Rating: 
Summary: Movies Are Not IQ Tests...
Review: Well, I lasted through this movie recently...but just barely. And for those of you who aren't sure, you can actually dislike this movie even if your IQ is above 85. :) I generally enjoy controversy in the reviews, but the elitism shown in these reviews is simply wretched.For those who don't know, the story is about the reunion of Royal Tenenbaum (Hackman) and his dysfunctional family (Huston, Stiller, Paltrow, and Luke Wilson). When his 3 children were young, Royal was a critical, unstable father who played favorites. Though all of the children were geniuses, they all came undone by their 30's due to their father's dispiriting influence and mother's detached upbringing. Right as all 3 children were hitting their lowest lows in their 30's, Royal gets kicked out of his housing because he has no money. He schemes his way back into their lives, and so all 5 are living under one roof again, with the notorious neighbor (Owen Wilson) still nearby. Will reconciliation ever happen? Should it happen? Does Royal actually care? The movie allows the characters to breath - it allows them to be complex and mysterious and irrational. It also allows for a subtle ironic and circumstantial humor. However, that said, I thought the movie dragged quite a bit and was ultimately very empty. There was little in it that engaged me emotionally; I was not drawn into any one character's plotline (let alone all of them). I didn't need closure because I didn't care, and I'd rather the story have ended sooner. Even the very poignant (though twisted) moment of Luke Wilson's crisis was trivialized as things bounce back to "normal" so quickly. As a final criticism, the movie had unnecessary (though brief) nudity. I think I should have expected it in this movie, but it could have easily been left out. All in all, some subset of movie watchers might really enjoy the unique journey of this film. However, most people can probably pass on this film and never miss out.
Rating: 
Summary: one of the best films I've ever seen
Review: "The Royal Tenenbaums" film stands out far above almost any film I've ever seen. It's filled to the brim with incredibly subtle details (from the paintings on Richie's walls to the positioning of the characters in a given scene), music that perfectly fits its scenes (a Wes Anderson trademark), and unforgettable personalities. Gene Hackman gives a masterful performance as Royal Tenenbaum, the estranged father of a family of (former) geniuses - Chas (Ben Stiller), a born accountant who has been in business since he was a preteen; Richie (Luke Wilson), a tennis champion by age 17 who just wants his family to be normal and supportive of one another, though such a thing just cannot be; and Margot (Gwyneth Paltrow), an adopted child who won a $50,000 playwriting scholarship her freshman year of high school. Angelica Huston and Danny Glover are perfect as Etheline Tenenbaums, the matriarch, and Henry Sherman, Etheline's business partner and love interest. Co-writer Owen Wilson also turns in a superb performance as Eli Cash, who as a child lived across the street from the Tenenbaums, longing to be one of them. The film's ebb and flow lies in the performances more than anything... though that hardly means that any other elements suffer. The costuming, the scenery, and all of the other elements that make theatre (film or any other sort) so magical, have been martialled so that the viewer is taken to a whole other world. The comedic flavor of the film that veils the underlying melancholy begs comparisons to such masterpieces as "American Beauty". Yeah, you heard right. It's *that* good. *Addendum: This film inspired me to change my college major from computer science to english.*
Rating:
Summary: Putting the 'fun' in disfunctional
Review: From the very moment it opens (with hilarious scenes of the cast members grooming themselves in various ways) you know that this is not your average film. No, it is not a film everyone will enjoy. The humor, for the most part, is subtle. The characters are quirky and story is more than a little offbeat. It's a special movie and it will take special people to enjoy it. Does that mean you are unintelligent for not enjoying it? No. What it does mean is that you don't appreciate the craft of writing and filmmaking enough to see how special this movie really is. The sets are unique, unable to be pinned down to any single moment in time (rotary phones occupy the same desk as desktop computers). The wardrobe likewise is something special; each character really expresses himself through what he wears. One character wears the same type of dress, shoes, and hair barrette she wore when she is twelve (trying to recapture her heyday as a young genius, perhaps?). Another character dresses himself and his young sons in matching red Adidas sweatsuits so that they will be able to easily find one another in the event of a disaster. The soundtrack is a superb blending of mid 60s/70s rock (which appears to be the time period this family finds itself locked in.) And the writing... Dozens of other people have outlined the plot, so I'll not go into it. But the writing is sharp, witty, and more than a little tongue-in-cheek. But this isn't your average comedy, striving solely for cheap laughs. There is depth here as well. You'll find yourself laughing one moment and then, just as quickly, tearing up at a certain character's heartache. The sequence in which a narrator details the early life of the Tenenbaums is especially well done. And the acting? There is not a single sloppy performance in this movie; even the most minor characters are flawlessly played. And the main actors are excellent. I'm ashamed to say I never thought much of Gwyneth Paltrow as an actress before, but she really proves herself in this film. They are all so wonderful I can't really spotlight one actor as being "the best" but I will say Luke Wilson's character is probably the most loveable. Even though Richie Tenenbaum is a flawed, at times manipulative man, you find yourself rooting for him from the beginning. It makes me wonder why Luke would choose to waste his wonderful talent on such dross as "Old School". In conclusion, this is not a movie for everyone. But if you like a film with underhanded humor, bittersweet romance, and eccentric characters then you will fall in love with 'The Royal Tenenbaums'. Enjoy!
