Rating: 
Summary: Acting it Out
Review: To be honest with all of you who read this, I am not that knowledgeable about what makes a film good or not (aside from whether or not I liked it). I am, however, kind of an actor (meaning I love to do it, but am not that great), but I have been around good actors a lot. To get to my point I find the acting in Royal Tenenbaums to be amazing. I thought their reactions fit their characters to a T. They reacted not as they might in real life, but as their characters (with their unique background) would. I do not know about camera angle or dark humor (although I did find it humorous); I give it Five stars because I think that the acting (and the writing) were really were amazing.
Rating: 
Summary: Redemption Song
Review: You have here Royal Tenenbaum, a self-absorbed and shameless jerk. He either neglects or belittles his children until he finally abandons the family. Years later they are miserable creatures warped even further by their precocity, for whom the balm of ridiculous luxury does nothing. Re-enter Royal, like a pernicious case of herpes, who has squandered his fortune and is now homeless: he feigns terminal illness and foists himself back onto his family.So what's so great about a movie where a selfish guy interacts with his messed up kids? On the surface, not much unless you dig cool sets and protest how much you love *quirky*, *oddball* *black comedies*. But if you look a little deeper, the characters are truly charming under the warts. You may have to watch the movie several times. You still wouldn't want to, say, let an apartment with any of these people as room-mates. But you will see something beautiful in them. (And I love Angelica Houston any old way. She looks credible and gorgeous in everything she's ever done.) This movie is about love, the strange and reluctant love you feel towards those who are bound to you. It is about a deadbeat discovering the responsibilities of love. It is about seeing something loveable in someone ugly. Hope and love. They got a good treatment here.
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: Bash it if you want, but you can't deny its qualities
Review: I can understand why some people find this movie boring or uninteresting. The first time I saw it, I thought it was so so. Then it grew on me without having to see it again. This movie, while not perfect, is a welcome breath of fresh air in a world of crappy Matrix sequels, Club Dreads, Jackasses (I still think the title describes the viewers, NOT the "actors"), overrated Tarantino movies, and the plain old crap that's in Hollywood nowadays. And yes, this movie is sophisticated humor, not sophomoric. If you don't know what either of those words means, this movie definitely is not for you. It's subtle, witty, and clever. You do have to be intelligent to appreciate this movie for what it really is. I hate to sound elitest, but people who think the American Pie movies (though humorous) are the best movies ever will not enjoy this movie. It takes a higher level of thinking. I know, I know, God forbid a movie makes you think, but it's good to get one of those every now and then. One thing I'd like to say about Wes Anderson is that I really enjoyed Bottle Rocket. People talk about Tenenbaums and Rushmore, but I think Rocket is up there with them. I think it's the funniest of the three, not necessarily the best though. I'd have to say Tenenbaums, in my mind, is the best. The camera play is goddamn interesting, even funny, and the characters are some of the most rounded I've seen in recent cinema. Yes the movie does echo the whole Catcher in the Rye mood, but in my mind that adds to the tone of the picture. If you want cheap thrills, go somewhere else. If you want a movie with tons of thought put into it and tons of thought emanating from it as well, Royal Tenenbaums is an excellent movie.
Rating:
Summary: A brilliantly quirky comic dramedy
Review: The Royal Tenenbaums is not a film which most people will find funny or entertaining.It's meant for those few really wierd filmgoers who just happen to be on the look out for that ellusive,magical, but offbeat and quirky little film.Well, The Royal Tenebaums is THAT films.With brilliant performances all around,a sharp,engaging script, and deliciously quirky sets,costumes and characters, The Royal Tenenbaums is a truly wonderful piece that takes a few viewings to truly appreciate, and take in all the little subtleties that make a film truly magical. It's a film that needs to be seen to be appreciated for its dry wit and whimsical qualities.Its a film that is a sheer joy to watch if you're a fan of movies that are slightly different.
Rating:
Summary: Masterful and misunderstood
Review: Anyone who rates this film below 5 stars simply didn't understand the movie and they probably never will. If you don't like films like this then stick with Barney and Tele Tubbie...
Rating:
Summary: Redemption from a different angle.
Review: Gene Hackman never fails to amaze me!. He always seems to be in films which are quite challenging and mostly unorthodox. This film does not follow usual studio formula story of dysfunctional family with a happy ending. Oh no, this is a comedy with some quite tragic elements underpinning it. One scene depicts an attempted suicide and it is not for the faint hearted. Hackman plays the character of a psychopathic confidence trickster extremely well. He renews contact with his family and makes concerted efforts to weasle his way back in ostensibly to have a roof over his head when he hits hard times. The most amazing element is his attempt to seek redemption from those he has wronged. Hackman acts this part so well that I could not help being drawn in by his charm. Also check out Danny Glover's performance who makes valiant attempts to thwart him. The narrative is reminiscent of the Magnificent Ambersons and I am sure that this film pays homage to that flawed masterpiece. The ending of Tenebaums is not easy but it reaches a perfect resolution.
Rating:
Summary: THE BEST COMEDY EVER
Review: this movie is arguably the best comedy of the past 3 decades no other movie has made me laugh harder.
Rating:
Summary: one to take to the island with you
Review: If you were stranded on an island and had only five movies, this is one you would want to have with you (given that you also had power, a dvd player and a tv set of course). Although not for everyone, if you are a thinking person and enjoy characters who reveal their complexities as people, do yourself a favor and purchase Wes Anderson's brilliant opus to the dysfunctional family. The casting along with the script is hardly equaled, featuring Gene Hackman as Royal in a role that will certainly have a cathartic effect on even the most stoic of viewers. The idea that someone as terrible of a father
as Royal could eventually find redemption in the people whom he has arguably hurt the most (his children played by Gwyneth Paltrow, Ben Stiller, and Luke Wilson) gives one hope for their own relationships. From first to repeated viewings, the audience will not be disappointed in how the characters reveal themselves through their unabashed quirkiness and damaged self-confidences, and in the end proves that forgiveness can be attained even in the twilight of our lives if one is willing to make the effort.
Rating:
Summary: brilliant and true to life
Review: Some reviews skewer The Royal Tenenbaums as unrealistic and unfunny. Certainly it isn't in the style of realism -- it's more of a fairy tale -- but has the spirit of 'real' life. A documentary couldn't be as entertaining as The Royal Tenenbaums and probably wouldn't ring as true for those of us who know the pain of expressing love in all the wrong ways as this movie does. The humor in The Royal Tenenbaums isn't for belly laughs, but for dry, knowing chuckles that make the heavy parts easier to swallow. This movie makes me blink back tears and giggle simultaneously -- a sure sign that it has the resonance of some type of reality or truth.
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