THE BIG LEBOWSKI (1998)
Rating: 2 stars (out of 4.0) ******************************** Key to rating system: 2.0 stars - Debatable 2.5 stars - Some people may like it 3.0 stars - I liked it 3.5 stars - I am biased in favor of the movie 4.0 stars - I felt the movie's impact personally or it stood out ********************************* A Movie Review by David Sunga
Directed by: Joel Coen
Written by: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
Starring: Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Steve Buscemi
Ingredients: Hippie, eccentric bowling pals, kidnapping plot
Synopsis: This comedy is about a dope-smoking alcoholic beach bum nicknamed 'the Dude' (Jeff Bridges). The Dude visits millionaire Jeff Lebowski to talk about a damaged rug, but Mr. Lebowski gets a wild idea and hires the Dude as a courier. Lebowski's wife Bunny has just been kidnapped, and Lebowski needs a guy to drop off the ransom.
Lebowsky gives the Dude a briefcase to drop off, but unfortunately, it gets stolen. This leads to a situation where various people come to punch the Dude's lights out: the angry millionaire Lebowski; Lebowski's eccentric artist daughter Maude and her thugs; a gang of violent German musicians, and; a pornography mogul gangster whom Bunny owes money to.
Aiding the Dude in his quest for peace are two bowling buddies: an unstable Vietnam veteran named Walter (John Goodman), and a nerd Donny (Steve Buscemi) who is never allowed to speak his opinion. Will the Dude guess what happened to Bunny and the money?
Opinion: Unlike FARGO, which was also directed by Joel and Ethan Coen, THE BIG LEBOWSKI is a comedy. Basically, the plot is long and pointless as it takes a backstage to laughs. The film is little more than a showcase for a continual parade of oddities. For example, the Dude is always wasted and is hung up on nihilism. Walter is always quoting Vietnam and is big on Judaism. Maude zooms across the ceiling naked wearing a harness. John Turturro shows up as a convicted pedophile turned bowler. And so on. The actors really ham it up. Some parts are funny, but overall the movie tends to drag.
Reviewed by David Sunga March 7, 1998
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