Reviews (132)

The very best...
I loved this film. I loved the humour. I loved the poignancy. I loved the relationships. I loved the genuine and real atmosphere created and maintained throughout. I loved the emotional reality the characters portrayed. I loved the laughter. I loved the tears.

I loved this film - in every single way.

Definitely, definitely, DEFINITELY recommend this movie to anyone who enjoys comedy, to anyone who enjoys drama, to anyone who enjoys romance, to anyone who enjoys in-depth characterization, to anyone who enjoys a good escapist flick.

Loved, loved, loved this movie. ;-)

not a collection of dated priest and rabbi jokes
one of the best "date" movies in recent years. elfman is good in her role as corporate superstar. stiller is very credible as the rabbi juggling religion and issues of dating and marriage within the faith.

edward norton really hits it out of the park portraying the priest who loses his heart but not his vocation to elfman. the characters have believable personalities that mesh well, and the fine touch of norton's directorial debut is obvious.

this is one movie you will enjoy seeing several times, we certainly did.

Is NOW one of my FAVORITE MOVIES!
Ben Stiller, Jenna Elfman (hot), and Edward Norton. Three wonderful actors and a great directorial debut for NORTON.

This movie is about three friends, a Priest(norton) and a RABBI (STiLLER) who meet up when they're adults with old friend (elfman) BOth find her very attractive, but Norton (priest) has to be celebit, while Stiller (rabbi) needs to find a wife. This is an emotional, yet VERY FUNNY story about two friends fighting over another for love and affection. It made me laugh, cry, and cheer!

A crowd pleasing movie that is now one of my favorites of all time. Please see it!

A Chick Flick for Dudes
i don't usually go for chick flicks, so i bumbled into this one and i have to say it's one of the best romantic comedies i've ever seen in my life. what gives?

'keeping the faith' had me howling with laughter. i liked this one even better than that wedding movie with hugh grant. absolutely slamming dialog is what kept this one so very good. this movie was as close to perfect as i can imagine something in this genre gets, i was completely sucked in.

it is making me wonder if perhaps this is a type of film that i can actually look forward to enjoying on a regular basis. it had a complete lack of irony that i found very refreshing. it was *real*, which is probably the highest complement i could pay a romantic comedy. the relationship between the two male stars is very true to life - even though movie dialog makes people say in one sentence what it usually takes ten minutes for real guys to say - this was completely believable.

much of the authenticity streams, i imagine, from a level of jewish cultural exposition previously unseen on the big screen. not even my old bud michael benben got quite this deep. the shiksa question is always played for a joke in film, and even though this was lightly done, the weight of stiller's decision worked very well.

of all stiller's work (not that i have been a study) this one makes him shine without the complicated pretense with which i had previously associated him and that short babe, garafolo.

Hope for Generation X
I saw this movie because I'm a fan of Edward Norton and I wanted to see his directorial debut. I left the theater feeling uplifted and I was proud of Norton's positive and humorous look at life. I was proud of my generation, glad that we're not all slacker pessimists like Newsweek wants us to believe.

Back to the movie: humorous, entertaining portrayal of the friendship between a rabbi and a priest, and the girl from grade school who walks back into their lives more than a decade later. What ensues is a love triangle and some semi-serious semi-humorous dealing with issues like religion, family, and love.

Edward Norton's directing is straightforward, but he coaxes a lot out of the script. The performances by Norton, Stiller, and Elfman are great and the product is a warm feel-good romantic comedy. I enjoyed this movie more than most other movies I saw this summer, and would definitely see it again. ... Read more

Reviews (65)

Memorable Melodies Mayhem
Looney Tunes: Back In Action is an enjoyable, harmless romp, that will please both young and old viewers alike.

The story starts to unfold on the Warner Brothers Studio backlot and careens all over the map in classic Looney Tunes style. Bugs, Daffy, and many other childhood favorites embark on an adventure that takes them from Hollywood to Las Vegas, Paris and the jungles of Africa to help search for their human friend DJ Drake's (Brendan Fraser) missing father. He along with Kate (Jenna Elfman) are also on the trail of the mythical and powerful Blue Monkey Diamond. The only problem is that the evil Chairman (Steve Martin) of the Acme Corporation also wants the gem as well.

Thanks to films like Roger Rabbit and Space Jam, combining animation and live action, is not as difficult to imagine, as it was deades ago. It's hard not to enjoy this film. Having Joe (Gremlins) Dante, as the film's director is a good thing. He has solid insticts for a film like this. Anyone uptight about the movie should relax and enjoy. It's great to see these characters again. The film brought back some fond memories for me. The human actors are a perfect fit to this wacky film.

