing, Sue Ellen decides to look for a job. After not having too much luck at a fast food restaurant, she applies for a receptionist position at a clothing company. When a resume mix-up gets in the way, Sue Ellen becomes a career woman in order to pay the bills and keep their summer alive. Meanwhile, she develops a blossoming relationship with a fast-food worker she once worked with (Josh Charles of "Threesome") and is being hounded by two office workers who want to wreck her reputation (Concetta Tomei & a very, very young-looking David Duchovny of "X-Files fame).

Featuring a great cast of actors such as Joanna Cassidy and Keith Coogan ("Adventures in Babysitting"), "Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter is Dead" is a grown-up version of "Home Alone" for teens. Amusing, funny, and entertaining, it was Applegate's only feature-film hit. While she made other low-cost films such as "Streets", this film happens to be her best work outside from her work on "Married...With Children.." If you are looking for a great flick for the family this is it. Please be aware that the film contains scenes of drug use (marijuana) and might be unsuitable for children under the age of 13.

Manages to entertain most of the time.
"Don't Tell Mom The Babysitter's Dead" is supplied with a plot so unbelievable, yet manages to entertain on a marginal level. After a short-lived theatrical run, the movie made its way to cable channels, where it found a much less aggressive and forgiving audience, one that was willing to accept it as little more than a rainy-day diversion from reality.

The film's sense of smarts is seriously off kilter, telling the story of four kids, all various ages, who are left by their vacationing mother with a babysitter who makes Satan seem like Betty White. The oldest of the children, 17-year-old Sue Ellen (Christina Applegate), is defiant of the rules, so when her siblings look to her for a solution, she marches straight to the sitter's room, only to find her dead in her rocker.

Instead of calling the police, they tuck the corpse into a trunk and leave the cargo on the steps of a funeral home, only to discover that the money supply left by their mother was stashed in her pockets. Without any source of income, Sue Ellen takes charge by getting a job, first at a fast food joint that looks like something out of every clown-fearing person's worst nightmare, and then at a clothing manufacturer, where she manages to make her way to the top in less than two minutes of air-headed dialogue exchanges.

After the babysitter dies, any and all plausibility goes right into that trunk with her body. Accepting that any situation that will take place during this film is purely fictional and outright idiotic will save you much time and frustration; they only get in the way. Sue Ellen's rise to the top seems written by preteen girls for preteen girls, eager for a success story that has some added elements of soap opera (sleazy coworker Gus making moves on Sue Ellen as well as her boss, Rose), and revenge (the spurned receptionist who sets out to ruin Sue Ellen's career and claim it for herself).

But in the end, it's not all that bad after all. The movie does have a degree of lightheartedness about it, and its whimsy and delight in breaking all the rules of logic and intelligence is strangely refreshing. It's an ideal star vehicle for Applegate, and also showcases some good comedic relief from actress Joanna Cassidy, who becomes the sole reason to see the film. While the story has the freshness of a corpse, "Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead," likes its main character, manages to con its way to our fancy.

Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead
Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead is an okay movie; it is different and that makes it different from any other slapstick comedy.The cast isn't that big besides Applegate.The old lady in the beggining is really funny.It is full of funny moments, but the plot is to different and that is what made me give it a lower rating.The is definetly a perfect six.The children in this film are so trashy and realistic in that kind of setting and I think that's hilarious.Applegate does a great job and serves up quiet a few laughs.The pothead older brother is kind of annoying along with some other characters.One of the main promlems is that the film is so predictable.The outfits and hair cuts are fun to make fun of when there is nothing really important is going on.If you are up for a good laugh and something deifferent check it out, but don't expect to much from this little comedy.

Christina Applegate, who plays Kelly Bundy in the hit TV show "Married With Children," is the star of this wacky comedy about a group of kids trying to cope with a very weird situation.While mom takes off for a trip to Australia with her boyfriend, the kids are left in the care of the elderly babysitter from hell. Then things go from bad to worse: the old lady dies, leaving them without a cent to their name. Teenager Sue Ellen, the oldest sibling, realizes that they'd better do something fast if they want to eat. Because one thing's for sure: no one wants to let mom know that the babysitter's dead...

"Predictable, but not wholly unlikable."
-- Ken Hanke, MOUNTAIN XPRESS (ASHEVILLE, NC)

WOW Christina Applegate is HOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This is a movie worth owning, it's funny, charming, witty, and has the BABE from married with Children CHRISTINA APPLEGATE! WOOHOOOO!!! Buy this one right now!

review
hi. i never went so school and i dont know how to write reviews and i run sentences together and dont capatalize my i's. ... Read more

Reviews (105)

FUNNIEST MOVIE MADE IN THE 1980'S
I LOVE THESE CRAZY GUYS, THEIR (PIPED IN) AIR GUITARS AND THE FUTURISTIC RELIGION THEY UNWITTINGLY ESTABLISH AS A RESULT OF THE MUSIC OF THEIR (VERY UNTALENTED) BAND-- THE WYLD STALLYNS!!! IT REALLY DOESN'T GET ANY FUNNIER THAN THIS!

UNDER PRESSURE OF FAILING HISTORY CLASS, AND HAVING TO ATTEND A MILITARY ACADEMY, BILL AND TED RUN HEADLONG INTO A GUARDIAN ANGEL FROM THE FUTURE, WHILE HANGING OUT AT THE LOCAL CIRCLE K, TRYING TO DECIDE HOW TO PASS THEIR CLASS. FROM THERE, THEY GO ON A MISSION IN A TIME-TRAVELING TELEPHONE BOOTH, WHICH TAKES THEM ALL THROUGH AN AMAZING VARIETY OF "HISTORICAL" TIMES AND PLACES, MEETING UP WITH SOME AWESOME "MEDIEVAL BABES" ALONG THE WAY. (THE "HISTORICAL BABES" END UP BECOMING THE NEXT TWO MEMBERS OF THE BAND WYLD STALLYNS IN THE END!!! HAHAHHA)

ON THEIR EXCELLENT ADVENTURE, THEY PICK UP NAPOLEAN, JOAN OF ARC, SOCRATES (THEY PRONOUCE IT "SO-KRATES"), BEETHOVEN, BILLY THE KID AND A FEW OTHER HILARIOUSLY UNSTUNNED HISTORICAL FIGURES, ALL OF WHOM TAKE THE JOURNEY AS THOUGH IT WAS NOTHING TOO OUT OF THE ORDINARY. (THIS, IN ITSELF, IS FUNNY!)

