splodgeroonie

I'm a big fan of Kaufman and a casual fan of Dreamworks so I was looking forward to this one and did my best to avoid all trailers, spoilers, etc so I could go in without any preconceived notions. Have to say I was largely disappointed by the writing and story as it just felt riddled with a lack of continuity. I found the premise itself engaging but felt like it was very poorly executed and that the writing painted itself into multiple corners which it just explained away with a deus ex machina style reliance on the fact that it was a fantastical story.

I get that anything can happen in a fantasy but I really felt like Kaufman phoned it in on this one for the paycheque, and all the incoherent jumping around in plot and story just seemed like a gimmicky contrivance more than an engagingly layered and nuanced story. It felt embarrassingly like a blatant attempt to copy recent Pixar stand-outs in this style like Inside Out and Soul.

The animation was about what I'd expect from Dreamworks and unfortunately that was about the best part of this for me as the films from this studio that stand out in my memory do so far more for good story than exceptional animation. There was some pretty interesting eye-candy to enjoy though, I just wish it was part of a more cohesive and engaging story with a more satisfying ending.

Overall I wouldn't say I hated it but I doubt I'll watch it again. Many people seemed to really enjoy it though so maybe I just missed something. I'd say give it a go if you're curious. At the very least it's an enjoyable watch visually and some of the ideas within the overall story are interesting to think about.

What a seriously underrated comedy! If you can enjoy Mel Brooks, Chevy Chase, (the early comedy of) Bill Murray, Zucker Bros, Python, Mike Myers,Tim & Eric, Eric Andre and the like then your Hahaguffawchuckleamalus has most likely not been damaged beyond repair and I'm willing to bet you will enjoy this movie. Maybe you will even LOL at it like I did.

Maybe it's because I'm gen-x and grew up with actual comedies (not serious dramas with one or two moments of comic relief touted as "comedies") but I watched this with my boomer dad and we actually laughed a lot while watching it. It's goofy, zany, silly, and above all, funny!

Don't get me wrong, I can enjoy an Iñárritu, Kaufman, Wes Anderson, Aronofsky, etc too, and love all kinds of film, but when I wanted a comedy that would make me laugh, this one fit the bill quite nicely.

My 8 star rating is most likely a bit high, I wanted to give it a 7, but felt like I had to try and tip the average a bit as well. If you like to laugh and you don't think every film you watch needs a critical analysis or it's garbage, then I highly recommend this movie!

Another Hollywood film of no real substance that gets praise heaped on it for all the wrong reasons. Good cast for the most part but that was wasted on a vapid script and horrible directing and editing. Felt like a 90s rom-com trying to masquerade as a a more contemporary drama but failing hard at it.

I felt like it was written for spoiled tone deaf white American women, so was not surprised when I looked up who wrote and directed it... Apparently when the end of the world comes, the poor people in the cities will all riot, but every last rich suburb in the world will remain positively communal and peaceful... American audiences continue to disappoint me.