The DVD has some solid extras. Viewers get to see a new Looney Tunes short called "Whizzard of Ow". The featurette "Looney Tunes Out of Action: Best Scenes You've Never Seen" offer deleted and alternate footage. Next up, is the fun-filled "Behind the Tunes", as Daffy and Bugs as give a tour of the set. Also hosted by the duck and the rabbit is "Bang Crash Boom", a featurette on the film's special effects. The theatrical trailer, hidden easter eggs features Yosemite Sam and others, and more deleted scenes are available via DVD-ROM, top off the extras.

Fun all the way around-recommended

Too Hokey for Adults or Older Children.
In the world of "Looney Tunes: Back in Action", cartoon characters and humans co-exist and interact. As the story goes, Warner Brothers studios has grown tired of Daffy Duck's demands, and since the studio has a low estimate of his market value anyway, they have fired the Duck. But Bugs Bunny just can't work without Daffy to pick on, so Warner Brothers has insisted that the vice president of their comedy department, Kate Houghton (Jenna Elfman), get the Duck back pronto. In the meanwhile, a dejected Daffy (voice of Joe Alaskey) has taken up with D.J. Drake (Brendan Fraser), the security guard who escorted him off the studio lot. D.J. has been shocked to learn that his movie star father is actually a secret agent, and both he and Daffy have gone to Las Vegas to rescue the elder Drake and recapture the "Blue Monkey", a diamond that has supernatural powers. When they learn of D.J. and Daffy's whereabouts, Kate and Bugs Bunny (voice of Joe Alaskey) set out after them. They all end up trying to foil the plans of the evil Chairman (Steve Martin) of the Acme Corporation who wants to use the Blue Monkey to achieve global domination.

So the plot is hokey. It's a spoof of James Bond films, featuring former Bond himself, Timothy Dalton, as secret agent Damian Drake and Steve Martin as the head of a very Spectre-like Acme Corporation, alongside a host of Warner Brothers cartoon characters. "Looney Tunes: Back in Action" may appeal to young children, but there's nothing to entertain adults who enjoy the looney gang from Warner Bros. It has some clever moments, and the writing for Daffy Duck is good, but between the bright spots it's a real snooze. There are cameos by a host of television and film stars, including Heather Locklear and Joan Cusack. The story is far too silly, even for a cartoon, to keep the attention of any but the youngest viewers. The film exploits the humor of its Warner Brother characters but needs a much better story to tie them together. Looney Tunes have traditionally been sophisticated enough to entertain fans of all ages, so I see no reason why this movie shouldn't be. I'm giving it three stars for some occasionally clever writing, but as a whole "Looney Tunes: Back in Action" isn't very watchable. It may entertain children under 6 if they have the patience for it.

The DVD: Bonus features include "Behind the Tunes", a comical making-of documentary narrated by Daffy Duck and Bugs Bunny, "Bang, Crash, Boom", a special effects documentary also narrated by the cartoon duo, "Whizzard of Ow", a short animated film featuring Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner in which the Coyote makes use of a book of wizardry in pursuing the bird, deleted scenes, a theatrical trailer, and a DVD-ROM which contains additional scenes. "Behind the Tunes" is only mildly informative, but it's fun. "Whizzard of Ow" is a must for Road Runner fans; it's the same format as all Road Runner cartoons. Subtitles are available in English, Spanish, and French. Dubbing is available in French and Spanish.

Looney fun
I have given this film 4 stars because my six-year-old son loves it, and I assume that's the age group it's aimed at. Brendon Fraser plays a security guard at Warner Brothers Studios who gets sacked, at the same time as a bossy female executive sacks Daffy Duck. Fraser and Daffy join forces to find Fraser's dad (Timothy Dalton) a film star who plays a spy who is actually a spy in real life. He has been kidnapped by a mad scientist (Steve Martin) who wants to find the Blue Daimond, which has magical powers. Fraser and Daffy have to get to the Blue Diamond before Martin does. also Bugs Bunny is trying to get Daffy back to the studios. The mixture of live action and cartoon characters will amuse children, and if you are a big Looney Tunes fan you should love it (I'm more partial to Tom and Jerry myself). On the other hand, if your main interest int he film was in the presence of Timothy Dalton, you may notice that there's not a lot of him in it really. Never mind, the kids will love it.

