Rating: 
Summary: A Home Run!!
Review: Robert Redford stars as Roy Hobbs, a young golden-armed baseball player who has dreams of someday playing in the major leagues. Hobbs was encouraged from a young age by his father to pursue his dream of becoming a baseball player. He worked tirelessly trying to improve his skills. One night, a bolt of lightning struck a tree in Hobbs' yard and he uses the wood to make himself a bat. He inscribes "wonderboy" on it, along with a lightning bolt to commemerate where it came from.In time, Roy manages to catch the eye of major league scouts, and he finally gets a try-out. While travelling to Chicago, Roy meets Max Mercy, a sportswriter played wonderfully by Robert Duvall. In the course of time, Max will eventually become insturmental in Hobbs' career. Unfortunately for Roy, he also meets a mysterious woman aboard the same train, and he suffers a tragic accident. Years pass by and Hobbs tries again to hook on with a team, this time as a hitter. He joins the fictional New York Knights as a right fielder. After sitting on the bench, Hobbs finally gets his chance to play, and a legend is born. Hobbs becomes one of the most feared home run hitters in the game, while transforming the lowly Knights into a pennant contender. The team is managed by Pop, skillfully played by Wilford Brimley. In the midst of his fine season, Roy begins having physical problems due to his encounter with the woman years earlier, and he may have to quit the game for good, but not before he helps his team play in its most important game ever. This is a first rate baseball movie. All of the actors give top notch performances, and the game sequences are excellent. My two favorite moments are when Roy hits the clock at Wrigley Field with a home run, and when the ball hits the light stand in the playoff game. The movie also teaches people to follow their dreams no matter what the cost. I highly recommend this movie to all baseball fans. You'll want to stand up and cheer!
Rating:
Summary: NOT JUST BASEBALL- A LESSON IN LIFE
Review: The Naural is a film I could watch over and over, which is why I bought this DVD. My Tape was worn out. This is a story for the whole family. If you've never seen it and you dont like baseball, dont let that stop you. This is a magical story.
Roy Hobbs is a farm boy with a gift for pitching. But as his Dad tells him "It's not enough". He gets a chance to try out with the Chicago Cubs, so He leaves his best girl with a promise of marriage and heads off for the big city. He meets a beautiful temptress on the train and being young and naive lets temptation lead him astray.
Because of the incident with the woman his baseball career was put on hold for 16 years, until at 36 he gets a chance to play for the Majors. The manager of this loosing"dead from the neck up" team is reculant to put this old rookie in, but his assistant goes to bat for Roy (excuse the pun) and he finally gets his shot.
We watch as Roy has a great season, goes into a slump, gets mixed up with the wrong woman again and tries to save the team for the manager from the corrupt owner and his partners.
His past comes back in 2 forms, first his girl is now living in Chicago, and has brought him good luck, it is a magical moment in the movie when he is in a slump and she stands in the bleachers looking like an Angel, and his energy is renewed, and second he is being blackmailed about the unfortunate incident 16 years earlier.
After all these years though Roy has never lost his honor, his values, or his love for the game. He also learns that wanting to be "the best there ever was" is not as important as doing the best you can.
The Cast is fabulous in their rolls, you have Robert Redford, Glenn Close, Wilfred Brimley, Kim Basinger, Robert Duvall, Barabra Hershey, Joe Don Baker, Robert Prosky and the late great Richard Farnsworth. No more needs to be said there!
The DVD itself is a must have. I was reluctant to buy it at first because it was only 4.0 and 2 channel sound but this is not a film where you need to have dinosaur steps shaking your water glasses. The crack of the bat, the roar of the crowd, the musical score is all great. It is in Widescreen and the cinematography is wonderful. Usually the "Extras" is not what impresses me when I buy a DVD but this one has a not to be missed 45 commentary from Cal Ripken Jr. that's as poignant as the story itself. There is also included in the documentary Director Barry Levinson"s views
By the way you will also love the ending of the story!
Enjoy---Laurie
Rating:
Summary: Robert Redford, natural talent
Review: I have loved this movie since the eighties. I have finally added it to my home collection and never tire of the plot, the characters or Redford. If you like watching an underdog get his chance to shine as a star then this flick is for you. Redford plays Roy Hobbs, who due to a bad decision misses out on his chance to play in the majors. He finally makes it, as a "down and out" older player, with not much hope given to him. He shines on the diamond, and we see his rise as a baseball star, and his cold streak, and how he truly loves the game. Close plays his love interest, and she and Redford compliment each other nicely. Overall, The Natural is a good movie, that puts the story ahead of the action, and is worthy of 5 stars.
Rating: 
Summary: Thoroughly engaging.
Review: Had to read the book for an American novels class and it was just so-so, but the movie...is great. Not only is Robert Redford simply irresistable as Roy Hobbs, but Glenn Close is good as well. The book had many deeper meanings and morals and interpretations and we spent weeks taking it apart, but the movie is not so philosophical. It's just entertaining, has a moral, and the ending is better than the book's. I don't know if I would have enjoyed the film as much had I not read the book but I think so. The movie can stand on its own.