I WON'T GIVE AWAY THE ENDING, WHICH IS VERY FUN AND MAKES FOR A GREAT SHOW FOR BILL AND TED'S FELLOW-STUDENTS AND TEACHERS, WITH ALL OF THE HISTORICAL CHARACTERS ACTING OUT THEIR PARTS IN AN
"A-WINNING" SCHOOL PRESENTATION. BUT THE REAL FUNNY PART IS THE ADVENTURE ITSELF!!!

GOTTA SEEE THIS ONE!!!

Its about time! (Literally)
Finally, one of THE funniest movies ever made is coming to DVD. This is one of the movies that helped launch the career of now mega-star Keanu Reeves, and spawned a bunch of copy-cat movies like "Wayne's World" and "Dude, Where's MY Car?", but this was the original DUDE movie! Dim-witted high school friends Bill & Ted don't realize they are destined to be the great ones who will change the course of the world through their music, bringing about world peace (as well as clean air, and more excellent water slides than any other planet we communicate with!) Right now, they have to pass history! With help from cool futuristic dude Rufus and a time-travelling phone booth, they travel back in time to assemble the greatest historical figures for the greatest history report of all time! Its a hilarious romp through the past and present (and you may learn a thing or 2). Wyld Stallyns rules!

Misadventures In Time & Space
* BILL AND TED'S EXCELLENT ADVENTURE (B&TXA) is a low-budget,
derivative, silly film that shamelessly panders to its teen-age target
audience; it represents nothing new in film-making; and is blatantly
commercial.

I really liked it.

The plot is simple enough. Bill (Alex Winter) and Ted (Keanu Reaves)
are two California kids who want to become famous rock stars. There's
only one problem: they can't play their instruments. Well, actually,
there's two problems: they're both complete boneheads, and their
hardnosed history teacher tells them that if they *don't* pass their
oral history report, they *will* flunk out of school. This oral
report involves imagining what historical personages would've thought
of the present day and the local environment. Not too demanding, but
it's still above the ability of these two, and if they flunk, Ted's
sourpuss dad intends to send him off to a military academy in Alaska,
separating the two friends, probably forever.

Fortunately, the society of Earth 700 years from now has a special
interest in them, and an agent (George Carlin) is sent back in a time
machine (shaped like a phone booth -- a normal one, not an
old-fashioned British police box) to help out. So Bill and Ted have
in their hands the best possible tool for conducting hands-on
historical research.

This sounds silly, and it is, and all the unkind things I said above
about this movie are true. That leads to the question: What saves

B&TXA? Simple enough: Bill and Ted. These two guys don't look like
they have the collective mental energy to make a nightlight glow.
They don't actually have to *do* anything to be funny. You laugh at
them even if they're just *standing* there.

Though when push comes to shove, it turns out they can be quite
resourceful. Like a lot of teenagers, they just need to get
motivated. It's hard not to like them, since they're about as
good-natured kids as you're likely to find. Bill has the initiative,
willing to take risks without hesitation because he doesn't have a
clue of what he's getting into. Ted is a born romantic, a sweet-faced
kid who all the girls think is really cute. Any time he sees a
good-looking girl his heart leaps into his throat and stars flicker in
his eyes.

The story, like I said, is silly, but silliness is hardly a critical
term when applied to a comedy -- and it does have its moments, such as
Napoleon at the water slides, and Genghis Kahn ... well, I won't say
any more. It certainly does pander to teenagers: nearly all the
adults are creeps or morons, and the kids turn the tables on them in
the end -- but it also made me feel wistful. I didn't have fun being
a teenager and this film suggests to me in its own bizarre way that it
could've been more fun than it was. The only thing I can seriously
say against B&TXA was that by the time it was over I was glad I didn't
have to listen to "PARTY ON, DUDE!" and "EXCELLENT!" one more time.

BILL AND TED'S EXCELLENT ADVENTURE isn't the sort of thing that would
win awards, in fact nobody in their right mind would recommend it for
one. Some movies are like expensive dinners; others are like Big
Macs. But as Big Macs go, BILL AND TED'S EXCELLENT ADVENTURE tastes
good.

Oh, yeah, the usual cautions: No noticeable bad language, overt
sexual activity, or graphic violence (unless you are the sort of
person who feels that the Three Stooges are a bad influence on kids).
And definitely, absolutely not for people who are into serious cinema.
[Minor update of review from 1989 -- GVG]

Profound in a weird way
On one level, this is one of the silliest movies of all time. The humor is juvenile, and the teenage protagonists *seem* almost completely vacant-minded, their only goal to to start a great rock band, despite their complete inability to play their instruments. They end up on the most hilarious journey through time imaginable, with their 1990's San Dimas, CA sensibilities encountering such historic figures as "So-krates," "Joan of Arc," and Sigmund "Frood," all of whom end up wreaking havoc in a So. Calif. shopping mall. Bill and Ted are endearingly mindless, driven by hormones, and Ted remains Keanu Reeves's best role. The film has some of the funniest one-liners you'll want to add to your collection of quotations suitable to many daily occasions, and somehow there's a sweetness, innocence, and weird profundity to the whole adventure. It's also a multigenerational classic. I'm in my 40's, and my teenage children have been fans since elementary school as well and remain so. It's one of those films that whenever I mention it in a college classroom instantly elicits nods, smiles, and complicit laughs.

Good!
Bill & Ted's's Excellent Adventure is a funny movie that is enjoyable to watch and it was just a really cute movie and reminds me of other good time-travel movies like Time Bandits. Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter were really good and I also liked George Carlin and I recommend this movie. ... Read more

Reviews (58)

NOT GREAT, BUT A MUST FOR BURNS FANS
I agree with many of the criticisms of this movie; it did need another run through the typewriter and/or story editor. But I think it's worth having in your collection and is a must for anyone who is even remotely a fan of Edward Burns. While Ms. Jolie is miscast and tries hard to create a character out of a cartoon, Ed Burns creates a real person just by the use of his natural charisma and unforced manliness. The guy could probably have chemistry with a telephone pole; he is without doubt one of the most beautiful men in the history of the movies. Its worth the price of admission just to look at his gorgeous hair and soulful eyes. That he is also a wonderful actor only adds to the appeal.
What this movie really needed was a point of view; I still don't know where we are supposed to land regarding the Jolie character Lainie. She is supposed to be so horrible that she needs a major life adjustment and attitude reversal, yet compared to the other female characters in the movie (like her promiscuous friend played by Melissa Errico or the Barbara Walters clone played by Stockard Channing), she is comparatively normal. It's therefore hard to stay on her side, except when she meets the affable and down-to-earth Burns character. I haven't been a fan of director Stephen Herek until now, though I think he is talented. He will need to be more selective on his projects if he wants to rise to A-list directing projects, however. Until then, this is strictly a Burns show, and that's fine by me.

