Wimbledon (Full Screen Edition)

Rating:
Summary: winning combination
Review: Although billed as a romantic comedy, this movie is as much, if not more of a discussion about the psychology of winning in an athlete. The romantic comedy is an aside to the real plot of how an aging tennis player who never had a taste for the jugular deals with winning and losing -- on the losing side of a long career. Paul Bettany plays this scenario well, and his internal dialogue as he hits those critical match points make this movie alone worth watching. As a romantic lead, he's winning, if not overpowering. He and Kirsten Dunst have a nice chemistry, and make an attractive couple, though the romance and comedy plots seem secondary to the main theme of winning. You don't have to know anything about tennis to find this movie worth watching. Not a strong five star romance, comedy or sports movie, as it tried to be a little of each, and thus can't succeed overwhelmingly on any one of the three. But it combines them credibly, and should provide something for everyone. Mostly it is memorable for the wonderful portrayal of athletes in clinch moments and the discussion of how they deal with them. Dunst is somewhat less driven than you'd expect her to be, and her father, portrayed by Sam Neill is the least credible of the trio -- you are expecting a stage/tennis dad, and he is far more easy-going than seems believable. But watch Bettany, his struggle with how to win is the real point of this movie, and enjoy the eye candy side plots for what they are.

Rating:
Summary: The Years Best Romantic-Comedy!
Review: Finally A Movie involving Tennis! Wimbledon is absolutely 2004's best romantic comedy! Bettany and Dunst are one of the greatest on-screen couples! Their chemistry is amazing! This movie is an unforgettable experience!

Rating:
Summary: Good Movie!
Review: I really enjoyed this movie. I especially liked the tennis action, which was done in CGI (special effects), to make Dunst and Bettany look like real tennis pros. I thought they did a good job in convincing the audience that they were actual tennis stars. I almost forgot that they were actors. The movie captures some brilliant action shots and sequences. If the tennis scenes are not believable, then the whole movie would have tanked. The ending of the movie was pretty predictable and has been done a million times, but other than that this is a good movie and story.

Rating:
Summary: Horrible and Stupid Movie
Review: My wife, who usually likes this kind of cra#, even full asleep. Gee, Will the underdog rise over adversity and win the girl? Us your brain and don't rent or buy this piece of garbage.

Rating:
Summary: Very bad...
Review: Normally, I give these kinds of movies a break, and I usually like them - Notting Hill, Four Weddings and a Funeral, Bridget Jones, Love Actually, About a Boy, You've Got Mail - all had merit in one way or another. I thought this would be in line with all of those movies. I thought it would be a bit unbelievable and a bit predictable - but in the end cute and amusing. I like the Brit actor. I really like Kirsten Dunst. It can't be too bad, can it?

Wow - was I wrong. This movie was a new low for the romantic comedy genre.

It was predictable and unrealistic, and on top of that the story was so pathetic and thin that they had to fill up at least a quarter of the movie with fancy special effects on the tennis court that hid the fact that these actors can't play tennis. The characters were so shallow, undeveloped, and wooden that there was no way to have any feelings for them.

Gosh the tennis/Wimbledon details were even screwed up. When was the last time a men's quarter final match played on an outer court?

Add that to the fact that the production wasn't very good either. Obviously they screwed up recording Dunst during the shoot because several of her scenes were obviously overdubbed later - overdubbed poorly.

Please avoid this movie unless it is the only one on Earth that you haven't seen. Even then might I suggest pulling your fingernails out - it will be more stimulating.

Rating:
Summary: You have to like love stories, but not tennis, to enjoy it
Review: This is one of the better sports movies to come out in the last ten years. The plot is very similar to For the Love of the Game, with an aging star making a last stand supported by the love of a woman. In this case the star is Paul Bettany, who has never quite risen to the top of the tennis world. He falls in love with Kirsten Dunst, an up and coming American star who is at her first Wimbledon.

The plot doesn't really have a lot of twists and turns - if you are looking for a movie with suspense, you will be sorely disappointed when you've figured out where the movie is going based on the first 15 minutes. That is not necissarily a bad thing - everyone knows Romeo and Juliet will meet a tragic end, but it is still an enjoyable play.

The drawbacks to the film mostly revolve around Dunst's acting and her charachter. The acting is subpar, particularly compared with the classically trained British/Australian contingent around her (including a solid but not spectacular turn by Sam Neill as her father). She doesn't look particularly comfortable playing tennis, while Bettany looks like he's been playing all his life. Most disturbing is the fact that Dunst's character's age is never addressed - most females play in their first Wimbledon in their mid to late teens, giving a creepy veneer to Bettany's 31-year-old falling in lust, then in love with her.

There are a couple of solid cameos in this film, including a surprisingly witty John McEnroe commenting that he'd 'be burning the stadium down' after a bad call. The film has several funny parts that help keep the mood light; during the commentary Bettany says that he and Dunst made a choice early on to have some sort of light moment at the end of each one of the romantic scenes, which keeps the film from being too full of itself. There's a thematic element with a comet that has returned that is horribly overdone and could easily have been edited out, but that is the exception rather than the rule.

The DVD has a commentary with the director and Bettany which is mildly amusing but nothing spectacular. There are four featurettes that all basically boil down to different aspects of making the film. The technical effects one is particularly interesting since you would never guess that most of the tennis balls that are batted around in the film are actually CGI - this film is actually a case study in not having your effects and special camera shots get in the way of a good story line.

The most imporatant thing about this film is that it is a love story set against a backdrop of tennis instead of a tennis movie with a love story. Even if you don't appreciate the finer aspects of the game the story, unlike in For the Love of the Game, is strong enough to sustain the film without the action on the tennis court.

Rating:
Summary: Wimbledon: A love story for all ages.
Review: This story is a classic and fit for anybody. Acting is great and it is truly a heart warming story. Additional features are great including the making of Wimbledon and the story about how the Wimbledon tournament is produced. Good even for those of us out there who are "into" sports.

Rating:
Summary: WE WON AT LAST
Review: Well I'm a Brit and have wanted to see us win Wimbledon since I was a tiny girl. I loved this movie, I really felt as if we'd won at last. It was such a cute movie, with a really feel good factor. If you're a Brit & you like tennis (what Brit doesn't like Wimbledon?) watch it. Best film of 2005 for me so far. My MUM is Wimbledon's biggest fan, but unfortunately she can't get it over there yet.

LOVED IT! LOVED IT! LOVED IT!

Rating:
Summary: Beyond Bad, Putrid
Review: Why would Paul Bettney's character,who is 31 years old, be afraid of the father?

The whole movie is one big cliche. A script that could have been written by a monkey. Line such as:

"Your turning my first serve into mush"

Dunst and Bettenry drive at high speeds in a convertable for hours and there hair doens't move AT ALL?

Just bad, so bad.

What also was wierd was that I sensed some homosexual overtones in the movie. A shot of Betteny's ass that doens't make sense.
And then a scene in which Betteny is in the suana with his playing patner, another guy, and I thought they were about to kiss: very strange.

Stay away, far, far, away.

Rating:
Summary: Romantic recipe - Nothing new
Review: Wimbledon is a cute romantic comedy, that follows all the rules of the genre. What makes the movie good is the tennis. Even if you dont like the sport, you'll find yourself at the edge of your seat as you watch the matches.