Rating:
Summary: Wonder Bat
Review: In "The Natural" Roy Hobbs (Robert Redford) is an over-the-hill ball player who comes from nowhere to lead the fictional New York Knights in their pennant fight. Hobbs uses a bat he made as a child (from a lightning destroyed tree) and an endless reservoir of talent to capture the nation's attention as "The Natural". Hobbs comes along at a propitious moment for the Knights' manager, Pop Fisher (Wilford Brimley). Pop is co-owner of the Knights with The Judge (Robert Prosky). The Judge is a smarmy, nogoodnik who would like nothing better than to deprive the likable Pop of his share of the team for nothing. Of course, no one knows where Hobbs came from, which leads one curious reporter, Max Mercy (Robert Duvall), to delve into his past. Max constantly pesters Hobbs about his past and where he had been playing all his life if he were always this good. Max's curiosity is compounded by a feeling that he's seen Hobbs before and just can't put his finger on where and when he ran into him. At heart, "The Natural" is a story about baseball. This may seem obvious for a baseball movie but many "baseball movies" are really just typical movies with a baseball setting. That's not necessarily a bad thing but it doesn't really make them baseball movies. "The Natural", like "Field of Dreams", is about the joy one gets from playing the game no matter what your age. It's also about the forgiveness of baseball. It's a sport that gives you a long time to redeem yourself for wasting talent or for not appreciating the game when you are young. "The Natural" is my second favorite baseball movie and one that has and will continue to stand the test of time.
Rating:
Summary: Greatest Baseball Movie That Ever Was
Review: I've been crazy about Baseball movies ever since seeing Gary Cooper in "The Pride of the Yankees" and Jimmy Stewart in "The Monty Stratton Story". I can't resist these film tributes to America's Pastime, and I've watched "The Natural" a hundred times...wore out the VHS, bought the unbelievable soundtrack by Randy Newman, and rejoiced when it was released on DVD.
What makes this movie so special? Well, first of all, it reminds us of how Baseball ought to be...before the corruption of our modern era of strikes, multi-million dollar deals, steroids, corporate named stadiums & television & cable rights. The Natural, is all about loving the game. The love affair with baseball and its history oozes in every frame. It depicts the triumph of good over evil, and success rising out of tragedy.
The casting director deserves an oscar. He or she was dead on! Robert Redford is ideal as Roy Hobbs. Often backlit, he looks ethereal. Fans of Redford will witness his all time greatest on-screen smile when Wilford Brimley tells Hobbs to "suit up" towards the end of the film. Speaking of Wilford, he was born to play the role of the Knight's manager! Also perfectly cast are the roles of heroine, Glenn Close and femme fatale Kim Bassinger. Richard Farnsworth has a sweet role. I especially loved the genuine scene when he takes a grateful Roy Hobbs out to an Italian restaurant for his first major league dinner. "I can't spell it, but it sure does eat good"! I could go on and on ...Duvall, Prosky...every role superbly cast!
The greatest visual snipets are the reaction shots from the audience and fellow ball players when Roy Hobbs displays his NATURAL abilities. The film is full of "little things" that puts it over the top.
The film score must be mentioned! I know that Randy Newman FINALLY won an oscar for some Disney movie...but I think it was payback for his being ROBBED in 1985 for Best Score. His score is magnificent, and is a key reason this movie viewers respond so emotionally to this film. My teenage daughter often requests I put this CD on in the car...that is how good it is!
Based on Benard Malamuds novel by the same name, (it does have a different ending), The Natural is about choices made, the things done for love. Its about purity, devotion, good over evil. It's about baseball... When baseball was great. Watch it, and learn about a time in America's past when baseball truly was the nation's pastime.
Rating:
Summary: The Natural
Review: The best baseball movie out there. A must for any sports and baseball fan out there.
Rating:
Summary: You don't have to know the Game to love this movie....
Review: You don't have to know anything about the game of baseball to love this movie, you just have to know the difference between Good and Evil. That is because this film is really about the eternal struggle between purity of purpose and corruption. It is the same heroic story whether you are dealing with Camelot or the New York Knights. Whenever I get too depressed about the way the world seems to be poisoned by money grubbing reptiles running the world from shadowy back rooms, I get this DVD out and watch it alone. I watch it alone because it never fails to make a grown man cry. You see, the only reason evil exists in the world is to provide a good man with something to struggle against to reaffirm the eternal truths. And when evil gets the upper hand, then the creator steps in to even the playing field....
Rating:
Summary: Play Ball
Review: No Question, by far the best baseball movie to ever hit the screen.Robert Redford delivers one of his best performances of his career as Roy Hobbs, a gifted semi pro baseball player who has the talent to break every record in the book.A flawless written script about Roy's love for baseball, his devotion to the team, and the courage to overcome all odds to be the best in the game.A beautiful musical score that makes me shed tears evertime i watch this movie.If you love the game of baseball as much as i do, then you wont want to miss out on this movie magic...
Rating:
Summary: A Natural Winner
Review: IF you love baseball, you will LOVE this movie. If you love sports, you will LOVE this movie. I consider this to not only be one of the best (if not the best) baseball movies, but one of the best sports movie of all time. It is just a feel good movie and one that I never get tired of watching. This film stands out almost the crowded sports films. But this isn't just another sports movie. It is a very nice and well told fable. Everyone dreams of hitting the game winning homerun. This just visualize that dream for all of us and it is marvelously well done. It's about getting a second chance at something and seizing it and what could be a better story than that. No cynicism in here, no evil, no bizarre plot twist, it just a nice simple story that just happen to use american's past time as a backfield.
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