This movie is well worth your time
As you probably know, this movie has not always been well-received. But, speaking as a die-hard fan of romantic comedies, I think those of you who love this genre should definitely watch this movie.

Most people who enjoy romantic comedies will probably admit that, though we love them, many of these movies have plot holes here and there, or at least admit that the likelihood of such things happening to real people is questionable. So, with that already in mind, a viewer often falls in love with one of these movies because: a.) they love the actors, actresses, or director involved, and/or b.) the certainty that everything will probably turn out okay in the end (even if sometimes the movie's resolution is not what you'd expect). If you fall into one/both of those categories, you should see LIFE OR SOMETHING LIKE IT.

One of the reasons I think this movie is great is because Angelina Jolie and Edward Burns (as well as Tony Shalhoub, as the street prophet) are such great actors, and their banter and chemistry are highly watchable. The supporting actors & actresses also add to each scene they're in, especially the guy playing the sound technician who works with Jolie's and Burns's characters when they are out on assignment.

I'm not someone who can tell when a movie is badly directed or superbly directed; I just know when I leave a movie happy for having seen it, or when I've felt the loopholes left in the finished product are way, way too big to ignore. So, having warned you of my novice critical skill, I think the director did a great job. (In his commentary on the DVD, he explains that this is one of the movies whose production was a bit rushed because of the expected actor's strike that the industry feared at the time. So, I think he may wish he could have tweaked things here and there, if he'd had more time.)

Nonetheless, you should see this movie because it will still grab your heart and make you think about what is important in your own life, while still giving you that romantic comedy "buzz" that will put a smile on your face and joy in your heart.

An interesting idea for a story but very uneven results
"Life or Something Like It" is one of those films where the idea is intriguing, but the execution leaves a lot to be desired. The central character is Lanie Kerigan (Angelina Jolie), a hot young feature reporter for a Seattle television station who has a chance of her dream job for the network's morning show, "AM USA." Lanie is paired up with the station's best cameraman, Pete (Edward Burns), although these two clearly have a past that makes this a rocky relationship and assures us that they will end up together before too long. One day Lanie is out on the street filming an interview with Prophet Jack (Tony Shalhoub), a homeless man who is supposedly psychic. During the interview Jack makes three predictions. First, the Seattle Seahawks will win their game 19-13. Second, it will hail the next day. Third, Lanie will die next Thursday. This last one gets her attention.

Of course Lanie is skeptical. But when the first two predictions come true, she starts to become concerned and when Jack offers another prediction that comes about, she really starts to freak. Somewhere in her background Lanie must have studied classical mythology, because she does not really try to thwart her fate, although it takes her a while to accept it. This is for the good, because if she decided that she would stay home in bed all day on Thursday she would end up in a car accident on Wednesday night and linger until the next day. Trying thwart a prophecy only makes things worse; just ask Jocasta and pay attention to how the prophecy in Sophocles' tragedy changes).

The first problem with this 2002 film is that it is a romantic comedy that takes itself too seriously one moment and not seriously enough the next. Feel good movies tend to have scenes where people burst into song, and we have that here. I like the song, but for that character to lead that group in that song at that particular moment is really not a good move (except that the people who wrote the script liked it, so it does work out for the best). People who are actually in the business of television news must be laughing themselves silly at all the stupid bits about their profession in this business; my favorite, but not in a good way, was this idea of showing an interview at 7 in the morning on the east coast live on the west coast.

Ultimately this film gets reduced to a simple platitude and it is at that point that "Life or Something Like It" really betrays its promise. What would have made this film really work is not that it works on a universal level to which we can all relate, but if it drives the point home in terms of Lanie's character in some memorable way. There are a few conventional and unimaginative efforts, but nothing that crystallizes into a transcendent scene that elevates this film to a truly meaningful level. Even if you do not see the ending coming, I doubt that you are going to be surprised that this film wants to have its cake and eat it too.

Jolie's character has trouble shedding her on-camera persona enough to provide true depth to an examination of her life that gets beyond her brave smile, which is different from her on-camera smile. Her romance with Burns is by the numbers and I found myself wishing the film had tried to do more with her relationship with boyfriend Cal Cooper (Christian Kane, an actor who is going to break through in films the way he did on television's "Angel" some day soon), who plays for the Seattle Mariners, because I actually liked his idea of how to try and help her and I thought there was the possibility there for something different. There will be those that really like this film, but even that minority should have no problem in articulating ways in which it could have been so much better.

QUIRKY AND UNIQUE
I REALLY ENJOYED THIS MOVIE AND WISHED IT HAD GOTTEN BETTER REVIEWS INSTEAD OF BEING RAKED THROUGH THE COLES BY UNMERCIFUL CRITICS.ANGALINA JOLIE CAN SO EASILY PLAY ANY CHARACTER AND EARN THE VEIWERS LOVE ,ITS UNCANNY.THE STORY IS UNIQUE BY TODATS STANDARD OF COMEDY AND THE CHARACTER ,LANNIE KERRIGAN IS UNIQUE AS "MARILYN MEETS LOIS LANE".I LOVED IT, IT WAS ABREAK FROM REALITY AND FOR ANGALINA FANS WHO WATCH GIRL INTERRUPTED 5 TOMES A MONTH THATS A BREATH OF FRESH AIR.

Life or Something Like it - A wonderful romantic comedy!
After watching this wonderful romantic comedy one must simply come to the conclusion, if they haven't already, that Angelina Jolie has to be one of the best female actresses in the industry and has been for sometime. Every new film that I've watched her in just shows me more and more of what a versatile actress this beautiful woman is. I don't always purchase romantic comedies but with a lead actress the likes of Angelina Jolie, purchasing "Life or Something Like it" is a simple choice.

