Dave

Rating:
Summary: I did not get my money's worth....
Review: This DVD had poor picture and sound quality, the bonus features were not informative, and having such a poor film print ruined a good movie.

Rating:
Summary: Dave
Review: i think the movie was very entertaining... nothing heavy, its a movie showing someone who looks like the president replace him while he goes and has an affair and gets the chance to take over the presidency and starts running the country. they try to show that because he is an outsider, he is more innocent... therefor not being part of all the "" in the U.S. government. its a cute movie but is more on the fictional side. i can probably compare this movie to pretty woman, the wedding planner... those kinda stuff...

Rating:
Summary: All A Movie Should Be - Entertainment Magic
Review: Great story, believable and interesting characters, the kind of premise we all secretly wish would happen -- a man of integrity takes the place of an inferior President of the US and makes a "go" of the job. In this movie he also falls in love with the First Lady, who can't tolerate the real President. There are several memorable scenes: the First Lady and Kline impersonating themselves at a street fair, for example. My favorite character here, though, is the Secret Service man responsible for looking after Kline. His final scene with Kline is touching and prompts a "yes" response.

Washington would do well to have more "imitators" like Kline.

Movies should all be like this -- top-notch fantasy entertainment. Hollywood used to do a pretty good job of it but lost the touch somewhere back in the '60s. It's great to see that SOMEONE managed to bring back the old Movie Magic, at least once.

Rating:
Summary: A Presidential Comedy!
Review: Dave Kovic runs a job placement agency. On the side, he does Presidential Impersonations since he bares a strong resemblance to President Mitchell. But when Mitchell suffers a life-threatening stroke, Dave is asked to step in to temporarily fill his shoes. After testing the waters, Dave begins to enjoy the job and eventually tries to get something done...

DAVE is a sturdy comedy that gets a lot of mileage out of Washington DC. Kevin Kline is just perfect as the everyman Dave and even better as President Dave. When he throws out the first pitch at a professional game, the reaction is happy and real. He becomes the President we would like to see, one that puts the country above all else. That's something I've never seen in my lifetime. Sigourney Weaver is the hard-edged First Lady who Dave is soon allied. Charles Grodin is very funny in a supporting role as a DC accountant with a fear of the government. Frank Langella is the villainous Bob Alexander, puppet master for the 'acting' President. He sneers here as much as he did in DRACULA. But, much of the fun in Dave comes from the many Washington insider cameos. These, in addition to appearances by Larry King, Jay Leno, Leon Harris and Oliver Stone make the story seem feasible. (And for once, Oliver Stone's conspiracy just might be right...)

Ivan Reitman handles this comedy masterfully and the story is filled with heart and a couple nice twists. The DVD has a pretty good video transfer and a standard audio transfer. But, this was an early DVD release so it offers little extra (There is a mightily short making of doc). Dave itself is a fun film that might ironically restore some trust in our government.

Rating:
Summary: Um... Hello??
Review: OK, looking at this objectively, as an artpiece, it is occasionally funny, has some clever gags, and contains some good performances(Sigourney Weaver, Ben Kingsley). Kevin Kline is OK but not as good as many other people think. Frank Langella(sp?) as chief of staff is completely one-dimensional, as written and performed.

But the most bothersome thing is that this movie is passed off as uplifting and full of good, decent morals and noble characters. Try to think about it for a second. Sure, Kline's Dave Kovic does some good things, but he has absolutely no legal authority to do so. His "reign"(not administration) is completely unconstitutional. So what if he's a good guy or not, he's taking advantage of the system. At the end of the movie, the public still believes President Mitchell has done all of these things, so they are still being lied to. Kovic does exactly what the Chief of Staff(the BAD GUY) told him to do at the beginning of the movie, which is to keep everyone in the dark, but when he does it, it's not sketchy but noble.

Of course, Kovic sets out to change everything for the better, and it all happens easily. How naive do the filmmakers think the audience is? If problems were this easy to fix, do you think they would have as much opposition? Not a single person or issue in this movie is treated as having any gray areas what so ever. Everything is all-good or all-bad.

This film suggests that complete authority over the masses is necessary when they can't handle the truth, and completely devalues democracy. If you don't let it affect you political views, you might enjoy yourself.

Rating:
Summary: Uplifting movie can be seen time and again.
Review: Have watched this wonderful movie about 5 times. The uplifting nature of the subject is appealing. The vindication of the good guys over bad and the tender nature of the romance gives it 5 star appeal. Suitable for all ages.

Rating:
Summary: Dave Rules
Review: Dave is a funny movie. Thats the first thing you need to know. There are many clever jokes, funny songs, the works. Kevin Kline does an amazing job of portraying both the stiff uptight president and the loose wisecracking Dave. I couldn't tell it was him (OK i could but you know what I mean) both times. It has an interesting storyline, unlike all those "Hero saves the world" things. sure its a little unrealistic but it sure it funny. The plot all ties together well. there are no pathetic or useless twists. Its just funny. and when it all comes down to it, Dave Rules...

