Popeye

Rating:
Summary: REBELLION!
Review: I will go mad if I hear one more critic say that Popeye is a mess, or one more person laugh and look at me strange when I bring up this movie. This movie is a work of art. The songs are works of art. Shelley Duvall's Olive Oil is a work of art. The lines Robin Williams mumbles so you have to watch the movie ten times to hear them are a work of art. The set is, the plot is. Did I say the music is? You're going to tell me that Shelley Duval dancing about oddly on the deck singing he needs me, he needs me, isn't just absolutely perfect!? And that whole Fooey, fooey scene! I'm gonna do one of those twist up my arm punches to the next person that says this movie was a travesty for Williams or show boating by Altman or anything else! AUGHHHHH! thanks for listening.

Rating:
Summary: "I'm Popeye the Sailor Man..."
Review: Robin Williams is "Popeye" in this screen adaptation of the classic cartoon character. I've never understood why it hasn't become a classic movie, but then again, I've never understood all the trendy kind of things anyway. If you love the characters which Williams portrays, you'll love this one, but if you really like the Popeye cartoon, than this is just what the Doctor ordered.

Shelley Duval is perfect as Olive Oyl, the thin, emaciated sweetheart of Popeye's dream, and of course, you have the others - Wimpy, Blutus, and the whole town of interesting characters, not to mention the little baby- Sweet Pea. Then there is Ray Walston, portraying Popeye's "Daddy," and he puts in a decent performance.

This is not Academy Award material, mind you, but neither is it bad movie-making. This is the stuff of "cult movies," although I wouldn't go so far to characterize this as one of them.

It's a lot of fun, and when you see Williams, you are struck by the uncanny resemblance and you are transported to another world, and have forgotten it's an actor. An interesting movie, overall, and it's highly recommended!!!

Rating:
Summary: This was all wrong....
Review: An example of what can happen when two movie studios collaberate on one movie, and the studios have nothing in commen to begin with. They make different movies for different areas of the public, and it shows with POPEYE, a co-production of Paramount Pictures and Walt Disney productions. This movie was poorly casted (Williams as Popeye, please). Bad music numbers and some very cheesy special effects. This picture was a bomb with the public and such a negative experience that both Disney and Paramount have avoided working on any more movies together since. And I think it's coming up to 24 years now.

Rating:
Summary: Brilliant But Not Your Normal Kids' Musical
Review: Robert Altman subverts, twists, plays, and ultimately redeems the Hollywood kids' musical with this unfairly criticized but brilliant rendering of the Popeye story. Let's start with the camera, which during large-scale musical numbers is focused on small details, the shoes, the eyes, the hair, but never pans wide. Frustrating, but after a while you see he is taking a very large, very open tale and reducing it to its humanity, its humor, its love of life. Robin Williams never gave a better performance, helped as he is by superb casting of Shelley Duval and the colorful and sweet characters who inhabit Sweethaven. The set design is highly imaginative and spares no expense, pleasing the eye and the aesthete.

No review should fail to mention Harry Nilsson's soundtrack, sadly unavailable on cd. Harry outdid himself, writing the soundtrack Randy Newman has spent the last 25 years trying to replicate. Every song is a classic, beautifully arranged and orchestrated by Van Dyke Parks, and works exceedingly well in the film.

This one is a keeper, but you have to be open to the small charms and subtle wit that eventually will have you continuing to come back to this delightful and seductive film.

Rating:
Summary: Soundtrack by Harry Nilsson
Review: Wonderful movie. It's got a fantastical depiction of Sweethaven with its eccentric characters, and a wonderful ensemble cast. Robin Williams gives a very credible portrayal of Fleischman era style Popeye. He's also incredibly sweet, but not the kind of cloyingly ingratiating sweet Williams is known for in later films.

The best part of this movie are the marvelous songs written by Harry Nilsson. I loved the music from Popeye when I was a kid, and as an adult who has recently re-discovered Harry's music, I'm pleased to see this out on VHS again so I could get a hold of the music in *some* form. If you liked Nilsson's "The Point", then treat yourself to this movie, and if you liked Popeye's music, check out "The Point", they're both absolutely smashing.

Rating:
Summary: Great movie
Review: I think Popeye was a great movie, personally. I really enjoyed the songs, sets, costumes, and Robin Williams is perfect as Popeye. I can't wait to own this on DVD, where it can be seen in its original widescreen format with beautifully restored picture and sound.

