Rating: Summary: A WONDERFUL, FEEL-GOOD MOVIE! Review: I loved this movie and will own it as soon as it becomes available on VHS/DVD. Of course Gwyneth Paltrow does a great job as Rosemary, but she is primarily here for window dressing; it is Jack Black (Shallow Hal) who owns this film. What a find! Hal is the quintessential lounge lizard/disco king. He fancies himself to be a man of the highest standards - he will only consider dating the shapeliest, most beautiful women. Unfortunately, no one seems to meet his impossibly high ideal. The unspoken irony is that Jack himself and his best friend played by Jason Alexander are such complete nerds.The film really takes off when Hal meets self-help guru Tony Robbins, who hypnotizes him into seeing only inner beauty. What transpires after that makes this the most charming, heart-warming movie of the year. Please let go of the political correctness when you see this. Yes, they make fun of fat people and of homely people, but it is a means to an end. (I am personally "calorie-challenged" and I found many scenes to be hilarious...) You will run the gamut of emotions thru this film. You will definitely laugh and be sure to take a few tissues to dab your eyes as Hal begins his life-changing transformation. And you will fall in love with Jack Black who becomes adorable and almost irresistable in the end.
Rating: Summary: OOPS Review: The Farrelly Brotehrs should be ashamed of this mess. The trailers and television commercials for this supposed comedy truly show you the only smile-inducing moments in an otherwise sappy, overwritten, washed-out, truly terrible film. Despite the winning performance of Gwyneth P., who does a lot with very, very little, this movie has none of the delightfully twisted humor of There's Something About Mary (which I LOVED), nor does it understand its own point of view with regard to people who are considered to be "unattractive" (intriguing premise, goes nowhere, slowly). It feels like it is about 4 hours long, and has the look of an amateurish, badly lit student film. Jason Alexander seems embarrassed on-screen, as well he should -- one of the film's way-too-late grotesqueries provides Jason with one of the most badly conceived character flaws of all time. This was one movie I felt should pay me a refund.
Rating: Summary: Inaccurate Advertising for this Film Review: The trailers for this film imply it is a barrel-of-laughs comedy of horrid taste (with an implied "Tsk tsk, we've come to expect this sort of thing from the Farrelly bothers, ho ho"). Shallow Hal is actually a better movie than the previews indicate, and it definitely has a more serious theme. There are a few tasteless scenes, insulting to overweight people, which could have been omitted from the movie without affecting the story. There are some other scenes, though, which deliver the movie's message in an extremely effective manner -- particularly the vignettes involving a hospital pediatric unit. The atmosphere around this film reminded me of Jim Carrey's "The Cable Guy." Its previews enticed viewers to expect a comedy, and the actual movie was quite dark and somewhat unpleasant. I regretted seeing that film, after being sucked in by the trailers. Shallow Hal, however, was truly better than the previews indicated it would be, and I am glad I saw it. I also liked the closing credits, which showed photos and home-movie-like shots of the people who made the film, the crews and assistants and so forth -- I finally got to see a gaffer. That was an interesting novelty; I've never seen anything like it before. Though most of those jobs probably don't pay very well, the people certainly do appear to enjoy their work.
Rating: Summary: I'm Not Shallow Anymore Review: ... Even though the movie makes fun of fat people and ugly people, later it redeems itself by telling us that the personality really is special. You may not buy the inner-beauty thing, but I did after watching this movie. I actually don't have that much of a high standard for females anymore. People seems to not like this movie because it doesn't know what it's trying to do. Is it trying to be funny, or is it trying to give us a message? I think the Farrely Brothers did a good job of doing both. At least this movie gave me faith in the Farrely Brothers again after watching Me, Myself, and Irene. In conclusion, I wouldn't even consider this a movie review, or even a good one, but more of a "how this movie made me see things differently" type of review. Which reminds me, I have to apologize to my "massively" challenged friend.
Rating: Summary: Sweet and Funny... Review: "Shallow Hal" was a sweet and funny movie. Although it is not as funny as the other Farrelly BRos. movies, it was still entertaining. Those of you who didn't care for their previous movies due to the grossout factor will probably enjoy this movie. I know that everyone thinks this movie shouldn't be seen, because it pokes fun at overweight people and less desirable people. But would you care if they were making fun of skinny people? This movie, although portrays mostly fat woman, also made fun of other people. Basically, all shapes and sizes get ridiculed. The beginning somewhat dragged on, but once Gwyneth Paltrow came on, the movie began to pick up. Without her, this movie would have probably (...). Jack Black, who usually annoys me, was also good. This movie also ended with a nice message. I'd definitely recommend this movie to anybody.
Rating: Summary: i loved it Review: ok, have any of you other raters even seen it? I thought it was great. It's mainly about a man who is taught a lesson of life. at the beginning i thought that it might be stupid but by the end it kind of makes you think about all of the times that you ever judged someone by their looks. I thought it was kind of inspiring. It shows how the outside of some people can really be decieving. i would definitely recommend this movie!
Rating: Summary: I think they tried to send a good message... Review: As someone who has tipped the scale at over 300 and lost 150 of those pounds I've been on both sides of the fence. I left the movie convinced that they're trying to send a positive message and in the end Hal does do the right thing, however at the same time the movie does poke a lot of fun at obesity and physical flaws and that's not funny. At least the movie does highlight many of society's ludicrous stereotypes and Tony Robbins sums it up best when he says, (parahprase) 'You've been brainwashed to think what you see in movies, magazines and TV is what beauty is. True beauty is so much deeper then that'.
Rating: Summary: Shallow Flick Review: The Farrelly Brothers have made a name for themselves with their 'nobody is safe' brand of comedy. And SHALLOW HAL is a high concept film that attempts to again deliver on that expectation. However, it falls short here for a few reasons. First, we now expect the ruthless comedy at some unfortunate's expense so there is no shock surprise. But, more disasterous is that their 'message' that "beauty is within" is contradictory to that ruthless comedy. How can they shamelessly have fun at someone's expense and then water down their own resolve by saying "Don't judge the book by the cover...", Their brand of comedy is based on the cover... And the worst infraction of all is that this film is occasionally funny, but we've seen it all in the trailer. TONY ROBBINS does a great job in the role of TONY ROBBINS. Not only does he deliver a standard Tony Robbins message but, it serves as the thrust for the whole story. But, landing Tony in teh role seems to be the best thing going for the film. Gwyneth is beautiful and has moments of sharp comedy but is often trapped in the gimmick of her role. Jack Black can be funny but I haven't seen anything worth carrying a film yet. Jason Alexander is pretty sturdy in the supporting role that adds a Farrelly twist to the tail... err tale.
Rating: Summary: The Farrelly Brothers Misunderstood Once Again Review: The film was surprisingly sweet and sincere without seeming icky. The Farrelly Brothers are definitely growing as moviemakers, concerned more with storytelling than the LPM (laughs per minute) count. Which doesn't make the experience any less fulfilling. Not every "gag" in the movie is meant to be funny. Think about that. Oh, and see the film before you post your review!
Rating: Summary: Shallow Hal Review: "Shallow Hal" is a poignant look at the world through the eyes of most in today's society. Hal is a character who only like women for their looks, as do so many men today. He is hypnotized and sees the inner beauty rather than the outer beauty, and meets a wondeful girl and falls in love. Although some have said that this movie insults heavy people, it makes light of the way society judges people. "Shallow Hal" has many funny moments, as well as some touching ones. I would recommend this movie to anyone who enjoys a good laugh and a good story with a happy ending.
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