This is it folks!
"Dynamite?" yells Jenna Elfman halfway through this film "Who has dynamite?". "Welcome to my world" comes Daffy Duck's reply. Yes indeed, welcome to the world of the Looney Tunes.
This film has been unfairly compared with Who Framed Roger Rabbit and, although not in that league at all, it has enough comedy and inventiveness to stand as a semi-classic in it's own right. At least it's not Space Jam.
I'm a firm believer that Bugs and co. can quite easily carry their own movie without the help of non-toons, but until then this'll do. For a Looney Tune fan such as myself there are plenty of character cameos and in-jokes to warrent several repeat viewings just to catch them all. The same goes for general movie fans (Roger Corman directs Warner's new Batman movie!?). Most, if not quite all, of the Looney Tune family get screen time with Daffy coming away with the lion's share. Other characters that are well served by the script are Yosemite Sam, Wile E. Coyote and Marvin the Martian leaving the likes of Tweety, Sylvester, Taz and Elmer somewhat under-used - still, it's only a 90 minute movie. We also have a wonderful cameo from a suitably flat-looking Scooby and Shaggy - a joke against classic-versus-TV-animation for the keen-eyed!
A real high-light is the treatment that 'political correctness' gets in the script. We see Porky Pig and Speedy Gonzalez bemoaning P.C. attitudes (stutterers and racial stereotypes being somewhat taboo now) and, at one point, one of Sam's henchmen worrying that if he does indeed throw TNT out of the window "someone might get hurt". Sam's guns have been taken from him (although he's still allowed a cannon!) but at least Elmer Fudd has been allowed to keep his trusty rifle. Bugs Bunny's love of cross-dressing also gets questioned!
As with all of the other reviews for this film, I must mention the Louvre scene - Bugs, Daffy and Elmer running through a series of classic paintings. The DVD release allows a little more appreciation of this whole sequence with the use of freeze-frame. Other set-pieces that hit the spot are the Area-52 scenes (with lots of sci-fi fan pleasing cameos from classic aliens) and space-set climax.
The human actors are passable. Frazer and Elfman are not so bland as to be completely up-staged by the toons and Timothy Dalton proves he has a sense of humour by parodying his 007 character. I seem to be one of the few people who enjoyed Steve Martin's performance. Playing it ridiculously OTT, he is as close to a human-toon as possible - I think it works.
Overall, the script is funny enough although the 'plot' is incidental, the animation is excellent and interacts well, if not quite enough, with the real-world and, most importantly, all of the characters stay in character. But, as I said at the beginning, this ain't no Space Jam. Thankfully.

Fun for all ages!
This movie is hilarious! I enjoyed every moment of it! If you were a Looney Tunes fan as a kid then you'll love this movie! It will bring back a lot of memories from watching it on tv. I would recomend this movie to anyone! ... Read more

Amazon.com

The popular Clifford the Big Red Dog children's television series gets a slick makeover, without losing any of its charm or soulfulness, in the feature adaptation Clifford's Really Big Movie. More elaborate background animation and updated computer effects turn this Clifford adventure into a visual treat, perfect for a story in which gigantic Clifford (warmly voiced by the late John Ritter), plus poodle-pal Cleo (Cree Summer) and loyal mutt T-Bone (Kel Mitchell), run off to join a failing animal circus and win (hopefully) a lifetime's supply of dog food. (Clifford is worried his beloved human family is spending too much on his care and feeding.) A guest vocal cast that includes John Goodman, Wayne Brady, and Jenna Elfman turns up the juice as Clifford offers his services to a Big Top spectacular featuring a rollerblading dog, a cow on a high wire, and a juggling ferret. A sweet comedy for the whole family. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (52)

THE STORY OF A NOBODY EVERYBODY IS WATCHING!
Ed is an average, easy going sort of bloke who owns a local video store. Never one to go searching for the public's attention. That is until well-known television station True-TV has a slide in the ratings and need something new to keep their network Number 1.

Their solution is to broadcast one persons day to day life LIVE. Ed's brother Ray decides to audition, but the network like Ed better. At first Ed thinks maybe he shouldn't get involved in such public scrutiny, until his brother talks him into it.

After a slow, embarassing start to live television, Ed soon begins to enjoy the fame. He gets everything he ever wanted. Until his family and friends begin to regret their time in the spotlight, after some uncomfortable truths are learnt. Suddenly, Ed must decide which is more important, instant fame or a right to one's privacy?

Acclaimed director Ron Howard (Ransom, Apollo 13) explores the realities of instant fame, and all of the repercussions. A perfect choice of topic considering he has been in the public eye his entire life.

I love this movie. It is very funny, very truthful, and worth more then one viewing. It brings up some interesting issues, and has some clever story points. A one point I'm sure I knew every line in this movie! It's pretty sad, but it means the lines are pretty easy to learn.

If you thought you'd seen it all before in 'The Truman Show', think again! This movie is much funnier. A much better movie in all respects. Never boring. No offense to Truman fans. I've seen both.

The cast may not appeal to everyone, but they are all wonderful in their roles. The ending may also not appeal to others. I didn't like it to begin with, but I have since changed my mind.

This movie is great. The Collector's Edition makes it even better! With commentary, I find Ron always very easy to listen to. All extra features outtakes, deleated scenes and more are wonderful. A must-see for anyone, and an absolute MUST for Ron Howard fans.

TURN HIM ON, TAKE HIM HOME.

Watch Ed as he shares his life with a few million of his closest friends!

Lesser Ron Howard effort
EDtv is an amusing satire about America's obsession for "reality-based" television. It was produced and directed by Ron Howard. Mr. Howard was a television star as a boy on The Andy Griffin Show and went on to be a major talent behind the camera. His body of work includes Cocoon, Parenthood and Apollo 13. He is a cofounder of Imagine Entertainment, a movie and television production company. So the subject of Edtv is very familiar to him.