And a note to vhspreowner - Disney and Paramount have actually had a pretty good relationship, even after Popeye went bust, (Which actually wasn't as bad as many think - it grossed $50 million domestically, making a $30 million profit.) including Paramount's recent collaboration with Disney (through Miramax) to produce The Hours.

Rating:
Summary: The Legend of Popeye: Milestones and More...
Review: In 2004, Popeye will be celebrating his 75th birthday! The anvil armed spinach eater is an icon to Americans (as well as Europeans) everywhere. And if you are like me, an American of European ancestry...

"Popeye the Sailor" was created by E.C. Segar as a character in the black & white (later color), Fleischer Brothers newspaper strip "Thimble Theatre" (which was a comic about The Oyl Family). He later made his debut with his own cartoon short, seen on movie screens everywhere in 1933.

Walt Disney Pictures teamed with Paramount Pictures to create the 1980 live action movie directed by Robert Altman, bringing the comic character turned cartoon star into a living breathing human. The parts of Popeye and Olive Oyl were originally going to be played by Dustin Hoffman and Lilly Tomlin but ultimately went to Robin Williams and Shelley Duvall in perfect casting roles. The entire gang was aboard for the ride (Bluto, Wimpy, Swee' Pea, and all the rest along with plenty of new friends and foes).

Despite Popeye being a Segar/Fleischer creation as well as having later associations with A.A.P. (Associated Artists Productions), Hanna Barbera, Disney & Paramount, Popeye is best known as being a "King Features Syndicate" and will forever be linked to all animators and produces as being King's trademark. In fact, because the exact rights for Popeye were so confusing, he was mysteriously missing from the 1989 cartoon/live action movie "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?" as the most notably absent cartoon. Due to fear of being sued, Touchstone Pictures sadly left Popeye out of the film, while every other one of his contemporaries from Mickey Mouse to Bugs Bunny appeared in the famous "Toon Town" scenes. Today, Popeye is alive and well with the King Features clan. Sammy Lerner wrote the famous theme song that has been a staple wherever Popeye has appeared.

Although maybe not quite on the scale of "Pinocchio," Popeye is very popular in Italy where he is nicknamed "Iron Arm." Bill Costello provided the original voice in the cartoon and later in the 1970s, Hanna Barbera is best credited with bringing Popeye back to life in several new shows including an updated version called "Popeye & Son," where Popeye & Olive are married with their own kid (not Swee' Pea).

Perhaps his popularity in Italy and throughout Europe can be linked not so much for Costello's and Barbera's contributions, but to the filming of the movie in Anchor Bay (near the capital Valletta) in Malta, a small island in the Mediterranean, just 60 miles south of Sicily. After filming, it became a hugely popular tourist attraction, and even today movies are filmed there through MFF-Malta Films Facilities ("Troy" starring Brad Pitt just wrapped filming in Malta, Greece, Spain and Italy, and Pitt no doubt will be an even huger figure in Europe now).

Many of the "citizens" of the created town of Sweethaven, especially those who had to do some physical gags, were recruited from European traveling circuses. Most of the cast and crew (about 60% if you read the credits carefully) had Italian surnames! The following is a list of those credits: Richard Libertini (played "Geezil"), Larry Pisoni (played "Chico"), Peggy Pisoni (played "Pickelina"), Carlo Pellegrini (played "Swifty"), Noel Parenti (played "Slick"), Pietro Torrisi (played "Bolo"), Roberto Dell 'Aqua (played "Chimneysweep"), Valerie Velardi (played "Cindy"), Roberto Messina (played "Gozo" and was head stunt coordinator), Sammy Gemette (sound editor), Giovanni Fiore (camera operator), GianFranco Transunto (camera operator), Luigi Bernardini (camera operator), Mauro Merchetti (camera operator), Gian Maria Magorana (camera operator), Lorenzo Battaglia (underwater camera operator), Rudolfo Bramucci (gaffer), Vladimiro Salvatore (key grip), Alberto Emidi (key grip), Tony Maccario (property manager), Alvaro Belsole (construction manager), GianCarlo Del Brocco (makeup), Alfredo Tiberi (makeup), Gilberto Provenghi (makeup), Alvaro Rossi (makeup), Maria Teresa Corridoni (hairdresser), Aldo Signoretti (hairdresser), Gabriella Borzelli (hairdresser), Rita Innocenzi (hairdresser), Rita Galea (publicity), Paulo Lucidi (unit manager), Luciano Tartaglia (accountant), Gaetano Mirante (carpenter), Gugliemo Modestini (painter), Angelo Marta (sculpter), Angelo Zaccaria (sculpter), and last but not least, Mickey Chono (head caterer). Alitalia Airlines was the air transportation company of choice for all involved in the film.