Between the script and the performances given by Angelina Jolie and Edward Burns and the other supporting actors in this film, this film is a sure thing when it comes to entertainment value. Of additional note is the exceptional performance by Tony Shalhoub whose character provides much of the catalyst for this wonderful film.

One only needs to click on the link for director Stephen Herek to see that given his past films, this film should be a very good one. He definitely deserves much praise for bringing this film together the way he did.

The Premise:

Lanie Kerrigan (Angelina Jolie) is an extremely ambitious and self absorbed local news reporter in Seattle whose star is rising and will soon have an opportunity to be elevated to the national level. The only thing in her way is her boss's insistence that she must do some camera work with Pete (Edward Burns) who is a former lover and their relationship isn't exactly a great one. As part of her work in Seattle, Pete takes her to meet Prophet Jack (Tony Shalhoub) who is a street bum with the talents of a prophet, hence his name. After she asks him whether she'll get the big job he tells that she won't because she's going to be dead on the following Thursday...

What follows from there is one of the best romantic comedies that I've watched in quite some time that is made that much better by Angelina Jolie's wonderful performance in the lead role!

I highly recommend this film to any and all that enjoys romantic comedies or just good movies in general! {ssintrepid}

Special Features:

-Full-Length Audio Commentary by Director Stephen Herek ... Read more

Reviews (58)

NOT GREAT, BUT A MUST FOR BURNS FANS
I agree with many of the criticisms of this movie; it did need another run through the typewriter and/or story editor. But I think it's worth having in your collection and is a must for anyone who is even remotely a fan of Edward Burns. While Ms. Jolie is miscast and tries hard to create a character out of a cartoon, Ed Burns creates a real person just by the use of his natural charisma and unforced manliness. The guy could probably have chemistry with a telephone pole; he is without doubt one of the most beautiful men in the history of the movies. Its worth the price of admission just to look at his gorgeous hair and soulful eyes. That he is also a wonderful actor only adds to the appeal.
What this movie really needed was a point of view; I still don't know where we are supposed to land regarding the Jolie character Lainie. She is supposed to be so horrible that she needs a major life adjustment and attitude reversal, yet compared to the other female characters in the movie (like her promiscuous friend played by Melissa Errico or the Barbara Walters clone played by Stockard Channing), she is comparatively normal. It's therefore hard to stay on her side, except when she meets the affable and down-to-earth Burns character. I haven't been a fan of director Stephen Herek until now, though I think he is talented. He will need to be more selective on his projects if he wants to rise to A-list directing projects, however. Until then, this is strictly a Burns show, and that's fine by me.

This movie is well worth your time
As you probably know, this movie has not always been well-received. But, speaking as a die-hard fan of romantic comedies, I think those of you who love this genre should definitely watch this movie.

Most people who enjoy romantic comedies will probably admit that, though we love them, many of these movies have plot holes here and there, or at least admit that the likelihood of such things happening to real people is questionable. So, with that already in mind, a viewer often falls in love with one of these movies because: a.) they love the actors, actresses, or director involved, and/or b.) the certainty that everything will probably turn out okay in the end (even if sometimes the movie's resolution is not what you'd expect). If you fall into one/both of those categories, you should see LIFE OR SOMETHING LIKE IT.

One of the reasons I think this movie is great is because Angelina Jolie and Edward Burns (as well as Tony Shalhoub, as the street prophet) are such great actors, and their banter and chemistry are highly watchable. The supporting actors & actresses also add to each scene they're in, especially the guy playing the sound technician who works with Jolie's and Burns's characters when they are out on assignment.

I'm not someone who can tell when a movie is badly directed or superbly directed; I just know when I leave a movie happy for having seen it, or when I've felt the loopholes left in the finished product are way, way too big to ignore. So, having warned you of my novice critical skill, I think the director did a great job. (In his commentary on the DVD, he explains that this is one of the movies whose production was a bit rushed because of the expected actor's strike that the industry feared at the time. So, I think he may wish he could have tweaked things here and there, if he'd had more time.)

Nonetheless, you should see this movie because it will still grab your heart and make you think about what is important in your own life, while still giving you that romantic comedy "buzz" that will put a smile on your face and joy in your heart.

An interesting idea for a story but very uneven results
"Life or Something Like It" is one of those films where the idea is intriguing, but the execution leaves a lot to be desired. The central character is Lanie Kerigan (Angelina Jolie), a hot young feature reporter for a Seattle television station who has a chance of her dream job for the network's morning show, "AM USA." Lanie is paired up with the station's best cameraman, Pete (Edward Burns), although these two clearly have a past that makes this a rocky relationship and assures us that they will end up together before too long. One day Lanie is out on the street filming an interview with Prophet Jack (Tony Shalhoub), a homeless man who is supposedly psychic. During the interview Jack makes three predictions. First, the Seattle Seahawks will win their game 19-13. Second, it will hail the next day. Third, Lanie will die next Thursday. This last one gets her attention.

Of course Lanie is skeptical. But when the first two predictions come true, she starts to become concerned and when Jack offers another prediction that comes about, she really starts to freak. Somewhere in her background Lanie must have studied classical mythology, because she does not really try to thwart her fate, although it takes her a while to accept it. This is for the good, because if she decided that she would stay home in bed all day on Thursday she would end up in a car accident on Wednesday night and linger until the next day. Trying thwart a prophecy only makes things worse; just ask Jocasta and pay attention to how the prophecy in Sophocles' tragedy changes).

The first problem with this 2002 film is that it is a romantic comedy that takes itself too seriously one moment and not seriously enough the next. Feel good movies tend to have scenes where people burst into song, and we have that here. I like the song, but for that character to lead that group in that song at that particular moment is really not a good move (except that the people who wrote the script liked it, so it does work out for the best). People who are actually in the business of television news must be laughing themselves silly at all the stupid bits about their profession in this business; my favorite, but not in a good way, was this idea of showing an interview at 7 in the morning on the east coast live on the west coast.

