Rating: 
Summary: Just another fangirl
Review: The movie begins with a narration by "The Cowboy," voiced by Sam Elliot. Perfect choice. It's never really explained who he is or what he might be. God or guardian angel? That's alright, though, it works just fine. The introduction to the main character, The Dude, is so appropos of who he is, strolling thru a grocery store in his bathrobe and writing a check for 69 cents. Jeff Bridges is The Dude aka Jeffrey Lebowski. He and John Goodman along with Steve Buscemi are a trio of friends. They become involved in a money extortion/kidnapping plot due to there being another Jeffrey Lebowski. The writing is excellent and the actors deliver; their performance of the material is first rate. Maude Lebowski is quite a character in her own right and Julianne Moore does it just right. If you've never seen this movie and enjoy a well written and conceptualized comedy this is more than worth the price of a rental. It's laugh out loud funny in places, especially the dream sequences. I think it's among the Coens' best work and some of the shots are fantastic.
I also want to congratulate Flea of Red Hot Chili Peppers fame for having the good taste to appear in not only this film but also Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas the very same year!
Rating: 
Summary: "Hey, careful, man, there's a beverage here!"
Review: The Coen brothers' "The Big Lebowski" features an inspirational character in a film that does not make the most of his potential. The character the film is named after is Jeff Lebowski (Jeff Bridges), who is better known to his friends as "The Dude." The Dude lives a simple life. He bowls and tries not to be bothered too much by outside stimuli. A mysterious narrator (Sam Elliot) points out that The Dude is "the laziest man in Los Angeles County." So removed from the trivialities of everyday life is The Dude that he would consider such a label an honor.The Dude's hermetically-sealed existence is soon shattered when he is confused for another "Big Lebowski" who has a wife that is indebted to a maker of adult films. The filmmaker is not amused by the outstanding debt and promptly hires two goons who soil The Dude's rug. This incident leads The Dude to sets into motion a passionate revenge scheme that only serves to make his life more perplexing with each passing day. "The Big Lebowski" is a film whose parts never add up to a cohesive whole. Bridges and his supporting cast are entertaining as individual characters but their interactions play more like a series of extended skits rather than as parts of a single storyline. Whether its John Goodman and Steve Buscemi bickering at each other, Maude (Julianne Moore) producing erotic art, Jesus (John Turturro) taunting his bowling competition, or The Dude losing himself in a musical number, "The Big Lebowski" keeps going off on tangents like a bad college lecture. That's too bad because Bridges is marvelous in his role - he makes all of us wish we could be just like him.
Rating:
Summary: Outrageously funny
Review: One of the funniest films I've ever seen. It not only holds up under repeated viewings but actually gets funnier each time you watch it.
Rating:
Summary: A very interesting movie..
Review: You wouldn't expect anything lesser from the makers of Fargo and Raising Arizona, arguably two fantastic movies in their own right. The B L is a freaky comedy without any situational plot in particular but weirdly engaging in the theme and its treatment nevertheless. It's about a man named Jeff Lebowski, who calls himself the Dude, and is described by the narrator as the laziest man in LA County. He lives only to go bowling, but is mistaken for a millionaire named the Big Lebowski, with funny consequences. The Dude is played by Jeff Bridges with a goatee, a potbelly, a ponytail and a pair of Bermuda shorts so large they may have been borrowed from his best friend and bowling teammate, Walter Sobchak (John Goodman). Their other teammate is Donny (Steve Buscemi), who may not be very bright, but it's hard be sure since he never is allowed to complete a sentence. Los Angeles in this film is a zoo of peculiar characters. One of the funniest is a Latino bowler named Jesus (John Turturro), who is seen going door to door in his neighborhood on the sort of mission you read about, but never picture anyone actually performing. The Dude tends to have colorful hallucinations when he's socked in the jaw or pounded on the head, which happens often, and one of them involves a musical comedy sequence inspired by Busby Berkeley. (It includes the first point-of-view shot in history from inside a bowling ball.) Some may complain The Big Lebowski rushes in all directions and never ends up anywhere. That isn't the film's flaw, but its style -- ala "Go" and "Swingers". The Dude, who smokes a lot of pot and guzzles White Russians made with half-and-half, starts every day filled with resolve, but his plans gradually dissolve into a haze of missed opportunities and missed intentions. Most people lead lives with a third act. The Dude lives days without evenings. Definitely a light hearted allround enjoyable movie -- something that deserves more than 9 reviews at Amazon! (as of this writing)
Rating:
Summary: How many times can you watch movie, and it only gets better?
Review: First time in the theater, I wasn't sold. In fact, I sat there wondering if I'd been robbed of 2 hours. But someone came 'round with the DVD and it hasn't left my collection since. I swear I watch this movie every few weeks, and never get tired of it. In fact, my friends and I get more annoying with each viewing, quoting "the dude" and Walter at random, anywhere, anytime. It grows on you, and you start to realize every element is there - well developed characters (maybe not ones you would necessariy want as friends!), a familiar story that has excellent treatment, and fun dream sequences that are well executed. Guest stars are fun to spot, too! Have a white russian, and kick back. In the parlance of our times: "this unchecked aggression will not stand!". (Timely words today...)
