Rating: 
Summary: We love this movie!
Review: I have begun looking at some of the movies I loved as a kid and trying to share them with my kids. We had family movie night and I had to drag them in kicking and screaming. Twenty minutes into the movie, I tried to pause the movie while I went potty, and got a rebellion. My three daughters were hooked. My nine year old talked about the cute little robots for months and wanted to know if there were any more of the movies. My oldest (sixteen) was right in on all of the conversations. Even the too cool for the rest of us 15 year old loved it....although we were never allowed to speak of it in public.
Since then they ask me if I know of any other cool movies from when I was a kid. I have a long list, although this one is on the short list for Christmas presents this year.
Rating: 
Summary: Belongs in every children's collection
Review: ... whether or not you have kids. It has some moments that might make a four-year-old cling to an adult, but every kid I know likes it. No guns, no bloody fights, no chases, and it still holds their interest.There's plenty here for an adult - "dotty grandma" isn't a completely comic character here. She's not just a tragic figure of senility, either, though she's some of both. Mostly, she's just making her way through each day the best she can, and better than people seem willing to believe. Most of the other characters are similarly on the edge but muddling by well enough, with a little help from their friends. I honestly can't call this a science fiction movie, despite its SF elements. It's sweet (almost sappy) and funny, the poor-but-honest folk win out over the thugs and evil corporations, and they all live happily ever after. Well, for now, at least. If there's ever a list of "most under-rated movies", this one gets my vote. I like it.
Rating: 
Summary: Not Enough Batteries Could Power This Lame Film
Review: Another film produced by Spielberg in the vain of "Disney-esque" family fare (i.e. HARRY AND THE HENDERSONS, GOONIES). "Close Encounters" is shrunk down to cute little "tonka toys". The gimmick in *BATTERIES NOT INCLUDED is that the aliens' spaceships (of various shapes for degree of personality) are the characters. You don't see the aliens inside controlling the flying saucers (just like you couldn't see the truck driver in Spielbergs' DUEL). The plot is as old as an OUR GANG short. An evil landlord is about to evict a diverse group of stereotypical poor residences from his tenement slum and the mini-aliens arrive in time to save the day to fight the landlord and his evil henchmen. The actors are then directed to act bewildered, angry, awe-inspired, laugh, cry, and hug each other, around the special effects-laden-E.T. spaceships...(yaaawwwnnn...zzz...zzz!). The title of this movie should be renamed to *ORIGINALITY NOT INCLUDED...or...*ACTING NOT INCLUDED...or...*DIRECTION NOT INCLUDED...or...*BRAINS NOT INCLUDED..or...!
Rating:
Summary: Not Enough Batteries Could Power This Lame Film
Review: Another film produced by Spielberg in the vain of "Disney-esque" family fare (i.e. HARRY AND THE HENDERSONS, GOONIES). "Close Encounters" is shrunk down to cute little "tonka toys". The gimmick in *BATTERIES NOT INCLUDED is that the aliens' spaceships (of various shapes for degree of personality) are the characters. You don't see the aliens inside controlling the flying saucers (just like you couldn't see the truck driver in Spielbergs' DUEL). The plot is as old as an OUR GANG short. An evil landlord is about to evict a diverse group of stereotypical poor residences from his tenement slum and the mini-aliens arrive in time to save the day to fight the landlord and his evil henchmen. The actors are then directed to act bewildered, angry, awe-inspired, laugh, cry, and hug each other, around the special effects-laden-E.T. spaceships...(yaaawwwnnn...zzz...zzz!). The title of this movie should be renamed to *ORIGINALITY NOT INCLUDED...or...*ACTING NOT INCLUDED...or...*DIRECTION NOT INCLUDED...or...*BRAINS NOT INCLUDED..or...!
Rating:
Summary: Batteries are not included, but a good movie is
Review: For many years, I've been wanting to see "Batteries Not Included," but none of the local video stores carried it, so I had to wait until it came on television. I finally got my chance tonight to watch what my mom calls 'one of her favorites.' In "Batteries Not Included," a couple of miniature UFO's enter a housing complex that has troubled people living inside its quarters. These people are troubled because the building in which they are living, is on schedule to be torn down to shreds, and they don't want to move to a different place. As strange as it may sound, these two tiny UFO's just might be able to help these humans. That is, if they're friendly unidentified flying objects. I agree that "Batteries Not Included" is a good movie, but unlike my mom, I wouldn't call it one of my favorites. It has decent acting, it's entertaining, and the special effects are good enough. It's a mix between a drama and a family movie. One part even stood out as being hilarious, and you'll know it when you see it. If you like good movies, I recommend at least renting "Batteries Not Included."
Rating:
Summary: Batteries are not included, but a good movie is
Review: For many years, I've been wanting to see "Batteries Not Included," but none of the local video stores carried it, so I had to wait until it came on television. I finally got my chance tonight to watch what my mom calls 'one of her favorites.' In "Batteries Not Included," a couple of miniature UFO's enter a housing complex that has troubled people living inside its quarters. These people are troubled because the building in which they are living, is on schedule to be torn down to shreds, and they don't want to move to a different place. As strange as it may sound, these two tiny UFO's just might be able to help these humans. That is, if they're friendly unidentified flying objects. I agree that "Batteries Not Included" is a good movie, but unlike my mom, I wouldn't call it one of my favorites. It has decent acting, it's entertaining, and the special effects are good enough. It's a mix between a drama and a family movie. One part even stood out as being hilarious, and you'll know it when you see it. If you like good movies, I recommend at least renting "Batteries Not Included."
Rating:
Summary: Critics? HA!