Ultimately this film gets reduced to a simple platitude and it is at that point that "Life or Something Like It" really betrays its promise. What would have made this film really work is not that it works on a universal level to which we can all relate, but if it drives the point home in terms of Lanie's character in some memorable way. There are a few conventional and unimaginative efforts, but nothing that crystallizes into a transcendent scene that elevates this film to a truly meaningful level. Even if you do not see the ending coming, I doubt that you are going to be surprised that this film wants to have its cake and eat it too.

Jolie's character has trouble shedding her on-camera persona enough to provide true depth to an examination of her life that gets beyond her brave smile, which is different from her on-camera smile. Her romance with Burns is by the numbers and I found myself wishing the film had tried to do more with her relationship with boyfriend Cal Cooper (Christian Kane, an actor who is going to break through in films the way he did on television's "Angel" some day soon), who plays for the Seattle Mariners, because I actually liked his idea of how to try and help her and I thought there was the possibility there for something different. There will be those that really like this film, but even that minority should have no problem in articulating ways in which it could have been so much better.

QUIRKY AND UNIQUE
I REALLY ENJOYED THIS MOVIE AND WISHED IT HAD GOTTEN BETTER REVIEWS INSTEAD OF BEING RAKED THROUGH THE COLES BY UNMERCIFUL CRITICS.ANGALINA JOLIE CAN SO EASILY PLAY ANY CHARACTER AND EARN THE VEIWERS LOVE ,ITS UNCANNY.THE STORY IS UNIQUE BY TODATS STANDARD OF COMEDY AND THE CHARACTER ,LANNIE KERRIGAN IS UNIQUE AS "MARILYN MEETS LOIS LANE".I LOVED IT, IT WAS ABREAK FROM REALITY AND FOR ANGALINA FANS WHO WATCH GIRL INTERRUPTED 5 TOMES A MONTH THATS A BREATH OF FRESH AIR.

Life or Something Like it - A wonderful romantic comedy!
After watching this wonderful romantic comedy one must simply come to the conclusion, if they haven't already, that Angelina Jolie has to be one of the best female actresses in the industry and has been for sometime. Every new film that I've watched her in just shows me more and more of what a versatile actress this beautiful woman is. I don't always purchase romantic comedies but with a lead actress the likes of Angelina Jolie, purchasing "Life or Something Like it" is a simple choice.

Between the script and the performances given by Angelina Jolie and Edward Burns and the other supporting actors in this film, this film is a sure thing when it comes to entertainment value. Of additional note is the exceptional performance by Tony Shalhoub whose character provides much of the catalyst for this wonderful film.

One only needs to click on the link for director Stephen Herek to see that given his past films, this film should be a very good one. He definitely deserves much praise for bringing this film together the way he did.

The Premise:

Lanie Kerrigan (Angelina Jolie) is an extremely ambitious and self absorbed local news reporter in Seattle whose star is rising and will soon have an opportunity to be elevated to the national level. The only thing in her way is her boss's insistence that she must do some camera work with Pete (Edward Burns) who is a former lover and their relationship isn't exactly a great one. As part of her work in Seattle, Pete takes her to meet Prophet Jack (Tony Shalhoub) who is a street bum with the talents of a prophet, hence his name. After she asks him whether she'll get the big job he tells that she won't because she's going to be dead on the following Thursday...

What follows from there is one of the best romantic comedies that I've watched in quite some time that is made that much better by Angelina Jolie's wonderful performance in the lead role!

I highly recommend this film to any and all that enjoys romantic comedies or just good movies in general! {ssintrepid}

Special Features:

-Full-Length Audio Commentary by Director Stephen Herek ... Read more

Reviews (105)

FUNNIEST MOVIE MADE IN THE 1980'S
I LOVE THESE CRAZY GUYS, THEIR (PIPED IN) AIR GUITARS AND THE FUTURISTIC RELIGION THEY UNWITTINGLY ESTABLISH AS A RESULT OF THE MUSIC OF THEIR (VERY UNTALENTED) BAND-- THE WYLD STALLYNS!!! IT REALLY DOESN'T GET ANY FUNNIER THAN THIS!

UNDER PRESSURE OF FAILING HISTORY CLASS, AND HAVING TO ATTEND A MILITARY ACADEMY, BILL AND TED RUN HEADLONG INTO A GUARDIAN ANGEL FROM THE FUTURE, WHILE HANGING OUT AT THE LOCAL CIRCLE K, TRYING TO DECIDE HOW TO PASS THEIR CLASS. FROM THERE, THEY GO ON A MISSION IN A TIME-TRAVELING TELEPHONE BOOTH, WHICH TAKES THEM ALL THROUGH AN AMAZING VARIETY OF "HISTORICAL" TIMES AND PLACES, MEETING UP WITH SOME AWESOME "MEDIEVAL BABES" ALONG THE WAY. (THE "HISTORICAL BABES" END UP BECOMING THE NEXT TWO MEMBERS OF THE BAND WYLD STALLYNS IN THE END!!! HAHAHHA)

ON THEIR EXCELLENT ADVENTURE, THEY PICK UP NAPOLEAN, JOAN OF ARC, SOCRATES (THEY PRONOUCE IT "SO-KRATES"), BEETHOVEN, BILLY THE KID AND A FEW OTHER HILARIOUSLY UNSTUNNED HISTORICAL FIGURES, ALL OF WHOM TAKE THE JOURNEY AS THOUGH IT WAS NOTHING TOO OUT OF THE ORDINARY. (THIS, IN ITSELF, IS FUNNY!)

I WON'T GIVE AWAY THE ENDING, WHICH IS VERY FUN AND MAKES FOR A GREAT SHOW FOR BILL AND TED'S FELLOW-STUDENTS AND TEACHERS, WITH ALL OF THE HISTORICAL CHARACTERS ACTING OUT THEIR PARTS IN AN
"A-WINNING" SCHOOL PRESENTATION. BUT THE REAL FUNNY PART IS THE ADVENTURE ITSELF!!!

GOTTA SEEE THIS ONE!!!

Its about time! (Literally)
Finally, one of THE funniest movies ever made is coming to DVD. This is one of the movies that helped launch the career of now mega-star Keanu Reeves, and spawned a bunch of copy-cat movies like "Wayne's World" and "Dude, Where's MY Car?", but this was the original DUDE movie! Dim-witted high school friends Bill & Ted don't realize they are destined to be the great ones who will change the course of the world through their music, bringing about world peace (as well as clean air, and more excellent water slides than any other planet we communicate with!) Right now, they have to pass history! With help from cool futuristic dude Rufus and a time-travelling phone booth, they travel back in time to assemble the greatest historical figures for the greatest history report of all time! Its a hilarious romp through the past and present (and you may learn a thing or 2). Wyld Stallyns rules!