Cynthia [Ellen DeGeneres] is an ambitious producer who sells her boss, Whitaker [Rob Reiner], on the idea of a show which follows a "regular" guy 24 hours a day. Brothers Ed and Ray [Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson] audition for the part, and Ed wins it. The show has low ratings until Ed falls for Ray's girlfriend, Sherri [Jenna Elfman]. Fireworks erupt, and the series soon becomes the most watched show in the country.

Having your life on public display is full of complications, as well as ethical concerns. Howard treats the movie as a heartwarming comedy. He centers on the complications Ed and his family encounter, while giving only passing attention to the ethics of the situation. This is a wise decision, based, I think, on the idea that preaching and entertainment make poor bedfellows, especially when most of the actors are either present or past TV stars.

Comparison of Edtv to The Truman Show is inevitable. It's a case of two movies having similar and ingenious, but limiting, themes. The Truman Show, which I personally enjoyed more, got to theaters much sooner. Had Edtv been the first to arrive, its critical and commercial success perhaps would have been much greater.

The Truman Show was basically an allegory. Truman was adopted as an infant by a network and was raised unknowingly in the world's largest stage set. This is a plot foundation set in fantasy. It allowed the makers to insert all sorts of observations about modern morality, without offending the audience. EDtv simply takes reality TV to the next logical step. In doing so, it creates many funny situations, but it finally becomes unreal. We are reminded several times that we common folks are not as dumb as people who run TV networks think we are. Yet Ed lets his life be put on display without once thinking about the consequences. His brother, Ray, is lovable, but he's as dim as they come. The show's fans are all stereotypes. The men react like we are trained to expect them to, as do the women. This is not to say that EDtv is not entertaining. It is. But, beyond the original premise, it does little more than recycle tried and true jokes and situations.

Great entertainment right to the hilarious ending!
What a nice romantic movie with Matthew McConaughey and Jenna Elfman. I got everything I ever wanted in a chic flick right here. Ellen DeJeneres was superb. It was great to see Rob Reiner again, and as usual he didn't let me down. This kept me interested right to the very end and it was a very funny ending indeed. Would like to see more clean, funny entertainment like this!

Not a good one
MCConaughey has a way of rescuing a movie, as youw atch him give his all to a character, to finding nuisances in one. Is this movie really good? Again another not sure. It tries to touch on reality show themes and the price of fame but in trying to be funny, it's softer on the topic than the topic deems necessary.

YES TO ME OR YES TO THE COIL, MOM?!
WASSUP, AMERICA?!

This is a great movie. I don't own the DvD, but I have it taped and I plan to order this (or buy it in a store) this year. Matthew McConughey is so talented. Woody is OK....KINGPIN! I like Elizabeth Hurley from Austin Powers and Bedazzled (GREAT MOVIE TOO). And Jenna Elfman is one of the most talented actresses I've ever seen in a movie. She was great in Keeping the Faith (another favorite). I've mentioned so many movie in this review! lol MOVIES ARE MY LIFE!

PEACE OUT! ... Read more

Reviews (65)

Memorable Melodies Mayhem
Looney Tunes: Back In Action is an enjoyable, harmless romp, that will please both young and old viewers alike.

The story starts to unfold on the Warner Brothers Studio backlot and careens all over the map in classic Looney Tunes style. Bugs, Daffy, and many other childhood favorites embark on an adventure that takes them from Hollywood to Las Vegas, Paris and the jungles of Africa to help search for their human friend DJ Drake's (Brendan Fraser) missing father. He along with Kate (Jenna Elfman) are also on the trail of the mythical and powerful Blue Monkey Diamond. The only problem is that the evil Chairman (Steve Martin) of the Acme Corporation also wants the gem as well.

Thanks to films like Roger Rabbit and Space Jam, combining animation and live action, is not as difficult to imagine, as it was deades ago. It's hard not to enjoy this film. Having Joe (Gremlins) Dante, as the film's director is a good thing. He has solid insticts for a film like this. Anyone uptight about the movie should relax and enjoy. It's great to see these characters again. The film brought back some fond memories for me. The human actors are a perfect fit to this wacky film.

The DVD has some solid extras. Viewers get to see a new Looney Tunes short called "Whizzard of Ow". The featurette "Looney Tunes Out of Action: Best Scenes You've Never Seen" offer deleted and alternate footage. Next up, is the fun-filled "Behind the Tunes", as Daffy and Bugs as give a tour of the set. Also hosted by the duck and the rabbit is "Bang Crash Boom", a featurette on the film's special effects. The theatrical trailer, hidden easter eggs features Yosemite Sam and others, and more deleted scenes are available via DVD-ROM, top off the extras.

