Rating: 
Summary: whats not to understand??
Review: This film is a film for all those who liked the Graduate, Harold and Maude, Rushmore, an ocassional Bergman film, and JD Salinger. Lesser reviews have stated that they didn't get the point. Well, like most films without an overwhelming, overstated message, this film is what it is...a nice, funny, SIMPLE slice of life. The Royal Tennenbaums is a fictional ride through a family's co-existence with each other and those closely related to them. Each character in this film develops depth and warmth. No matter how bad or evil Royal (Gene Hackman) appears to the naked eye, there a certain amount of likabilty one can't help feel for him. The humor is real and subtle, making the aftertaste of the film that much more enjoyable. When you leave this film, you can't help but think about it and remember it in such a way that it only gets better as each day goes by. See it and discuss it with your friends, and then discover how good it actually is. The film presents us with a set of dilemmas and taboo subjects (such as drug abuse, incest, adoption, illness, abandonment, rejection, and racism), and then has the courage to poke fun at all of them in a crafty way. Hilarious and heartfelt from beginning to end.
Rating: 
Summary: Really wonderful and surprising
Review: Not every aspect of this film gels all the time, but it's beautifully written, well acted, and designed with real style and originality. In fact, "original" pretty much sums it up. Wes Anderson has created a film that doesn't play by any conventional rules. The Tenenbaums are a completely dysfunctional family, yet everyone is likeable and understandable, and you almost wish you were a member. The comedy is deft and hilarious, the drama is sad without being to heavy. The music is great, Mark Mothersbaugh is extremely talented. The set design and costumes are evocative of the characters, and sources of comedy in their own right (Eli's appartment, Margo's ever-present mink coat). The characters, even such small parts as Pagoda the butler, are fully developed--when was the last time you saw a movie and could actually remember the names of all the characters, not just the actors. Speaking of the actors, they're cast brilliantly against type, and carry off their roles apparently effortlessly. My favourite was Angelica Huston, as perhaps the only well-adjusted one in the bunch.
It's a great, great, movie, and hopefully signifies many more great films to come from Anderson and Owen Wilson.
Rating:
Summary: Australian Viewer
Review: I have now seen this movie twice and plan to see it many more times as I love it more and more with each viewing. It is impossible to class this film or to compare it to any other - this film is a unique masterpeice that deserves nothing more than a class of its own. Without a doubt my favourite movie of 2002, I can't wait until it hits Australian stores so that I can have a copy of my own.All cast members give their best performances to date. Each adding to the wicked humour and moving scenes that tell the intricate tale of this offbeat family. In Australia is was welcomed with brilliant reviews from the critics and a lukewarm response from the general public (maybe it just hits a level that most Australians don't allow themselves to wander into???...). even watching it at the cinema was a surprise, with many patrons leaving the film midway through, and most of those staying not seeming to connect with its blackest of black humour. Although I might add that its lukewarm response may in part have something to do with only a small number of alternative theatres showing the movie and even less advertising to promote its genius. So the film is wasted on the general population...but for those of you who appreciate something a little smarter, a little deeper, a little funnier and a whole lot more original than most of the [junk] to hit the big screen...then go see this absolute masterpiece!!!!
Rating:
Summary: Hillarious
Review: This is a very quirky and funny movie. I enjoyed it very much. The acting was terrific. (Many big name Actors!)
Rating: 
Summary: Royally overated.
Review: The hype on this movie is like people raving about the emperor's new clothes. Yes it's got Gene Hackman, Angelica Huston, Gwynneth Paltrow and Ben Stiller. Acting royalty. How can we give them a bad review and tell them they wasted their time filming it? We can't. They're acting royalty. People run around in quirky circumstances in a highly disfunctional family- a family of geniuses. One who made a killing on the stock market at age 11. One who wrote best selling plays at age 14. And the dysfunctional family that created it all. Granted a great premise but a premise that was not fully developed! I take that back -not developed at all. I could care less about any character in this movie simply because they were not developed passed the wonderful premise. It has a quirky and arty feel that seems to have pulled the wool over the critic's eyes--not to mention the stellar cast. However that does not take the place of fully developed characters. Instead of developing characters, a really annoying narrative explains the action. Often in movie making a narrative is thrown on is used when the movie doesn't work. Why do movies get made when they are not fully written?