Rating:
Summary: The Big Lebowski scores a strike
Review: The Big Lebowski, without a doubt, one of the funniest movies ever made. Jeff Bridges plays the shaggy-faced, pacifistic deadbeat Jeffrey Lebowski (Known to everyone as "The Dude"), who gets his nutrition from White Russians made with Half & Half and gets his excercize from bowling with his friends. His best friend, Walter Sobchak (John Goodman in his best comic role), is a rage-prone Jewish intellectual wannabe who can't get over his Vietnam days. Steve Buscemi plays The Dude's other friend, Donny, who can't get a word in edgewise because Walter constantly rebukes him (SHUT THE ... UP, DONNY!!!) John Tuturro plays a perverted Latino bowler and Ben Gazarra plays a pornographer. All of this is wrapped up in a strange story about mistaken identity. This is a great movie.
Rating:
Summary: Best Movie EVER!
Review: By far the best movie ever. Just watch it. Again and Again and Again
Rating:
Summary: "Shut the *&$# up Donny" what else can I say
Review: The Coen Brothers made an instant classic. The dialogue, the charictors, the story line, it's all very, very funny. One of the funniest movies I've ever seen. An unusual role for Jeff Bridges, but no one else could do it like he does, he is the Dude. John Goodman could have his own movie with his charictor Walter. Steve Buscemi, Julian Moore, and the bad guy from Road House (can't remember his name) are also very funny.
Rating:
Summary: The Coen's best?
Review: The Coen's make it look easy. After seeing one of their films, you think to yourself: "why didn't I think of that?" It's brilliant how they do that, their grace and style is beyond belief and though their message can be foggy at times, it shows they're two of the most talented faces in the American movie industry. Their new film, The Big Lebowski isn't as much a departure as a new angle. It feels different, looks different, sounds different (voicing 256 uses of the "f" word in 118 minutes), but in the end you know that it's a Coen movie. Not because it's weird, not because it's clever, but because it works, it's a movie perfectly sequentially pieced together, like no other. Jeff Bridges plays Los Angeles slacker "The Dude", an inner-league bowler who's teammates (John Goodman as Walter and Steve Buscemi as Donny) are his best friends. After two small-time thugs urinate on his favorite rug that "tied the room together" after mistaking him for a different Jeffrey Lebowski (Dude's given name), a millionaire who's younger wife owes their mafia money, he decides to take it up with that same millionaire. Phillip Seymour Hoffman plays Lebowski's assistant (and somewhat manservant) who stands by The Dude while waiting for Lebowski in one of the most achingly funny scenes of the decade. He meets with him, in a bad conversation, in which The Dude walks out with one of Lebowski's rugs that he steals. Lebowski calls on The Dude again when his wife Bunny is kidnapped for ransom money and Dude is the only guy who can sit in as the bagman. From there on it's a classic twisted Coen plot, with appearances by Julianne Moore, John Turturro and Peter Stormare. It goes off the charts, something that we should expect from every Coen plot but every time the film gets us so caught up in the story that we're still surprised at every risky weirdo plot twist. Joel and Ethan write one of the best scripts of the year, helped tremendously by a perfectly cast repertoire of great actors and actresses. Roger Deakins cinematography doesn't hurt the overall package and editing by Roderick Jaynes, ha ha (really the Coen's) puts the finishing touched on an already excellent film. It's respectable raunch that doesn't feel guilty for being what it should be...hilarious. The Coen's live up to their expectations with yet another mind-blowing masterpiece.
Rating:
Summary: For slackers everywhere
Review: Before anything is really said, you must know that this comedy is not like anything you'll ever see. You may find movies with a slap-stick slacker style, but none like "The Big Lebowski". The movie stars Jeff Bridges as 'The Dude'; or of a more formal nature, Jeff Lebowski. Alongside The Dude there is the always funny John Goodman. Goodman plays the part of Walter Sobchak, who is The Dude's best friend and bowling partner. And what makes the duo so hilarious is how their sometimes subtle humor flows throughout the entire movie. Part of that humor may be the fact that neither Goodman or Bridges go two minutes without using the F word. It's 'F-this' and 'F-that' and you just get used to it. What really gets the movie going is when a China-man (or an Asian American, which is the preferred nomenclature) relieves himself on The Dude's rug. He them comes to find that the China-man was actually looking for was a different Jeff Lebowski, who becomes known as 'The Big Lebowski'. The Dude then persists on getting his rug back and pays TBL a visit. He says no and the movie seems to be at a standstill. But then TBL's wife (played by "American Pie" star Tara Reid) is kidnapped and the whole movie takes off in different directions. But I'm not going to ruin any more of it for you; you'll have to see it for yourself. The Coen Brothers, who've helped make movies like "Raising Arizona" and "Fargo" become what they are, give us something new to laugh it. And it includes the star of "Fargo" Steve Buscemi (who is the third member of the bowling team), as well as Philip Seymour Hoffman, Julianne Moore, and John Turturro. There's also an awesome appearance by Sam Elliott who introduces (by voice) and concludes (in person) the film as the infamous 'Stranger'. His character really adds the movie's excellence. All in all, this movie is just a great piece of work. It ranks #10 on my list of favorite movies, if that says anything--and it should. There's no way you can hold back the laughter; and if you're able to you must be mute. As I said it is a different sort of twist on comedy, but then so was "Fargo". And if you liked "Fargo", then you'll love this one. The cast is terrific and it is without a doubt the best performance I've ever seen Jeff Bridges play. So if you're lazy, or even if you're not, make sure you see this movie. You'll truely appreciate it, I'm sure.
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