Rating: 
Summary: A pleasure to watch on a rainy day
Review: If you didn't think that this movie is funny, then 1)you're not smart enough to understand the humor, 2) your life is perfect and you cannot relate to the characters, 3) you're a republican, or 3) you just don't understand dark comedies or subtle humor. The character development is great, it's a movie you can see again and again, it's just a pleasure to watch.
Rating: 
Summary: Self-consciously hip and wildly overpraised
Review: Can a movie be too hip for its own good? The answer in this case is an emphatic yes! This film has nothing more going on in its self-satisfied little brain than a series of ultra-stylized poses and attitudes that gives the entire thing the feeling of one big in joke. The only problem is the audience isn't let in on the joke. Though some real issues are alluded to, there's no genuine emotion, either on screen or elicited in the viewer. There's also an anything goes mentality that militates against the creation of a coherent alternate world that the stylized filmmaking is clearly aiming for. Gene Hackman's acclaimed performance is ham on rye and the Wilson brothers' affectless performances exemplify everything that's wrong with the movie. Only the sublime Angelica Huston rises to the occasion, and indeed above it in this case.
Rating: 
Summary: Surreal film about dysfunctional family and failed genius
Review: There is something very surreal about this film in a beautiful kind of way. The film opens by giving the viewer a bit of background on the Tenenbaum family. The father, Royal Tenenbaum, bought 'the house on Archer Avenue' in his 35th year. He and his wife Etheline raised three children, Chas, Margot, and Richie. All became prodigies in their own way--Chas as a youthful entrepreneur, Margot as a playwright, and Richie as a tennis champion. Yet while they were still children, their parents split up, with their dad (and us as viewers) dropping out of their lives for at least 20 years. When we next meet up with the Tenenbaums, the children are in their thirties, having largely lost the creative spark that provided so much promise in their early years. Chas still is an entrepreneur but is struggling as a single dad after losing his wife in a plane crash. Margot is married to a neurologist but hasn't completed a play in seven years. Richie has given up on his tennis career and is aimlessly sailing the world's oceans. A number of events then happen in quick succession to bring this family--possibly against their will--back together again. Etheline's accountant Henry proposes to her, and this evokes feelings of jealousy from the long-estranged Royal. And Royal is evicted from the hotel room where he lives and must find alternate accomodations--and decides to try to move back in with his wife. Chas' paranoia for his sons' and his safety escalates to the point where he only feels secure by moving his family back into the house where he grew up. Soon Margot and Richie follow suit and the whole brood finds themselves together under one roof for the first time in decades. The rest of the film is about the adventures and misadventures of this crew as they try to learn how to relate to one another again after all this time--and to accept and forgive each other's human mistakes--which are myriad. The film is beautiful and of the highest quality, yet it must be appreciated on its own merits. It is not a slapstick comedy, although there are certainly funny moments. The characters are portrayed as very real people dealing with some very real pain. Yet it is also not an overtly tragic film either--the characters do not wallow excessively in self-pity once the stage is set and the main action begins. They do try hard to make amends for their past dysfunctionalities. Nor does the film really try to make a grand statement of the meaning of life or the reasons for the failed genius of the Tenenbaum children. If the viewer approaches the film expecting it to be any of these things, he/she is likely to be disappointed. What the film does do is provide a very accurate and compassionate reading of the human condition. The characters are ultimately all very likeable because we can relate to them--they are not Hollywood superheroes and nor are there any real villains. They make many of the same mistakes that we all do--yet presented in a heartwarming manner. There is clearly love between the characters despite their many foibles. The children's lives have all fallen apart after their father left them, not merely because he left, but also because he has allowed his own life to disintegrate. The children mirror the father in many ways, although they would be reluctant to admit it. The father presumably once was an insipirational role model to his children, clearly attaining a lot of success as a prominent attorney at an early age. Then he was disbarred and briefly imprisoned--for reasons made clear in the film--and never made a serious attempt to put his life back together. His early success was such that he could live in luxury for 20 years without working--but as he lost direction in life, it seems that so too did the children. The film allows the family to see the connections between each other in their lives--and how their early mistakes are affecting their lives as adults. It does so by creating a setting that is somewhat more extreme than real life but is otherwise realistic. Rarely do people go from the heights of early success to decades of underachieving quite like this family. But many people can relate to the idea of failed dreams. And rarely is an entire adult family brought back under one roof (except maybe for holidays). Yet everyone can relate to ongoing tensions between family members during family reunions. By creating a somewhat more extreme situation than usual in real life, the filmmakers can create a film chock-full of interesting family conflicts and subconflicts. Ultimately the film succeeds because it shows a family who thought they were superhuman supergeniuses--and who turned out to be human after all--but it shows their humanity in such a compassionate way that we can all relate to the Tenenbaums. If one accepts the film on its own merits it is a great work of art.