Rating:
Summary: Updated review
Review: I had written a review long ago, and wanted to update this. I've kept my "Dave" CD handy thru the past few months, and always enjoy listening to it time and again. "Into the Fog" while a melancholy piece, always lifts my spirits, and reminds me of one special lady in Florida :)

Rating:
Summary: DAVE SHINES
Review: What would you do, as a fulfillment of office, if you were given the chance to stand-in for the President of the United States? "Dave" answers this question in a light political comedy that is sure to please anyone. The film may not be as intelligent a material as "The American President," but it is still a winner in its own right, and much more.

A stroke while on adulterous sex has the incumbent President incapacitated by stroke, and look-alike Dave is secretly planted into the position by the scheming Chief of Staff to prevent the "Boy Scout" VP from taking it otherwise (the movie leaves us to deduce much of the Chief's hidden agenda. It is quite bloody when you think about it.) Other than a breach in democracy and the breaking of a multitude of laws, what follows is the heartwarming story of a White House adventure that is very satirical, endearing, funny, melancholic and ultimately romantic.

Originally, I thought of giving this film four stars, but changed my mind since having noticed that it got better and better with each viewing. Having seen this film more than once, I also found out that what makes "Dave" work is not only its ability to warm the heart, but to make it soar as well. We find a connection with Dave (Kevin Kline) that makes us want to give him a big hug for the things he did in the White House. What is mostly curious is the movie's ability to arouse the pride of the nation, all the while saying (and portraying) that "the country has a lot of problems that we don't want to face them anymore."

The wonderful storyline is seasoned with:
1.) lots of excellent performances (to name one, watch Frank Langella silently boil over as he helplessly watches Dave do cuts with the budget,)
2.) lots of cameos by real-life politicians, and personalities from TV, film and media, lending credibility to an otherwise incredible story.
3.) lots of comic moments,
4.) some one-line punchers such as Sigourney Weaver's "Go to hell..." (for a 1993 movie, this remark seems to hail a future event,) Charles Grodin's "Get out of here as fast as you can!", and the sudden and uncalled for remark of the real president, " ¡Kjust get rid of that grin, you look like a schmuck."
5.) and at least a seemingly irrelevant (and short) but ultimately funny scene where the dialogue veered into the topic of thick necks and sweaters.

This movie is bound to raise different kinds of questions. It makes us ask why things are always otherwise than that of the movie. Could be that this is bred from our want of political heroes, something which our modern world lacks and lacks and lacks. My answer, "Let the film inspire you." However on the other side, one will find implausible such a scenario as the film's premise. My answer, "Who cares??"

Rating:
Summary: An American Kagemusha...via Gary Ross
Review: Though this film was directed by Ivan Reitman, it's the screenwriter's picture all the way. Gary Ross has made his reputation spinning stories of innocents caught up in the world of the not-so-innocent--or vice versa. With Big, starring Tom Hanks, it was a 12-year old magically transformed into a 30 year old man, contending with the world of grownups. In his latest film, Pleasantville, it's two hip, decidedly uninnocent teenagers zoomed into the innocent world of a typical 50s TV show.

In this, his middle film, it's the owner of a copy shop, Dave, called on to impersonate the president--a high strung cad who's just suffered a heart attack. Dave is a heck of a lot more innocent than most guys his age. Divorced, he busies himself with his work and sports, always hoping to meet the right woman.

What's groovy about this film is that it's a hip, comic American remake of the great Akira Kurosawa's Kagemusha. In that film--a powerful drama with no comedy at all--a grievously ill warlord tells his vassals to find a man who resembles him as closely as possible so the warlord can instruct the other man in the ways of ruling a region; if his subjects see him alive and healthy, they'll be reassured and spies from enemy regions will know he's still a force to be reckoned with.

The vassals find a commoner whose resemblance to the warlord is so striking, there's no one else who could do the job. He's told exactly what to do, how to stand, sit, and do all the other stuff a warlord should. The same happens in Dave--he learns what to do from the evil Frank Langella, the White House press secretary. As Dave, Kevin Kline strikes the perfect balance of innocence and determination to right the wrongs so clearly in evidence. And Sigourney Weaver does a more than credible job as the first lady who's charmed by this knowledgeable innocent.

Also here are Ben Kingsley as the just as innocent Vice President (contrast this with his absolutely astounding performance in the recent Sexy Beast as a nasty rotten gangster!) and Ving Rhames, always reliable, as the secret service man who's on Dave's side all the way.

Ross is one smart cookie. Taking Kagemusha and updating it to 90s America, mixing it with big dollops of comedy and a poignant love story, was a great idea. This film really works. Take a look at Ross' other films; they're just as great.