Review: Go figure..if you pay attention to "editorial reviews" for this little movie, a person would never waste a dime to see it.....but this is AMERICA and we ignore critics!!!! (Read the other customer reviews, they couldn't be any more opposite the opinion of our "critics". Hundreds of times they've hated a movie and it's been terrific, whether at the box office or when it hit video) Perhaps there's not enough here for these two to bite into, but Mr. Maltin and Mr. Keogh should be less nasty and critical of this film and criticize something else....Patton, Full Metal Jacket, Platoon, whatever....you can leave this little movie alone...It's for kids, guys. Amusing, while not too heavy except some violence regarding the apartment building with some smashing and burning, which of course is repaired by the "little guys". Small flying saucers, "little guys" as Jessica refers to them, zoom all over New York secretly repairing "stuff" that's not perfect......silly yes, but who cares? It's a fantasy..... Go with it for goodness sake. Hume Cronyn (Frank Riley) and real life wife, Jessica Tandy (Faye Riley) act together in too few a number of films (Cocoon and its sequel, are a couple). Each character in the movie has his/her problems, each prays for a little help and gets it in this most curious way, feeling God answered them in this way. It's a fantasy....don't be expecting oscar performances from anyone. Jessica thinks the local fire bombing hood, Carlos, is her deceased son, who was in a car wreck years before. She suffers from altzheimers and so doesn't remember he's dead. Referring to Carlos, as Bobby; all the while he's trying to burn their building to ashes. Elizabeth Pena, (Marissa) is a very pregnant, single female trying to exist day to day with hoodlums harassing her every coming and going at the building. She finds her knight in shining armor, Mason, a not too productive resident painter, and he ends up with our lonely Marissa. It's predictable, but OK. Frank McRae, ex-boxer, has been punched one too many times while professionally boxing, yet somehow manages to title the movie during one of his only speaking lines.....figure that one, but that's how the movie got its name, they planned it that way! This film may not one win any oscars, but 95% of the movies I'd bother to review, I own; this is one of them and I like a good feeling when I finish a movie.
Rating:
Summary: Critics? HA!
Review: Go figure..if you pay attention to "editorial reviews" for this little movie, a person would never waste a dime to see it.....but this is AMERICA and we ignore critics!!!! (Read the other customer reviews, they couldn't be any more opposite the opinion of our "critics". Hundreds of times they've hated a movie and it's been terrific, whether at the box office or when it hit video) Perhaps there's not enough here for these two to bite into, but Mr. Maltin and Mr. Keogh should be less nasty and critical of this film and criticize something else....Patton, Full Metal Jacket, Platoon, whatever....you can leave this little movie alone...It's for kids, guys. Amusing, while not too heavy except some violence regarding the apartment building with some smashing and burning, which of course is repaired by the "little guys". Small flying saucers, "little guys" as Jessica refers to them, zoom all over New York secretly repairing "stuff" that's not perfect......silly yes, but who cares? It's a fantasy..... Go with it for goodness sake. Hume Cronyn (Frank Riley) and real life wife, Jessica Tandy (Faye Riley) act together in too few a number of films (Cocoon and its sequel, are a couple). Each character in the movie has his/her problems, each prays for a little help and gets it in this most curious way, feeling God answered them in this way. It's a fantasy....don't be expecting oscar performances from anyone. Jessica thinks the local fire bombing hood, Carlos, is her deceased son, who was in a car wreck years before. She suffers from altzheimers and so doesn't remember he's dead. Referring to Carlos, as Bobby; all the while he's trying to burn their building to ashes. Elizabeth Pena, (Marissa) is a very pregnant, single female trying to exist day to day with hoodlums harassing her every coming and going at the building. She finds her knight in shining armor, Mason, a not too productive resident painter, and he ends up with our lonely Marissa. It's predictable, but OK. Frank McRae, ex-boxer, has been punched one too many times while professionally boxing, yet somehow manages to title the movie during one of his only speaking lines.....figure that one, but that's how the movie got its name, they planned it that way! This film may not one win any oscars, but 95% of the movies I'd bother to review, I own; this is one of them and I like a good feeling when I finish a movie.
Rating:
Summary: Another Blockbuster for Hume and Jessica
Review: Hume Cronyn and Jessica Tandy have been in many movies together, one reason because they are married in real life (until she died a few years ago) and they were so great together. This movie was heart-wrenching in the fact that Jessica's character had lost her mind since the death of her son in a car accident. It was sweet and memorable and funny with the little spaceships helping them out in their time of need. The little guys brought her back to her senses, and even kept the bad guys from tearing down the building where the people lived. This is a great show and should be viewed by everyone. If you liked ET, you would love Batteries Not Included. Any movie that has me laughing and crying in the same movie, has got to be great.
Rating:
Summary: One of the Best Ever
Review: I agree with a couple previous private reviewers in that this is one of the best done, in every regard, movies ever made but I think not a box-office success--a "sleeper" but available here at Amazon on VHS...and worth every penny. Cronyn and Tandy put in awesome performances, and the rest of the cast is extremely good. I used to produce TV and commercials, etc., and am VERY critical of movies, but this one doesn't have a wasted frame, a wasted word or anything done inappropriately. History will show this to have been one of the best movies ever produced. The theme is simple, which helps it. It's debatable whether it can simply be reduced to "good triumphs over evil" or "destruction is not a necessary answer." I'll warn those considering watching or purchasing this one that, if you are at all emotional, you'll go through at least a box of tissues, but it will be well worth it, and there are very funny moments, and the conclusion is at least triumphal. It's probably in my top five movies of all time, and I'm 57.
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