Misadventures In Time & Space
* BILL AND TED'S EXCELLENT ADVENTURE (B&TXA) is a low-budget,
derivative, silly film that shamelessly panders to its teen-age target
audience; it represents nothing new in film-making; and is blatantly
commercial.

I really liked it.

The plot is simple enough. Bill (Alex Winter) and Ted (Keanu Reaves)
are two California kids who want to become famous rock stars. There's
only one problem: they can't play their instruments. Well, actually,
there's two problems: they're both complete boneheads, and their
hardnosed history teacher tells them that if they *don't* pass their
oral history report, they *will* flunk out of school. This oral
report involves imagining what historical personages would've thought
of the present day and the local environment. Not too demanding, but
it's still above the ability of these two, and if they flunk, Ted's
sourpuss dad intends to send him off to a military academy in Alaska,
separating the two friends, probably forever.

Fortunately, the society of Earth 700 years from now has a special
interest in them, and an agent (George Carlin) is sent back in a time
machine (shaped like a phone booth -- a normal one, not an
old-fashioned British police box) to help out. So Bill and Ted have
in their hands the best possible tool for conducting hands-on
historical research.

This sounds silly, and it is, and all the unkind things I said above
about this movie are true. That leads to the question: What saves

B&TXA? Simple enough: Bill and Ted. These two guys don't look like
they have the collective mental energy to make a nightlight glow.
They don't actually have to *do* anything to be funny. You laugh at
them even if they're just *standing* there.

Though when push comes to shove, it turns out they can be quite
resourceful. Like a lot of teenagers, they just need to get
motivated. It's hard not to like them, since they're about as
good-natured kids as you're likely to find. Bill has the initiative,
willing to take risks without hesitation because he doesn't have a
clue of what he's getting into. Ted is a born romantic, a sweet-faced
kid who all the girls think is really cute. Any time he sees a
good-looking girl his heart leaps into his throat and stars flicker in
his eyes.

The story, like I said, is silly, but silliness is hardly a critical
term when applied to a comedy -- and it does have its moments, such as
Napoleon at the water slides, and Genghis Kahn ... well, I won't say
any more. It certainly does pander to teenagers: nearly all the
adults are creeps or morons, and the kids turn the tables on them in
the end -- but it also made me feel wistful. I didn't have fun being
a teenager and this film suggests to me in its own bizarre way that it
could've been more fun than it was. The only thing I can seriously
say against B&TXA was that by the time it was over I was glad I didn't
have to listen to "PARTY ON, DUDE!" and "EXCELLENT!" one more time.

BILL AND TED'S EXCELLENT ADVENTURE isn't the sort of thing that would
win awards, in fact nobody in their right mind would recommend it for
one. Some movies are like expensive dinners; others are like Big
Macs. But as Big Macs go, BILL AND TED'S EXCELLENT ADVENTURE tastes
good.

Oh, yeah, the usual cautions: No noticeable bad language, overt
sexual activity, or graphic violence (unless you are the sort of
person who feels that the Three Stooges are a bad influence on kids).
And definitely, absolutely not for people who are into serious cinema.
[Minor update of review from 1989 -- GVG]

Profound in a weird way
On one level, this is one of the silliest movies of all time. The humor is juvenile, and the teenage protagonists *seem* almost completely vacant-minded, their only goal to to start a great rock band, despite their complete inability to play their instruments. They end up on the most hilarious journey through time imaginable, with their 1990's San Dimas, CA sensibilities encountering such historic figures as "So-krates," "Joan of Arc," and Sigmund "Frood," all of whom end up wreaking havoc in a So. Calif. shopping mall. Bill and Ted are endearingly mindless, driven by hormones, and Ted remains Keanu Reeves's best role. The film has some of the funniest one-liners you'll want to add to your collection of quotations suitable to many daily occasions, and somehow there's a sweetness, innocence, and weird profundity to the whole adventure. It's also a multigenerational classic. I'm in my 40's, and my teenage children have been fans since elementary school as well and remain so. It's one of those films that whenever I mention it in a college classroom instantly elicits nods, smiles, and complicit laughs.

Good!
Bill & Ted's's Excellent Adventure is a funny movie that is enjoyable to watch and it was just a really cute movie and reminds me of other good time-travel movies like Time Bandits. Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter were really good and I also liked George Carlin and I recommend this movie. ... Read more

Description

Acclaimed star Richard Dreyfuss gives the performance of a lifetime (1995 Academy Award(R)-nominee, Best Actor -- MR. HOLLAND'S OPUS) in this uplifting hit cheered by audiences everywhere! Glenn Holland (Dreyfuss) is a passionate musician who dreams of composing one truly memorable piece of music. But reality intrudes when he reluctantly accepts a "day job" as a high school music teacher to support his family. In time, however, Mr. Holland realizes that his real passion is teaching, and his legacy is the generations of young people he inspires. Also featuring Glenne Headly (BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS) and Olympia Dukakis (MAFIA!) -- you're sure to find this electrifying motion picture both entertaining ... and unforgettable! ... Read more

Reviews (88)

A Rare Contemporary Film that will Stand the Test of Time
Hats off to Steven Herek for creating such a beautiful and realistic, life-affirming masterpiece. Unlike so many of today's films that rely on sex, violence, and trends that last all of 15 seconds, here is a movie that is appropriate for anyone who loves music and a thoroughly enjoyable story.

Glen Holland (Richard Dreyfuss)is a musician who hopes one day to compose a piece of music he will be immortalized for, so he takes a job as a high school music teacher believing that he'll have spare time to achieve his goal. He is sadly mistaken after, having had a few rough months reaching his students, he becomes one of the most popular teachers in his school and community. Free time for his own musical pursuits is the last thing he has left as his life becomes a parallel to the line in John Lennon's "Beautiful Boy"--Life is what happens to you when you're busy making other plans.

This life involves a vice principal who's jealous of him for being more popular than he is, never ending schedules to teach marching bands, individual students how to play their instruments and lessons in life, driver's ed, and school plays.