Fun all the way around-recommended

Too Hokey for Adults or Older Children.
In the world of "Looney Tunes: Back in Action", cartoon characters and humans co-exist and interact. As the story goes, Warner Brothers studios has grown tired of Daffy Duck's demands, and since the studio has a low estimate of his market value anyway, they have fired the Duck. But Bugs Bunny just can't work without Daffy to pick on, so Warner Brothers has insisted that the vice president of their comedy department, Kate Houghton (Jenna Elfman), get the Duck back pronto. In the meanwhile, a dejected Daffy (voice of Joe Alaskey) has taken up with D.J. Drake (Brendan Fraser), the security guard who escorted him off the studio lot. D.J. has been shocked to learn that his movie star father is actually a secret agent, and both he and Daffy have gone to Las Vegas to rescue the elder Drake and recapture the "Blue Monkey", a diamond that has supernatural powers. When they learn of D.J. and Daffy's whereabouts, Kate and Bugs Bunny (voice of Joe Alaskey) set out after them. They all end up trying to foil the plans of the evil Chairman (Steve Martin) of the Acme Corporation who wants to use the Blue Monkey to achieve global domination.

So the plot is hokey. It's a spoof of James Bond films, featuring former Bond himself, Timothy Dalton, as secret agent Damian Drake and Steve Martin as the head of a very Spectre-like Acme Corporation, alongside a host of Warner Brothers cartoon characters. "Looney Tunes: Back in Action" may appeal to young children, but there's nothing to entertain adults who enjoy the looney gang from Warner Bros. It has some clever moments, and the writing for Daffy Duck is good, but between the bright spots it's a real snooze. There are cameos by a host of television and film stars, including Heather Locklear and Joan Cusack. The story is far too silly, even for a cartoon, to keep the attention of any but the youngest viewers. The film exploits the humor of its Warner Brother characters but needs a much better story to tie them together. Looney Tunes have traditionally been sophisticated enough to entertain fans of all ages, so I see no reason why this movie shouldn't be. I'm giving it three stars for some occasionally clever writing, but as a whole "Looney Tunes: Back in Action" isn't very watchable. It may entertain children under 6 if they have the patience for it.

The DVD: Bonus features include "Behind the Tunes", a comical making-of documentary narrated by Daffy Duck and Bugs Bunny, "Bang, Crash, Boom", a special effects documentary also narrated by the cartoon duo, "Whizzard of Ow", a short animated film featuring Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner in which the Coyote makes use of a book of wizardry in pursuing the bird, deleted scenes, a theatrical trailer, and a DVD-ROM which contains additional scenes. "Behind the Tunes" is only mildly informative, but it's fun. "Whizzard of Ow" is a must for Road Runner fans; it's the same format as all Road Runner cartoons. Subtitles are available in English, Spanish, and French. Dubbing is available in French and Spanish.

Looney fun
I have given this film 4 stars because my six-year-old son loves it, and I assume that's the age group it's aimed at. Brendon Fraser plays a security guard at Warner Brothers Studios who gets sacked, at the same time as a bossy female executive sacks Daffy Duck. Fraser and Daffy join forces to find Fraser's dad (Timothy Dalton) a film star who plays a spy who is actually a spy in real life. He has been kidnapped by a mad scientist (Steve Martin) who wants to find the Blue Daimond, which has magical powers. Fraser and Daffy have to get to the Blue Diamond before Martin does. also Bugs Bunny is trying to get Daffy back to the studios. The mixture of live action and cartoon characters will amuse children, and if you are a big Looney Tunes fan you should love it (I'm more partial to Tom and Jerry myself). On the other hand, if your main interest int he film was in the presence of Timothy Dalton, you may notice that there's not a lot of him in it really. Never mind, the kids will love it.