I admire the opening. I admire the premise. I admire the trailer (which is all you really need to see to see the best of this movie) but what a waste of time and talent.
Rating:
Summary: I have never been more disappointed in a movie...
Review: ...it was like looking forward to hanging out with an old friend, only to find they've completely changed, for the worse. "Rushmore" is one of my favorite films ever, so of course I was all over seeing "The Royal Tenenbaums." I found this film had all of the surface charms of "Rushmore" with none of its heart - like they ripped its corpse out of the ground, slapped a wig on it, and said "here's your new Mom!" "The Royal Tenenbaums" never really develops. It was like they said "here's this story we're going to tell you" without actually telling it, and "here's these characters you're going to meet" without actually letting you meet them. This is a character-based film, and all the characters in it were completely cardboard to me. Maybe there are just too many people and too many ideas thrown in - there's no central, galvanizing character like Max Fischer. I thought the Gene Hackman character was sort of a lovable goof. You don't really know enough backstory to know why everyone hates him so much, so a lot of the points they try to make about reconnecting with your family just fall flat. They TELL you he neglected his family, but you don't SEE it...anyone Fiction 101 student can explain to you the "show, don't tell" theory. And the bit about lying about having cancer...as someone who did lose a father to cancer, it just kind of embarassed me. I was not highly offended, I was just sort of embarassed for whoever thought this might potentially be funny...I just tried to ignore it like a grandmother's loud fart. There were a few decent scenes (like near the end when Gene Hackman and Gwyneth Paltrow try futilely to bond), but they were like finding m&m's in the car seat on a long, boring road trip.
Rating:
Summary: Overlooked and Underappreciated
Review: If you only saw it once, you didn't see it. Only after the second and third viewing can you truly appreciate the care and time Wes Anderson takes to get every scene right. The set designer alone deserves an award for this film. But even minus all of the visual aspects are the underrated performances of the actors. Sure, Ben Stiller has his moments when he loses his cool (it's expected) but he has truly genuine moments after Royal tries to connect with his sons in ways he never connected with him. Gwyneth Paltrow underplays her role to a tee, perfectly and honestly encompassing the soul of a playwright with failed high expectations. The Wilson brothers give their usually good performances (Luke at his most complex, Owen at his best space case) as do Anjelica Houston and Danny Glover though they needed to be given a little more to do. But that's one exception in a movie where Gene Hackman proves to me that he is more than just a hack (note: not a big Hackman fan) giving a uncomprimising yet harm warming portrayol of Royal Tenenbaum. And last, but certainly not least, the great Bill Murray, stealing every scene that he can get into. With all of the [stuff] Hollywood produces just so they can grab an opening day victory, Wes Anderson finely crafts a film we will want to see ten, tweny and fifty years from now.
Rating:
Summary: This movie is hilarious!
Review: The Royal Tenenbaums is one of the wittiest movies I've ever seen. It's funny and has a brain and it's entertaining. I think some people don't like it because they don't get it. But if you're from a dysfunctional family, you'll love it.
Rating:
Summary: No special features?...
Review: First off, This movie cannot be appreciated after one viewing. Much like Wes Anderson's previous gems, 'Bottle Rocket' and 'Rushmore', a second and third viewing will reveal a tighter, almost flawless film. I will not delve into a hundred line review like those below, but just say, if you saw it once, you're cheating yourself. This is a ten star movie with two star DVD features, none. I'll be waiting for the special edition, whenever they decide to release it.
Rating: 
Summary: Very good but flawed
Review: I have to admit that I was blown away by the god like genius that was Rushmore ( possibly Bill Murrays best role to date) but that is the problem , how do you follow it up. Wes Anderson has created the Tenenbaums , a most disfunctional family that has not evolved beyond the late 70's early 80's. To me that was the primary aim of the film , what happens to childhood prodigys? This is where I feel the film falls down , the idea that these people have not progressed beyond the time of their infamy is not fully explored ,they still appear to live in a modern day New York that is still strangely also like them stuck in the early 80's . I have to admit that I was expecting a barrell of laughs which isn't quite what I got, but I can't deny that Wes Anderson is somewhat of a genius . This film still ranks well above the general fare of Hollywood for those that actually want to be challenged by the movie going experience and for that we should all be truely grateful but hype does not great movies make . A greater control on the script would have truely made thsi a modern masterpiece along the lines of Rushmore
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