The most challenging thing for Glen Holland may be that he has to come to terms with the disappointment of being a music teacher whose own son is deaf, and the most touching thing is the closure he finally discovers with him after realizing his own infalibilities when almost tempted to run away with a young student cast in one of the school's low budget musical productions.

Not only is this film moving, but it has several moments of down-to-earth humor: Check out the kids who think they have talent as they try out for the Gershwin review. It may remind you a bit of American Idol. My personal favorite? Just before he reports for his first day of classes, Glen says to wife Iris, "What kind of people like to go to work at 7:30 in the morning?" I can only laugh and think what kind of people like to go to work at ALL?

Normally I don't care for Richard Dreyfuss, but he's so wonderful as a not-so-perfect Glen Holland who you sometimes don't like so well, and he's surrounded by a wonderful cast of characters. Olympia Dukakis as the principal is one of the best characters, and Alicia Witt is endearing as clarinet player Gertrude Lang.

This movie also has a strong message about the dangers of cutting creative programs in favor of turning kids into athletes and business machines. If you love music or any form of the arts in general, this is a movie you should see. Not only that, but it's also a life-affirming look at somebody who hated their position in life and, until he had to think about it years later, realized how much he loved it!

Please give this movie a go, even if you've heard it's corny sometimes. Life itself has corny moments. Beside that, what do you think will be playing on a classic movie channel 50 years from now: Mr. Holland's Opus or Hidalgo?

Great drama, character development
"Mr. Holland's Opus" takes the viewer on a journey through the life of a young musician (played by Dreyfuss) and his family. When pregnancy enters the picture the couple decides that, for the present, life on the road is not a good idea while the baby is on the way. He then accepts a position as a High School music teacher, just to make ends meet, and to give him time to compose. Then real life hits...

In the end it is teaching, not performing, that defines Mr. Holland's life. He is faced with personal and family challenges, motivated and ambivalent students, turbulent social times, and the continuing desire to compose...but there never seems to be enough time to do everything.

This is an excellent movie! The acting is wonderful, and the story is compelling and believable. And the sound track is great.

This movie is a triubute to the human spirit, and to the effect dedicated teachers can have on lives of their students. It deserves nothing less than 5 stars.

If you haven't watched this movie, do yourself a favor and give it a look. If, however, your movie tastes are driven by action, adventure, high-tech special effects, etc., then this movie may not be for you.

To all the teachers out there -- of music and everything else -- THANK YOU!

Alan Holyoak

Movie that I think enspires the Deaf to watch
In my opinion this movie is an excellent way for the Hearing In Paired to watch movies like this one.There should be more movies like Mr Holland's Opus.I have read in one reveiw which The Beatles are the main topic of the movie (music)which is crap as there are all types of music in the movie wheather there influence is there or not,watch the movie and love the music or don't watch it at all.

A Great movie for the whole family
Glenn Holland[Richard Dreyfuss] is a man who has a dream of becoming a classical music composer. But it turns out that he teaches a high school music class. He first thinks that he shouldn't be teaching this class and he should be composing music. The story tells how he goes through his life helping his students, his wife and his deaf son Cole. After teaching for 30 years, he then discovers that teaching was really the correct job for him to do. He also discovers that he loved teaching for all those years even though that wasn't his first decision.

I thought that Richard Dreyfus did a great job. I thought that the movie was very well done and I thought that the story was very heartwarming. I also think that if you loved the movie, the soundtrack might also be worth getting. I own the soundtrack and some of the songs I really like.

Director Steven Herek has made a movie with a story that I will never forget.

SCHMALTZY AND CLICHED, SAVED ONLY BY DREYFUSS
Most of the reviewers on Amazon seemed to have loved this movie. They've said it made them cry, and think. This movie didn't provoke a tear from me.

I am not sure I'd attend classes that begin with rhetoric like 'What is music?' but Dreyfuss does a decent job of a quasi-inspiring teacher. Although this band master could be a little less mean when returning assignments.

The acting overall in the film is pretty plain though, and the somewhat interesting premise gets old real quick.

Some scenes are even borderline idiotic. First, our supposedly great teacher expects kids who don't know how to play their instruments to be playing Mozart after one day.

Then, there is a scene where he is teaching a girl how to play her clarinet. She has been playing the thing for 3 years but still can't get out a note. He tells her to think of the sunset, and suddenly she can play perfectly.

Corny. Very corny. Dreyfuss is pretty much the only thing going for this one-time rental. ... Read more

Reviews (47)

One Crazy Summer
What did Christina Applegate do during her 1990 summer hiatus from television's popular series, "Married...with Children"? Well, she made this charming, highly entertaining comedy of a Los Angeles teen that finds herself in a tough predicament one summer. After her mother leaves on a two-month trip to Australia, Sue Ellen (Applegate) finds herself taking care of her four siblings after the mean, elderly babysitter that was hired by their mother for the summer drops dead from natural causes. Unwilling to put a dent to their summer fun, the kids decide to rid the body and take care of themselves for two months without having to tell their mom. Only problem is that when they dropped the body off at the local mortuary, they forgot to check the babysitter's pockets for the money their mother left for groceries for the entire summer.

Determined to keep the fun and food flowing, Sue Ellen decides to look for a job. After not having too much luck at a fast food restaurant, she applies for a receptionist position at a clothing company. When a resume mix-up gets in the way, Sue Ellen becomes a career woman in order to pay the bills and keep their summer alive. Meanwhile, she develops a blossoming relationship with a fast-food worker she once worked with (Josh Charles of "Threesome") and is being hounded by two office workers who want to wreck her reputation (Concetta Tomei & a very, very young-looking David Duchovny of "X-Files fame).

Featuring a great cast of actors such as Joanna Cassidy and Keith Coogan ("Adventures in Babysitting"), "Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter is Dead" is a grown-up version of "Home Alone" for teens. Amusing, funny, and entertaining, it was Applegate's only feature-film hit. While she made other low-cost films such as "Streets", this film happens to be her best work outside from her work on "Married...With Children.." If you are looking for a great flick for the family this is it. Please be aware that the film contains scenes of drug use (marijuana) and might be unsuitable for children under the age of 13.