Rating: 
Summary: Royal pain
Review: First, a note to our sniveling, self-appointed "IQ" experts who have deemed to enlighten us with thier laughably cliched psychological profiles of anyone who doesn't wet thier pants over this pretentious turkey: 1. I am an avid film fan who fully understands the "language" of film.
2. I fully grasp the concept of "irony".
3. I LOVE "quirky". So why did I feel the "Royal Tenenbaums" sucked with the intensity of 1,000 black holes? Because even Stephen Hawking would agree that if it LOOKS like $#!+, and SMELLS like $#!+... well you know the rest. For a truly ENTERTAINING story about a "quirky" and dysfunctional family that SUCCESSFULLY mixes bathos, pathos, slapstick AND intellect, check out the 1972 cult classic "The Ruling Class" instead (also from Criterion, who have really made a rare, but baffling misfire by adding "Tenenbaums" to thier impressive canon.)
Rating:
Summary: Great Behavioral Comedy (Great "background music" too)
Review: I can understand the movie not being everybody's thing, but the numerous 1 star reviews I've seen are a little ridiculous. Wes Anderson is talented and he and Owen Wilson are good writers, they obviously put a lot of care into this picture and it shows in how the movie is so detailed. The movie is a comedy, but it's not straight up laugh a minute; there is very little setup-plus-punchine style humor, and it has a lot of pathos under its surface. I read one reviewer from Florida say that a big complaint was the lack of "background music". This is the most ridiuclous complaint I've ever heard. Anderson uses pop songs as his soundtrack (augmented by a score by former Devo frontman Mark Mothersbaugh) and they underscore the scenes to great effect, much like Martin Scorsesse uses Clapton's "Layla" or the Rolling Stone's "Gimmie Shelter" in Goodfellas. Gene Hackman taking Ben Stiller's kids on a rampage to "Me and Julio" By Paul Simon, The haunting use of Elliot Smith's dark "Needle in the Hay" for Luke Wilson's big scene, the Ramones "Judy is a Punk" blaring over Margot Tenenbaums scandalous exploits, and the instrumental version of "Hey Jude" by the Beatles during the prologue. All these song's themes echo that of the movie and often the lyrics comment directly on the material. What we have here is one of the finest assembled soundtracks in recent film history.
Rating:
Summary: The Funniest in Years
Review: Some said Wes Anderson got cocky. He had just directed two wildly popular indie films ('Bottle Rocket' and 'Rushmore') and wanted to do something big. With a big ensemble cast and a better budget, Anderson and co-writer Owen Wilson have delivered the funniest movie in years, and one that will definately be remembered.
Royal Tenenbaum (played with pinache by Gene Hackman) has spent the last 22 years of his life in a hotel after an ugly seperation from his wife, Etheline (Anjelica Huston). Etheline raised their kids in the house at 111 Archer Avenue with strange results; the children are brilliant, if not a bit eccentric. Chas was buying and selling real estate in his early teens, Margot (the adopted one) wrote successful plays and got a $50,000 grant in the 9th grade, and Richie was a tennis pro at a very young age.
Years later, after Chas' (Ben Stiller) wife dies in a plane crash that he survived, he moves back to the house at 111 Archer with his mother. When Margot (Gwyneth Paltrow) hears of this, she moves back as well, as she's unhappy with her marriage to the neurologist Raleigh St. Clair (Bill Murray). Richie (Luke Wilson), who has been traveling abroad on a cruise ship for many years, returns home also. Even childhood friend Eli Cash (Owen Wilson) comes back.
When Royal hears that everyone is back together, he wants to get to know them and make amends for his past inadequacies. This is not an easy thing, because the whole family (with the exception of Richie) distrusts him. So, he lies to Etheline and tells her that he is dying, and wants to spend the last 6 weeks of his life with the children. Chaos (and subsequent hilarity) ensues when Etheline's latest suitor, accountant Henry Sherman (Danny Glover), exposes Royal as a fraud.
This is in all actuality a dark comedy. There are several references to death and even a graphic suicide attempt. You're asking yourself, 'how can this be funny?'. To tell you the truth, you have to see it for yourself. Like TV's 'Everybody Loves Raymond', much of 'The Royal Tenenbaums' is predicated on reaction and subtlety. The quirky characters are endearing and the relationships between those characters are even juicier. for example, Margot is married to Raleigh, but is having an affair with Eli. Eli's best friend Richie has loved his adopted sister Margot "since forever". See what I mean?
