Rating: Summary: A disappointment Review: Unlike the source material, which was fun, breezy and sharp, this movie is uninteresting, leaden and dull. I cannot fault the performers, who were definitely in character and tried to rise above the material. The one exception is Piper Perabo, who is completely unable to act whatsoever. She can't act, she's not attractive, and she has no comedic timing, so what she's doing in the film is unclear at best.
The script is chock full of exposition. Loads of exposition. I wonder if the studio was so concerned that no one would know who Rocky and Bullwinkle were that they tacked on the beginning newsreel-esque footing to explain. That footage is terrible. And it's on top of the deadening, endless exposition that follows. Come on, it's moose and squirrel! If the viewers don't know who they are at first, they can figure it out in context.
The film continues ever so slowly, with no discernible plot (not always a bad thing in comedies) and with very few genuinely funny moments. The direction hurts, and is suited much more to drama than to comedy. In the special features section of the DVD, it is brought up more than once that it took years to get this project moving, and that the script had been in development for most of that time. It's hard to believe that with 8+ years to work they couldn't do any better than this.
Avoid.
Rating: Summary: Two Too Many Real People (or Three)! Review: I was a big fan of the old show, and saw a lot of it in this movie. Most of my "laugh out loud episodes" came when Rocky and Bullwinkle were onscreen and the usual Jay Ward type wordplay was in progress. I myself (in contrast to other reviews) found those segments to be up to speed with the quality of the original. Even a lot of the live action stuff was amusing in its own way. Fans of the show shouldn't be disappointed, I don't think--I wasn't. The major reason this film is considered a "failure" is I think because it failed to live up to mass market expectations despite the presence of some big names. The one thing I would have changed, which would have made it more of a product specifically for Bullwinkle fans (but a better film) was to let Boris, Natasha and Fearless Leader remain animated also. Jason Alexander and Rene Russo fare better at looking and sounding like B and N than Dave Thomas and Sally Kellerman in the B & N movie but I never quite stop feeling that it's them doing impressions, not that they are the characters. If you are a Bullwinkle fan already, odds are are you'll like it a lot anyway. If not, you are unfortunately the person the big name replacements for the animated characters were aimed at, who unfortunately didn't take the bait.
Rating: Summary: Unrecognized Masterpiece On An Axiomatic Scale Review: Rocky and Bullwinkle have been retired for a long time, but Bullwinkle has issues. His depression stems from missing the lush forest near his home. All that is left are tree stumps that have never been replanted. When they are summoned to help subdue "Fearless Leader" and his two associates, the mustachoed Boris and the femininely beautiful Natasha, Bullwinkle begins the healing process that he so deservedly needs for closure.
Rating: Summary: Fun, silly flick Review: This movie has many wonderful pieces in it. First are Rocky and Bullwinkle themselves, resurrected after (now) forty years. No matter what the quality of animation, they're still among my favorite cartoons. Second is Robert DeNiro. Yes, the same DeNiro as in "Frankenstein", "Analyze This", "Taxi Driver" and lots more. After that, and in no particular order, are Karen Sympathy (Piper Pirabo), Rene Russo (Natasha), and the technical magicians who pulled R&B into the real world, a la Roger Rabbit.
Those great pieces sway my judgement. I really like this movie. By all rights, I shouldn't. The main mood is "campy" - not a bad thing, necessarily. It's just that, whatever this movie does, it never does quite enough. The animation/reality mix is fun, but has been done better. Fearless Leader, Boris, and Natasha are surprisingly well done, but actors enacting comic figures have also been done better (except maybe Fearless Leader). Goofy, cartoony props have been done for at least seventy years. They've very often been done better, sometimes without meaning to.
I like this anyway. Beat your expectations into unconsciousness, then go ahead and enjoy it. No adult themes, no serious aggression - it may be good for kids, but lots of six year olds will find it unsophisticated. I guess we grownups will be stuck watching it by ourselves. I consider that the kids' problem, not mine.
//wiredweird
Rating: Summary: Simply Awful Review: This is maybe the worst movie since "the Invasion of the Killer Tomatoes." It is boring and lacks any creativity. "The Killer Tomatoes" was much more creative and interesting. I enjoyed the original Rocky & Bullwinkle cartoons. Unfortunately, the transformation from animation to real human and animal characters does not work in this movie. The characters are real goofy and boring and simply awful. This movie does not do justice to the original cartoons. I do not see anything of what others describe as "whimsical, funny--at times hysterical." This is simply not true. I suggest that you save your money and buy a different movie.
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