Rating:
Summary: ...Dammit! That's the last time you stab me!
Review: Aaron:The past 109 mins have been the best 109 mins of probably my whole life.
Narrator: Immediately after making this statement, Aaron realized that it was true.
Wes Anderson has introduced to the world, along with writing partner Owen Wilson, some of the most ingenius and quirky characters ever! From 'Dignan' in Bottle Rocket to 'Max Fischer' in Rushmore and now 'Royal Tenenbaum'.
Gene Hackman is a great actor and has done many great performances though none have grabbed me like this. With such a cast it would be difficult for the most seasoned actor to stand out though this is exactly what Hackman does at every turn. This film belongs to Hackman and everyone else is just along for the ride.
If you have read any of my reviews you will know I am not one to go into plot details but more into why I liked or loathed a film so much, so once again I will spare you the fodder.
The Royal Tenenbaums is certainly not a film for everyone and the better for it. The characterization is only akin to The Simpsons as although these people can not be real they are oh so real. They have all the traits of people you know or have known and although they seem like parodies somehow they are not. You become totally engrossed with their lives and this is in no part due to the excellent narration as supplied by Alec Baldwin.
The interaction between the actors is phenominal, truly recalling the interaction you have with your own family and acquaintences if not less cluttered. Like Rushmore before it Anderson's film has a deeply cynical streak and is defined as a very black comedy. The atmoshere reached throughout is all encombersing, so your desire to turn it off is either non existent or heightened. This is one of those films that leaves a lasting effect no matter what you thought of it, like the aftertaste of coffee.
Fine print.Watch it.Love it or loath it.But you must see it!.I can not sway you any way so make up your own mind based on these above words.
Rating:
Summary: Originally Weird, and therefore good...
Review: The Royal Tenenbaums... Just the first thing we hear about them suffices to explain everything: "Family is not a word, it's a sentence'. This film encompasses a fabulous story, which is indeed so well written. All characters perform extraordinarily uniquely.
Especially, Margot - acted by my favorite actress, Gwyneth Paltrow - astounds the audience by her annoyed-by-everything-yet-don't-care looks, and her year-long holdings of her big secrets, like her smoking for twenty years without anybody knowing. All the family members are so different from each other. But, there's just something that brings them altogether under one roof. It can't be told, it just can be felt, when seen the movie. This film, is an outstanding piece, in the history of world-cinema and this is not an exaggeration at all. See it for yourself... Highly recommended for both group-watching and enjoying something very original.
Rating:
Summary: Just What I Thought
Review: What happens when you take a whole bunch of funny, great actors, and put them all into one movie? Nothing, Nothing at all...this movie was torture sitting through. I dont think I laughed one time. I even watched it again thinking its one of those "ya gotta see 2 times" movies, and nope, I fell asleep. Please dont see this movie, its worse than a early Vin Diesel movie.
Rating: 
Summary: it's not rushmore but it's still got hackman
Review: so..the title is basically the jist...it doesn't have the cute absurdity of rushmore...this one is more absurd for absurdity's sake...but it's still mouthfuls better than the typical cloying hollywood films out there. So rent her...she's a nice sunday flick....just don't want it to be the movie before it.
Rating:
Summary: Over-rated, but good none-the-less
Review: I have heard many people talk of this movie as if it were the savior of cinema. I don't think so. It is a great dark comedy though. Where this movie really excells is in it's character development. Every character in this movie is memorable. The story gives you a great idea of each of their though processes and emotions. I would definately recommend picking this up.
Rating:
Summary: A pretty good movie...
Review: Theer are definitely some who will not 'get it.' For instance, Scott McCalla, who thinks G Paltrow is a 'great actress'. That standard of esthetics is... pretty low, so don't pay much attention to some of these reviwes. Yes, Rushmore was definitely better, but this is good too.
Rating:
Summary: Zero stars. Waste of time, waste of tallent
Review: Zero stars, If I could
One of the dumbest pieces of ...., major flop from the Holywood movie industry. (Industry, not art.) Where is the comedy? What should we be laughing at? Vivid demostration of boredom and absecence of ideas. Wes Anderson went very far into pedantically detailing the environment (multyline rotary phones, jipsy cab, cardboard filled closed etc), and forgot to put content inside. Form with no content.
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