This is it folks!
"Dynamite?" yells Jenna Elfman halfway through this film "Who has dynamite?". "Welcome to my world" comes Daffy Duck's reply. Yes indeed, welcome to the world of the Looney Tunes.
This film has been unfairly compared with Who Framed Roger Rabbit and, although not in that league at all, it has enough comedy and inventiveness to stand as a semi-classic in it's own right. At least it's not Space Jam.
I'm a firm believer that Bugs and co. can quite easily carry their own movie without the help of non-toons, but until then this'll do. For a Looney Tune fan such as myself there are plenty of character cameos and in-jokes to warrent several repeat viewings just to catch them all. The same goes for general movie fans (Roger Corman directs Warner's new Batman movie!?). Most, if not quite all, of the Looney Tune family get screen time with Daffy coming away with the lion's share. Other characters that are well served by the script are Yosemite Sam, Wile E. Coyote and Marvin the Martian leaving the likes of Tweety, Sylvester, Taz and Elmer somewhat under-used - still, it's only a 90 minute movie. We also have a wonderful cameo from a suitably flat-looking Scooby and Shaggy - a joke against classic-versus-TV-animation for the keen-eyed!
A real high-light is the treatment that 'political correctness' gets in the script. We see Porky Pig and Speedy Gonzalez bemoaning P.C. attitudes (stutterers and racial stereotypes being somewhat taboo now) and, at one point, one of Sam's henchmen worrying that if he does indeed throw TNT out of the window "someone might get hurt". Sam's guns have been taken from him (although he's still allowed a cannon!) but at least Elmer Fudd has been allowed to keep his trusty rifle. Bugs Bunny's love of cross-dressing also gets questioned!
As with all of the other reviews for this film, I must mention the Louvre scene - Bugs, Daffy and Elmer running through a series of classic paintings. The DVD release allows a little more appreciation of this whole sequence with the use of freeze-frame. Other set-pieces that hit the spot are the Area-52 scenes (with lots of sci-fi fan pleasing cameos from classic aliens) and space-set climax.
The human actors are passable. Frazer and Elfman are not so bland as to be completely up-staged by the toons and Timothy Dalton proves he has a sense of humour by parodying his 007 character. I seem to be one of the few people who enjoyed Steve Martin's performance. Playing it ridiculously OTT, he is as close to a human-toon as possible - I think it works.
Overall, the script is funny enough although the 'plot' is incidental, the animation is excellent and interacts well, if not quite enough, with the real-world and, most importantly, all of the characters stay in character. But, as I said at the beginning, this ain't no Space Jam. Thankfully.

Fun for all ages!
This movie is hilarious! I enjoyed every moment of it! If you were a Looney Tunes fan as a kid then you'll love this movie! It will bring back a lot of memories from watching it on tv. I would recomend this movie to anyone! ... Read more

Description

This outrageous comedy stars Richard Dreyfuss (MR. HOLLAND'S OPUS) and sexy Jenna Elfman (TV's DHARMA AND GREG), who discover that primitive culture is as close as your own backyard! Instead of documenting a previously unknown trible in New Guinea, Professor James Krippendorf (Dreyfuss) has blown the last two years ... and all his grant money ... rearing his out-of-control kids! Desperate to bluff his way past impatient colleagues, Krippendorf decides to focus his camera on the wildest tribe he can find: his own outragoues offspring! With a top cast including Lily Tomlin (DISNEY'S THE KID) -- you'll find the crowd-pleasing lengths taken to pull off this hoax absolutely hilarious! ... Read more

Reviews (16)

The Case Of The Scandelous Shelmikedmu Scam!
Pity poor Professor Krippendorf! His wife has died, he is doing only a so-so job of raising three dysfunctional children, and, as if he does not have enough problems already, he has sqandered money from his college that was supposed to be used to find a mysterious missing New Guinea tribe, which he has not done. His solution? Fake it. He announces the discovery of a make-believe tribe, the "Shelmikedmu" (the name derived from his childrens' names). One thing leads to another, and before you know it there is a national Shelmikedmu craze. Ah, but what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive. Not all believe him and it is only a matter of time before the truth may be discovered. Will Krippendorf succeed or will he be caught?

To give this movie credit, it has its funny moments. Dreyfuss is good as Krippendorf, up and coming actor Gregory Smith also holds his own as Krippendorf's son. Unfortunately, there is a major problem with this movie - Krippendorf is is the wrong! This guy has stolen college funds, lied, corrupted the morals of his children, and we are to believe he is the good guy. If the move has a moral, it seems to be "it's okay to do something you shouldn't, as long as you don't get caught".

That is a no-no.

Krippendorf's Funny!
Professor Krippendorf got so caught up in being a parent after his wife passed away that he spent his anthropology grant money with nothing to show for it. In essence, he embezzled it. Having broken the law and ruined his career (if he gets found out), he decides that there's really no difference between a small fraud and a big one and so he goes ahead to invent a giant hoax. The popularity of the bizarre tribe he invents is so immense that he can't escape its vortex and takes shameless advantage of everyone including his family and his amorous and greedy grad student to perpetuate his humbug. What makes this flick funny is the over-the-top, go-for-broke way in which the characters abandon every moral fibre. And then there's the surprise ending!

Actually, 3.5 stars
"Krippendorf's Tribe" isn't Richard Dreyfuss's best movie to date, especially having released the stunning "Mr. Holland's Opus" two years previous. Some of his lines were overreacted. Besides this, there are good elements in the movie. Some funny scenes will catch the audience's eyes. However, the borderline between fantasy and reality needed to be recognized by the producers. Despite, faking eyecatching "Shelmikedmu" rituals to gain national recognition is clever. Such scenes lead the audience to a surprising conclusion. Lily Tomlin plays the funny role that viewers either love or hate. Some of Jenna Elfman's lines were underreacted, but when she shines, she shines bright. Notice rising star Gregory Smith, the middle child. He's performed better, but his role was still underrated.

Fans of certain actors in this movie should rent "Krippendorf's Tribe" once. Some mixed opinions about the outcome will arise, but everyone will be entertained.

