Rating: 
Summary: A surreally magnificent comedy
Review: The Coen Brothers followed their successful film debut of BLOOD SIMPLE with one of the most original and strange comedies ever to be made in America. From the very first shots, as career petty criminal H.I. McDonnough (Nicholas Cage) meets and woos police photographer Ed (Holly Hunter) with each arrest, the film announces that it is not going to dwell much in the world of realism. In fact, the whole film seems to dwell in its own alternative universe with its own logic. Everything works together to confirm this, from the strange camera angles, the deadpan expressions on the faces of many of the performers, the tongue-in-cheek delivery in every scene, the inventive outrageousness of every segment. There are hundreds of brilliant moments, from Leonard Smalls's tattoo ("Mother Didn't Love Me") to the convenience store clerk who interrupts his counting ("One Mississippi, Two Mississippi, Three Mississippi . . .") only to see the bandits returning in their car to Nicholas Cage leaning out of the car to snag a package of Huggies to the strange, weird yodeling that reprises throughout the film.The film perfectly blends the near perfect script that the Brothers created, with perfect direction, and a bevy of amazingly effective performances. Cage, Hunter, John Goodman, Trey Wilson (who died only a year or two later after this film came out), William Forsythe, Tex Cobb, and a host of supporting performers manage to generate one great scene after another. I have probably seen this film 8 or 9 times over the years, and every time I see it, it strikes me just as fun and as fresh as before. Every fan of the Coen Brothers is going to have a different set of favorites, but this is probably my second favorite of all their films, following only THE BIG LEBOWSKI. What amazes me after repeated viewings is how the Coens managed to take a large number of elements that could very easily not have meshed, and make something magnificent out of it.
Rating:
Summary: Raising the average rating
Review: I saw this movie in the theaters, have seen it on cable many times since, and recently rented it for my kids, who are finally old enough to appreciate it. They loved it, and noticed things I hadn't. This movie did not suffer with age, it's not dated at all. If anything I loved watching the now more famous stars in their earlier years i.e. Frances McDormand, Holly Hunter, and John Goodman, not to mention Nick Cage, who should stick with the comedic parts he does so well and forget about ConAir etc. Love this movie!
Rating:
Summary: "I want a baby!"
Review: 'Can't add anymore that has not already been said other than this film belongs with "Young Frankenstein", "Blazing Saddles", and "Some Like it Hot!" as the guartet of funniest movies in American cinematic history.
Rating: 
Summary: That's too cheap
Review: Can't believe this movie is from the same guys that made the Big Lebowski and O Brother Where Art Thou. Cohen brothers are famous for intriguing and intellectual humor, whose bits i couldn't see here.. Cohens' characters and stories are usually built-up, bizzare ones, but one usually soon admits the characters and the story to be consistent in itself, there are many subtleties. However R.A. characters are so raw, they lack depth, they do not blend. Scripting, directing, cinematography, acting, all are 3rd class. Is it a college graduation project? I wonder if Nicolas Cage and Holly Hunter ever want to rememeber acting in this. I know why directors' comments are missing in the DVD. It's because they don't even want to comment on it. Narration is of the too-ordinary Hollywood style, these guys were independent filmmakers weren't they? I felt forced to laugh, but couldn't succeed on a single scene..Buying this DVD is money wasted.
Rating:
Summary: Can't Remember the Last Time I Laughed This Hard
Review: For some reason, I had no idea that this was a Coen brothers production until the end of the movie. Then, when it was all over and the credits began to roll, it all finally made sense. In fact, I didn't know why I hadn't guessed it. Because this movie is so... Coen brothers. Nicolas Cage plays Hi, a repeat inhabitant of the Tempe, Arizona prison, where he meets police officer Ed (Holly Hunter) and falls in love with her. After Hi's third parole, he agrees to give up his life of crime for Ed, and the two get married. Before long, they decide that they want nothing more than to start a family. Ed, however, is barren -- and they find that it's not exactly easy for a repeat offender to adopt a child. When Nathan Arizona, owner of the furniture chain, Unpainted Arizona, is blessed with quintuplets, Hi and Ed decide that the Arizonas have more than they can handle -- so they decide to take one of the babies. But before Hi and Ed can settle into their new lives with little Nathan, Jr., Nathan Arizona offers a reward for the baby, and suddenly everyone's after him. I honestly can't remember the last time I laughed so hard while watching a movie. I laughed so hard that I choked. I almost died -- but really, can you think of a better way to die? I can't. Raising Arizona is bizarre and quirky -- and just the expression on Nicolas Cage's face throughout this movie (not to mention his wild hair) will keep you snickering from start to finish. Mix the perfectly ridiculous dialogue and the perfect amount of slapstick, and you've got the perfect addition to any DVD collection.
Rating:
Summary: One of the Funniest Movies Ever!
Review: I saw this movie for the first time last night, mainly because I was tired of being bugged by my family and friends to see it. I am truly glad I did. This plot is so wacky and the characters are so disgustingly funny, yet somehow they seem to become more and more believable as normal people towards the end. Such as the two escaped convicts who at first seem to be a couple of slobs with cares for no one, then at the end you realize they end up caring for the baby even more than themselves. All the performances are top notch, and the "Huggies" chase scene that takes place in the middle of the film is classic and had me laughing so hard it gave me a headache for the rest of the night. Give this off-beat comedy a try, and be sure to watch it with as many people as possible, as I did. It makes the experience much more enjoyable.
