FLUBBER
A Film Review by James Berardinelli
RATING: **1/2 OUT OF ****
United States, 1997 U.S. Release Date: 11/26/97 (wide) Running Length: 1:32 MPAA Classification: PG (Cartoon violence) Theatrical Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Cast: Robin Williams, Marcia Gay Harden, Christopher McDonald, Raymond Barry, Clancy Brown, Ted Levine, Wil Wheaton, Edie McClurg, voice of Jodi Benson Director: Les Mayfield Producers: John Hughes and Ricardo Mestres Screenplay: John Hughes and Bill Walsh Cinematography: Dean Cundey Music: Danny Elfman U.S. Distributor: Walt Disney Pictures
With FLUBBER, Disney is again guilty of self-cannibalization. This film, a remake of THE ABSENT-MINDED PROFESSOR, is the production company's third recent re-working of one of their older films. And, like both ONE-HUNDRED AND ONE DALMATIANS and THAT DARN CAT, FLUBBER was developed with the lone goal of being successful at the box office. One wonders if there's anyone at Disney capable of an original thought. After all, their biggest hit of the year, GEORGE OF THE JUNGLE, was a live-action version of an old TV cartoon.
I find it amusing to note that, in the press notes for this film, Disney has referred to THE ABSENT-MINDED PROFESSOR as a "classic." If this is an accurate description, then the word has undergone a radical devaluation. The 1961 movie was, at best, a mildly-amusing diversion. Granted, it probably wasn't any worse than most of Disney's other live- action offerings, but that hardly qualifies it as a "classic." Of course, Disney has taken to using that term for just about everything they produce, deserving or not.
I'm not going to spend much time comparing the original THE ABSENT- MINDED PROFESSOR with director Les Mayfield's updated version. Both are equally dopey, but, in large part because of the inclusion of Robin Williams (taking on the Fred McMurray part), FLUBBER has its share of genuinely funny moments, whereas the best THE ABSENT-MINDED PROFESSOR could manage was an occasional chuckle or two. The special effects are obviously greatly improved, and the script has made allowances for the 36-year time shift. Watching the 1961 movie now is a good reminder of how much society has changed. The involvement of John Hughes as co- producer and co-writer guarantees a heavy portion of cartoon-like, physical comedy. In fact, there are times when this movie feels like the latest installment in the over-milked HOME ALONE saga.
Phillip Brainard (Robin Williams) is a science professor at the financially strapped Medfield College. Although obviously a brilliant scientist, Phillip has a little personality defect: he's forgetful. Actually, that's understating the situation -- he's not just absentminded, he's a senile fruitcake. He has already forgotten to show up for his wedding twice, and, when he misses it for a third time, his girlfriend, Sara (Marcia Gay Harden), gives up on him. It doesn't matter that Phillip has what he believes to be a valid excuse; she's not interested in hearing any more lame explanations.
The reason Phillip missed the wedding is because he made the scientific discovery of a lifetime -- something he calls "Flubber." A jello-like green goo, Flubber has the ability to energize anything it comes into contact with. Put some of the glop on a golf ball and it will bounce higher than the tree-tops. People with Flubber-coated sneakers can jump so high that they're almost flying. And a Flubber- powered car can soar above the clouds. Phillip sees his discovery as a means of saving the college and re-uniting him with Sara, who has begun dating the unscrupulous Wilson Croft (Christopher McDonald). But, when a wealthy businessman (Raymond Barry) learns of Flubber, he becomes determined to possess it, even if that means getting his two idiot henchmen (Ted Levine and Clancy Brown) to break into the professor's home and steal it.
Most of the humor in FLUBBER is sophomoric, but that doesn't mean it isn't funny. The film has its share of laugh-aloud scenes, many of which are fueled by Robin Williams' antics. There's also a moment of explosive flatulence that had almost everyone in the audience in stitches. On the other hand, the physical abuse suffered by the bad guys as they break into the professor's house isn't amusing. This is standard John Hughes stuff, and he has used it too many times. It worked in HOME ALONE, but has become progressively more tiresome since then. What's so funny about a guy being repeatedly whacked on the head with a bowling ball?
One of the more innovative aspects of the film is a romantic subplot involving the professor's levitating robot assistant/companion/friend, Weebo (voiced by THE LITTLE MERMAID, Jodi Benson), who is infatuated with Phillip. She dreams of taking a human form and actively works to sabotage his relationship with Sara. In fact, there's more chemistry between Williams and this floating computer than there is between him and his female co-star, Marcia Gay Harden. Personally, I was rooting for Phillip to get together with Weebo in the end.
Aside from the jokes that work and a typically high-energy performance by Robin Williams, FLUBBER doesn't have much to recommend it. The creature, a special effects masterpiece, is cute to look at, but doesn't have much of a personality. The bad guys are typically uninteresting, and the Phillip/Sara romance is trite. The worst thing about the movie, however, is the low intelligence level of the script. The best family films have something for members of all different age groups; FLUBBER is aimed exclusively at the under-10 crowd. If that describes your mental or physical age, you'll probably be hugely entertained. More discriminating viewers may get a few laughs out of the film, but little else. In plundering its own history, Disney has come up with yet another exercise in mediocrity.
Copyright 1997 James Berardinelli
- James Berardinelli e-mail: berardin@mail.cybernex.net
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