If you enjoyed Wes Anderson's last two films, you'll definately like this one. Fans of Gene Hackman, Ben Stiller, or the Wilson brothers must own this movie. The acting is great, the story is brisk, and the comedy is off the charts. Add this to your collection today. You will NOT be disappointed.
Rating: 
Summary: A Royally Terrible Movie
Review: The Royal Tenenbaums was a huge cast of poeple who should have been extremely great but it was not that special and I have seen some good dark comodies and this is not one.I never got the story at all with Gene Hackman-Ben Stiller-The Wilson Broters-Gwenyth Paltrow-Danny Glover and Bill Murray the king of dark comodies you better get it right and it somehow was not.
Story 1 Acting 7 Direction 9 Action 4 Entertainment 3
Overall=24/50 wich is 48% this was not great all Buy only if you love dark comodies
Rating: 
Summary: pop package at one of its best
Review: I remember watching this film on DVD a couple of years ago and by the end of it I was left feeling awestruck by the whole experience. At the time I thought it was an amazingly enjoyable ride, a feeling which I still retain today after seeing it a number of times. Just recently I went through all the chapters on the DVD's Special Features(Wes Anderson's profile, cast interviews, etc.), finding these insightful in their own right. However, it was interesting that, gathering from most of the commentaries given by the actresses and actors; they tend to focus their observations(of the film and the making of it) mostly on RT's narrative, each character's relation to one another, or some other in-depth analysis beyond the surface. These I never really cared too much on this film, even now after realizing my ignorance to those issues. Because for me, The Royal Tenenbaums is all about the style - the medium that is the message - and all the painstakingly intricate labour shaping it. The narrative is one of the element scaffolding it; alongside the wardrobe, paraphernalias, and Nico's singing(for one); and it is by no means secondary to any because all the elements in RT are being treated in equal proportions to form a collective. Pop package at one of its best, in my opinion.
Rating:
Summary: a beautiful film that may not be appreciated by everyone
Review: The Royal Tenenbaums is a beatiful movie that is very full of life and graced with poetic characters. The story has been described by many people, so I will just say that this is one of those movies where the story dosen't really matter because you are so enamored by the characters. This movie is basically a character study but with a whole family and their various friends, children, and spouses. Everything about the set, the costumes, and the way the actors portray their characters is fairy tale like and almost seems like a metaphor for something more ordinary, but is just beautiful and filled with tiny details that draw you into their world with an open heart.
The movie is wonderfully written and acted, although some people may not get the humor or may be expecting easy laughs, so they will not really "get" or enjoy the movie because they don't know what to think. For the most part, this movie does not dictate to the audience what is funny about it, and it does not dictate who to like and what to think about the film. This leaves some less patient audience members feeling unsatisfied and like they have missed something, which they have. Many people I know who have seen this movie are expecting Ben Stiller ala There's Something About Mary, or Bill Murray ala Ghostbusters, but this is not the usual "popular comedy" sort of performance these actors give in this movie. Bill Murray says nothing directly funny at all, he just mopes around with a beard and a patient named Dudley, which is only funny if you take his character as a whole and stop to notice the subtle humor in his character and how he reacts to what goes on. It is the same for all the characters. Overall, I would definitely recommend this movie to anyone who will appreciate a quirky, complex, understated dramedy, because the experience will stay with you for a long time.
Rating:
Summary: Masterpiece
Review: Wes Anderson has cemented his reputation as one of the premier directors of his generation with this finely crafted film. Superb acting and cinematography are often coupled to create incredibly emotional sequences. A great example is Luke Wilson and Gwyneth Paltrow's reunification after many years apart. Wilson's awkward posture and Paltrow's hazy longing are emphasized beautifully with a mesmerizing slow motion shot that speaks more clearly about their relationship than even the best dialogue ever could. This is but one example of many. Every actor in this film delivers a top-notch performance and camera work is frequently unconventional yet stunningly effective. Each member of the Tenenbaum family is carefully developed and as the film progresses the complex web of relationships that is present within any family subtly emerge. This however, is no ordinary family. Success came to easily for the Tenenbaum's and it served as precursor to failure. The Tenenbaum children are defined by their inability to handle their shortcomings and the film's dark comedy finds its source in their respective dysfuctions. Many reviewers have commented that this movie is intellectually over-indulgent. This may be true. While there are a few bits of slapstick comedy (mostly revolving around Ben Stiller's character) the movie's strength lies in its depth. Watch this film twice and chances are you'll see things you missed the first time. You don't have to be a genius to "get" this movie but you do have to invest yourself a bit. Do so and you're likely to find yourself smiling.
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