Manages to entertain most of the time.
"Don't Tell Mom The Babysitter's Dead" is supplied with a plot so unbelievable, yet manages to entertain on a marginal level. After a short-lived theatrical run, the movie made its way to cable channels, where it found a much less aggressive and forgiving audience, one that was willing to accept it as little more than a rainy-day diversion from reality.

The film's sense of smarts is seriously off kilter, telling the story of four kids, all various ages, who are left by their vacationing mother with a babysitter who makes Satan seem like Betty White. The oldest of the children, 17-year-old Sue Ellen (Christina Applegate), is defiant of the rules, so when her siblings look to her for a solution, she marches straight to the sitter's room, only to find her dead in her rocker.

Instead of calling the police, they tuck the corpse into a trunk and leave the cargo on the steps of a funeral home, only to discover that the money supply left by their mother was stashed in her pockets. Without any source of income, Sue Ellen takes charge by getting a job, first at a fast food joint that looks like something out of every clown-fearing person's worst nightmare, and then at a clothing manufacturer, where she manages to make her way to the top in less than two minutes of air-headed dialogue exchanges.

After the babysitter dies, any and all plausibility goes right into that trunk with her body. Accepting that any situation that will take place during this film is purely fictional and outright idiotic will save you much time and frustration; they only get in the way. Sue Ellen's rise to the top seems written by preteen girls for preteen girls, eager for a success story that has some added elements of soap opera (sleazy coworker Gus making moves on Sue Ellen as well as her boss, Rose), and revenge (the spurned receptionist who sets out to ruin Sue Ellen's career and claim it for herself).

But in the end, it's not all that bad after all. The movie does have a degree of lightheartedness about it, and its whimsy and delight in breaking all the rules of logic and intelligence is strangely refreshing. It's an ideal star vehicle for Applegate, and also showcases some good comedic relief from actress Joanna Cassidy, who becomes the sole reason to see the film. While the story has the freshness of a corpse, "Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead," likes its main character, manages to con its way to our fancy.

Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead
Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead is an okay movie; it is different and that makes it different from any other slapstick comedy.The cast isn't that big besides Applegate.The old lady in the beggining is really funny.It is full of funny moments, but the plot is to different and that is what made me give it a lower rating.The is definetly a perfect six.The children in this film are so trashy and realistic in that kind of setting and I think that's hilarious.Applegate does a great job and serves up quiet a few laughs.The pothead older brother is kind of annoying along with some other characters.One of the main promlems is that the film is so predictable.The outfits and hair cuts are fun to make fun of when there is nothing really important is going on.If you are up for a good laugh and something deifferent check it out, but don't expect to much from this little comedy.

Christina Applegate, who plays Kelly Bundy in the hit TV show "Married With Children," is the star of this wacky comedy about a group of kids trying to cope with a very weird situation.While mom takes off for a trip to Australia with her boyfriend, the kids are left in the care of the elderly babysitter from hell. Then things go from bad to worse: the old lady dies, leaving them without a cent to their name. Teenager Sue Ellen, the oldest sibling, realizes that they'd better do something fast if they want to eat. Because one thing's for sure: no one wants to let mom know that the babysitter's dead...

"Predictable, but not wholly unlikable."
-- Ken Hanke, MOUNTAIN XPRESS (ASHEVILLE, NC)

WOW Christina Applegate is HOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This is a movie worth owning, it's funny, charming, witty, and has the BABE from married with Children CHRISTINA APPLEGATE! WOOHOOOO!!! Buy this one right now!

review
hi. i never went so school and i dont know how to write reviews and i run sentences together and dont capatalize my i's. ... Read more

Reviews (48)

Delightful story with puppies that will steal your heart
It was a stroke of genius for the legendary Disney Studio to decide to remake their classic 1961 animated feature "101 Dalmatians", as a live action feature. Never a great fan of remakes, I feel this story is a natural for a live action version and on first viewing it totally won me over. It has so much to offer viewers of all ages, whether it be its 99 gorgeous Dalmatian puppies that would melt the heart of any dog lover, a top class production with terrific sets, locations and stunts or a wonderfully wicked villianess in the incomparable Cruella De Vil played to perfection by gifted actress Glenn Close.

The film follows closely the original story and tells the tale of London couple Roger and Anita who meet through a Dalmatian dog mixup in a London Park and fall in love, marry and find themselves the happy "parents" of 15 beautiful Dalmatian puppies when their Dalmatians Pongo and Perdita begin a family of their own. Their happiness is short lived however when Anita's boss the dastardly Cruella De Vil spots the puppies and immediately makes plans to have the puppies kidnapped so that she can turn their pelts into the extravagant spotted fur coat she has always dreamed of having. What ensures is a comical tale full of laughs, great stunts and hilarious situations of the "boo the villian, cheer the dogs" variety. The Dalmatian parents, with the aid of many assorted members of the animal kingdom from woodpeckers, squirrels, and assorted sheep pigs, and dogs not only succeed in tracking down the missing puppies in their hideout but also outwit Cruella and her incompetent accomplices at every turn. The animals revenge on Cruella and her accomplices makes for most of the humour as they find themselves being dumped through falling roofs, landing in tubs of gooey molasses and being smelled out by skunks!

No expense was spared on this production and indeed all the live action characters bare an amazing resemblance to their cartoon counterparts. Gleen Close towers over the whole production in her performance as Disney Studios most famous villianess the totally over the top Cruella De Vil. Her makeup, hair styles and clothing is everything you would imagine Cruella to be. It is to the credit of Glenn Close that she succeeds totally in bringing to life such a well known and "loved" cartoon villianess. A supremely talented actress as seen in such diverse roles as those in "Fatal Attraction", "Dangerous Liaisons", "Meeting Venus", and "Paradise Road" among others, she is a total riot as the bizzare fashion designer with an extreme fur fetish. It is she who makes "101 Dalmatians" such memorable viewing and her encounters with the animals in the second half of the film will have you laughing for ages. The sight of Cruella rising out of the tub of molasses where she has been unceremoniously dumped by the animal brigade will bring fits of laughter to the viewer. The film also boasts the great talents of Jeff Daniels and the lovely Joely Richardson as Roger and Anita the loving couple drawn to each other by their fondness for Dalmatians, and the gifted Joan Plowright as Anita's former Nanny who finds herself performing the role again but this time for the 15 puppies in the house. Much of the comedy stems from the great playing by Hugh Laurie and Mark Willia