Rudiments of Psychology, Finally Put to Practical Use!
Okay, basically, Americans to the greatest degree out of the world's peoples have got this experiential dualism going on here.
The World as it is, which has its few fans, admittedly; and the
World As Spectacle. The World As Spectacle involves the all the output of the major media outlets. The slapdash, synthesized world of the major media pulls off its massive Act by plugging us in to the ole Jungian collective unconscious (bear with me, if you please: this is more important than watching 'Frasier' and feeling like you're a part of his quasi-intellectual milieu).
So, the media plugs us in to the collective unconscious, where Archetypes rule the day. The images of Evil Man and Good Man are constantly being massaged by the media in times of war.
For example, take the Reagan Good/ Soviet Empire Evil concept.
Yeah, I don't really want to get into all the daggone examples, but suffice it to say that if you watch enough movies, you'll see exactly what I'm talking about. Jung may not have described Aggressive Hero as a possible archetype, but you're gonna find an
unrefined Aggressive Hero stamp in the god-awful media typecasting of guys like David Carradine, Charles Bronson, Sly Stallone, and who could forget Seagal and van Damme?
Mr. Dreyfuss too, in a slew of films ranging from Close Encounters to Opus to this cinematic mess, Krippendorf's Tribe, has consistently played the Wise or Intelligent Man. Krippendorf's Tribe is interesting to watch because it's folly.
You've got the media issuing from your TV set, and your eyeballs form an image of this man, Dreyfuss, just playing a professor, and it's the same role he's always played, pretty much. Folly. Familiarity paired with appeal to the collective unconscious was supposed to produce some money-making movie. Ugh. This mass of words I've just written amounts to this: one of the lamest flicks ever made. Peace.

One of the 10 worst movies ever made.
The premise of this movie, involving a hairbrained anthropology professor, a lusty grad student, some misappropriated grant funds and a completely invented tribe of New Guineans, is clever. Unfortunately, this movie (pardon what I'm about to say) chews up a good idea and regurgitates it onto the screen. The plot and directing is completely implausible from start to finish. The depiction of native New Guinean tribes is utterly fake, silly and Hollywoodized and, frankly, treats native peoples in an offensively stupid manner. The contrived comedic situations are almost never funny. I chuckled once or twice, but most of the time stared in disbelief at the poor taste and childishness of it all. This in spite of the fact that it has two very skilled actors. Which proves a timeless truth -- actors and their agents are almost always terrible judges of both scripts and directing. Unless you suffer from the same flaw, you will not enjoy this movie. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Fatal Attraction meets A Beautiful Mind in this fact-based Lifetime thriller. Jenna Elfman (Dharma and Greg) is sexually confident medical writer Ellena Roberts. Shortly after we meet her, she is arrested. While in jail, she meets with sympathetic defense attorney Sara Miller (Kate Burton) and recounts her side of the story. It seems she had a relationship with married surgeon David Stillman (Sam Robards), but he broke it off. She didn't want things to end and continued to write, to call, etc. She didn't make any threats, but nor would she give it a rest, so he called the cops. The case goes to court and David claims he knew Ellena professionally, but that they never had a relationship. By the end, we have a pretty good idea as to what really happened. That's because one person is sane--and therefore credible--while the other is not. --Kathleen C. Fennessy ... Read more

Description

A hilarious comedy about life, love, friendship and the sometimes blistering nature of marital bliss. ... Read more

Description

It's the unforgettable story of a nobody...that everybody's watching! Matthew McConaughey and Jenna Elfman star in this hilarious romantic comedy Joel Siegel of Good Morning America calls "Big-Laugh Funny."

Ed Pekurny (McConaughey) is just a regular guy who feels he has nothing to lose by agreeing to be a star of a new reality-based TV show. Almost overnight, the program becomes a hit, and suddenly this goofy but engaging video clerk is a national celebrity! Everything's fabulous...until Ed falls head-over-heels for Shari (Elfman), the girlfriend of his brother Ray (Woody Harrelson). Suddenly their most private moments become public entertainment - and the ratings go through the roof - as millions of fans tune in to watch a real soap opera filled with comedy and romance.

Superbly directed by Ron Howard and featuring a stellar supporting cast including Elizabeth Hurley, Sally Kirkland, Martin Landau, Ellen DeGeneres, Rob Reiner and Dennis Hopper, EDtv is an outrageous look at instant fame, overnight success, and sharing your life with a few million of your closest fans. ... Read more

Reviews (52)

THE STORY OF A NOBODY EVERYBODY IS WATCHING!
Ed is an average, easy going sort of bloke who owns a local video store. Never one to go searching for the public's attention. That is until well-known television station True-TV has a slide in the ratings and need something new to keep their network Number 1.