Rating:
Summary: ONE OF THE FUNNIEST MOVIES EVER!!!``
Review: Once in awhile, you see a movie comedy that almost exactly matches your sense of humor, and RAISING ARIZONA certainly did that for me. Almost every moment that his presented as funny IS funny (at least to me). Yes, it is the story of a rather hapless couple (an ex-con, barely, and a cop) who can't conceive and can't adopt, and thus kidnap one baby from a set of quintuplets. It sounds unpleasant, but is far from it. The baby is absolutely charming, and softens and charms the hearts of everyone he meets. Not for one instant do we feel the baby is in danger, and thus we can sit back and enjoy the antics. The Coen Brothers have made lots of stylish movies (FARGO, MILLER'S CROSSING, BLOOD SIMPLE, etc. etc.) but RAISING ARIZONA is stylish in a loose way, if that makes sense. They use stunning camera work and amazing angles, which we are all VERY aware of as viewers, but they serve to add to the humor and tone of the movie. Midway through, there is the funniest chase sequence ever, where poor Hi tries to get diapers for his baby, and gets caught up in a police chase involving cops, vicious dogs, shopping carts and one very ticked off wife! The movie begins with a fifteen minute opening sequence, quickly telling us the story of how Hi (Nicholas Cage) a three time loser for petty armed robbery (never used live ammo) meets policewoman Edwina (Holly Hunter) as he's having his mug shot taken, and falls for her, gets out of jail, marries, they're happy, then can't have kids and fall into despair. After the opening, the credits start, and we realize, in an amazed way, that we've already seen more story and had more laughs than most movies deliver in their entire length. The Coens don't waste any energy. Every single line is obviously lovingly crafted for maximum humor and to establish character. Everyone has a rhythm and way of speaking that shows their obvious intelligence and then contrasts that intelligence with their VERY poor choices in life. For example, John Goodman plays one of a pair of brothers who escape from prison (in a hilarious, unforgettable rainsoaked scene) and come to "visit" Hi just a day after he's gotten Jr., the new baby. Goodman will speak wisely with Hi about the shackles of marriage, and then launch on a totally stupid bank robbery. Nicholas Cage and Holly Hunter have never been better. Cage, in particular, is touching, frustrating, hilarious and at his hangdog best. He's done flashier roles, of course, but seldom has he been more perfectly cast. The wonderful Frances McDormand has a small, but hysterical role. My friends and I can now quote whole passages of this movie. If you like RAISING ARIZONA, you'll love it. There doesn't seem to be a middle ground. I know a few people who hate the movie, but many more who watch it at least once a year, regular as clockwork. If you haven't seen it, try it. You may make a friend for life!!
Rating:
Summary: Praising Arizona...
Review: Wow, look at all the praise this movie's gettin'. So many lovely little 4 and 5-star reviews. People sure love Raising Arizona. Just too bad I don't share those feelings. Let me begin by stating that I love the Coen's. They're amazing filmmakers. But this is where they went wrong. I can't believe they would take credit in creating this sterile pile. Boy am I glad their sense of humor evolved after this garbage. I'm still shocked and surprised that they made this nonsensical, listless, witless movie that mostly consists of deadpan humor and tiresome characters that do nothing but grow more and more unfunny and boring. And judging by the impressive amount of fans this movie managed to muster up (how that happened, I'll never know), I'm pretty sure my opinion is gonna go into sudden "not helpful"-overload... I'm sorry, but Raising Arizona is just not funny at all! It's weak, and tedious. The Coen's are better and funnier than this. If you want proof, you should skip this dreary, weary mess and just watch The Big Lebowski. Now THERE'S a comedy masterpiece.
Rating:
Summary: One of the Century's Best
Review: Amazing film.
Sharp, memorable, hilarious dialogue:
"I'll be taking these Huggies and whatever cash you got."
"Do these balloons blow up into funny shapes and all?" - "No...unless round is funny."
"When there was no meat we ate fowl. When there was no fowl we ate crawdad. And when there was no crawdad to be found...we ate sand."
"What did the boy's jammies look like?"
"I don't know! They were jammies! They had Yodas and ... on 'em!" Great acting. John Goodman, Nicolas Cage, Holly Hunter and everyone alse are stellar and dead on. The cutest toddler you'll ever see on film. Raising Arizona is up there on my list of great films like Blade Runner, American Beauty, Shawshank Redemption, Apocalyse Now and Magnolia.
Rating:
Summary: FUNNY, FUNNY, FUNNY and a little twisted
Review: I'm not going to rehash all the descriptions of this delightful plot anymore. I just want to weight in my vote. I would place this as one of the dozen funniest movies of ALL TIME! I watch this movie every six months or so, and I've got friends who practically have the thing memorized. It's so fantastically well filmed (the chase scene, involving cops chasing Nicholas Cage in a stolen vehicle, while he's trying to recover a box of Huggies is a tour-de-force of film making), with a wonderful musical score. It's wittily written. And best of all, the cast is fantastic. Frances McDormand has a great little part. John Goodman was a revelation when this came out, and these days, one wishes he still got to make material like this. But Holly Hunter and Nicholas Cage are just flat out PERFECT! If you've not seen this movie, that is a mistake you must correct ASAP!!!! Just be ready to allow three hours, because you may just want to watch it again immediately.
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