So as you can see, Popeye can quite possibly be considered a foreign film (although it is in English) and the fact that it's popular from the US to Europe-to everywhere in between-is no surprise. It's amazing how many Italians were involved in the creation of the characters as well as the sets. Like Italy, Malta's official religion is Catholic and it's official languages are Maltese (which is a West Arabic dialect with some Italian words) and English. The country has Maltese and English newspapers and is a huge tourist spot for those visiting nearby Sicily and even stands wonderful on it's own. In fact, tourism is the main business in the country's economy and the mild yearlong weather and beautiful seaside villages (as seen in Popeye) are no doubt it's selling points. Just watching the movie makes me want to travel there someday and the beautiful cinematography bring the sailor to life as well as any of the animators who have tried their hand at drawing the famous sailorman.

Popeye has his own video game, his own stamp, a clothing line (and Halloween costume), not to mention his own real brand of canned spinach, the #2 seller in supermarkets everywhere just behind Del Monte. In fact, he is so famous that he has his own statue in Chester, Illinois-which is the birthplace of E.C. Segar. Today, Popeye can be seen on Cartoon Network and read in papers nationwide as well as on the internet. This year marks the 110th birthday of E.C. Segar as well as the 75th birthday of Popeye, and next year, Popeye the Movie will celebrate it's 25th anniversary with a new DVD.

Please send me all of your Popeye questions or comments and to join the Johnny DeCarlo Popeye Fan Club, e-mail me: [e-mail]

Rating:
Summary: See it
Review: This movie has been unfairly considered a bad movie. It isn't - it's funny and almost everyone is perfectly cast. The exception is the actor who does the Bluto role, but to be fair he doesn't have a lot to do - he sort of just growls and scowls through out the whole movie. I like this movie a lot.

Robin Williams was great, as was Shelly Duvall and Ray Walston. I can't imagine anyone else playing these roles. M'S Duvall is the perfect Olive Oyl, conflicted between the brutish Bluto and the one eyed Popeye. Ray Walston is always terrific in any movie, here he shines as Popeye's pappy.

The dvd has a good transfer, but as the movie involves a lot of people talking at the same time, you may want to try using the subtitles to see what is being said. There's so much humor in Popeye's mutterings, you want to be ble to hear every word.

I recommend this film highly.

Rating:
Summary: No Title
Review: Come on now. If this came out in 1980, it was probably released on vhs. VHS came out way before dvd. Vinyl records came out way before cd's did. So, if they can release the soundtrack on lp (vinyl, why not on cd? There should be a cd soundtrack.

Rating:
Summary: It's a Pretty Good Flick
Review: I think many of the other reviewers are missing the point of this film.

Robin Williams, Shelly Duvall, and Ray Walston are perfectly cast. The script and story line are great. Popeye arrives in the cartoonish town of Sweethaven, so we adopt and immediately identify with his stranger-in-a-strange-land point of view. He is searching for his long last pappy, a story thread that will tug at any kid's hearstrings, young or old. He meets Olive Oyl, Wimpy, Bluto, and Swee'pea, setting into motion a chain of events that is entertaining and inspiring. When Popeye sings "I Yam What I Yam", you will know the message of the film. And I defy anyone who grew up on the old cartoons not to get just a little bit teary-eyed when that bulgy-armed sailor eats his spinach, saves the day, and the cast caps it all off with a much anticipated rendition of "I'm Popeye the Sailor Man". Saving that tune for the end was a brilliant stroke.

The musical score is essential to the film and conveys the story. It is not an afterthought and some of the tunes are quite memorable.

The film is not perfect. The part of Bluto is miscast, but then the actor has not been given much to work with in the script either. Robert Altman has a love of scenes with many people talking at once. Coupled with Popeye's trademark of muttering in a low voice to himself, and many clever lines are completely lost in the theatre; watching on DVD at least gives you a chance to catch it. Listen carefully!