Their solution is to broadcast one persons day to day life LIVE. Ed's brother Ray decides to audition, but the network like Ed better. At first Ed thinks maybe he shouldn't get involved in such public scrutiny, until his brother talks him into it.

After a slow, embarassing start to live television, Ed soon begins to enjoy the fame. He gets everything he ever wanted. Until his family and friends begin to regret their time in the spotlight, after some uncomfortable truths are learnt. Suddenly, Ed must decide which is more important, instant fame or a right to one's privacy?

Acclaimed director Ron Howard (Ransom, Apollo 13) explores the realities of instant fame, and all of the repercussions. A perfect choice of topic considering he has been in the public eye his entire life.

I love this movie. It is very funny, very truthful, and worth more then one viewing. It brings up some interesting issues, and has some clever story points. A one point I'm sure I knew every line in this movie! It's pretty sad, but it means the lines are pretty easy to learn.

If you thought you'd seen it all before in 'The Truman Show', think again! This movie is much funnier. A much better movie in all respects. Never boring. No offense to Truman fans. I've seen both.

The cast may not appeal to everyone, but they are all wonderful in their roles. The ending may also not appeal to others. I didn't like it to begin with, but I have since changed my mind.

This movie is great. The Collector's Edition makes it even better! With commentary, I find Ron always very easy to listen to. All extra features outtakes, deleated scenes and more are wonderful. A must-see for anyone, and an absolute MUST for Ron Howard fans.

TURN HIM ON, TAKE HIM HOME.

Watch Ed as he shares his life with a few million of his closest friends!

Lesser Ron Howard effort
EDtv is an amusing satire about America's obsession for "reality-based" television. It was produced and directed by Ron Howard. Mr. Howard was a television star as a boy on The Andy Griffin Show and went on to be a major talent behind the camera. His body of work includes Cocoon, Parenthood and Apollo 13. He is a cofounder of Imagine Entertainment, a movie and television production company. So the subject of Edtv is very familiar to him.

Cynthia [Ellen DeGeneres] is an ambitious producer who sells her boss, Whitaker [Rob Reiner], on the idea of a show which follows a "regular" guy 24 hours a day. Brothers Ed and Ray [Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson] audition for the part, and Ed wins it. The show has low ratings until Ed falls for Ray's girlfriend, Sherri [Jenna Elfman]. Fireworks erupt, and the series soon becomes the most watched show in the country.

Having your life on public display is full of complications, as well as ethical concerns. Howard treats the movie as a heartwarming comedy. He centers on the complications Ed and his family encounter, while giving only passing attention to the ethics of the situation. This is a wise decision, based, I think, on the idea that preaching and entertainment make poor bedfellows, especially when most of the actors are either present or past TV stars.

Comparison of Edtv to The Truman Show is inevitable. It's a case of two movies having similar and ingenious, but limiting, themes. The Truman Show, which I personally enjoyed more, got to theaters much sooner. Had Edtv been the first to arrive, its critical and commercial success perhaps would have been much greater.

The Truman Show was basically an allegory. Truman was adopted as an infant by a network and was raised unknowingly in the world's largest stage set. This is a plot foundation set in fantasy. It allowed the makers to insert all sorts of observations about modern morality, without offending the audience. EDtv simply takes reality TV to the next logical step. In doing so, it creates many funny situations, but it finally becomes unreal. We are reminded several times that we common folks are not as dumb as people who run TV networks think we are. Yet Ed lets his life be put on display without once thinking about the consequences. His brother, Ray, is lovable, but he's as dim as they come. The show's fans are all stereotypes. The men react like we are trained to expect them to, as do the women. This is not to say that EDtv is not entertaining. It is. But, beyond the original premise, it does little more than recycle tried and true jokes and situations.

Great entertainment right to the hilarious ending!
What a nice romantic movie with Matthew McConaughey and Jenna Elfman. I got everything I ever wanted in a chic flick right here. Ellen DeJeneres was superb. It was great to see Rob Reiner again, and as usual he didn't let me down. This kept me interested right to the very end and it was a very funny ending indeed. Would like to see more clean, funny entertainment like this!

Not a good one
MCConaughey has a way of rescuing a movie, as youw atch him give his all to a character, to finding nuisances in one. Is this movie really good? Again another not sure. It tries to touch on reality show themes and the price of fame but in trying to be funny, it's softer on the topic than the topic deems necessary.

YES TO ME OR YES TO THE COIL, MOM?!
WASSUP, AMERICA?!

This is a great movie. I don't own the DvD, but I have it taped and I plan to order this (or buy it in a store) this year. Matthew McConughey is so talented. Woody is OK....KINGPIN! I like Elizabeth Hurley from Austin Powers and Bedazzled (GREAT MOVIE TOO). And Jenna Elfman is one of the most talented actresses I've ever seen in a movie. She was great in Keeping the Faith (another favorite). I've mentioned so many movie in this review! lol MOVIES ARE MY LIFE!

PEACE OUT! ... Read more