Not what it's cracked up to be....

Rating: 4/10 (24 February 2004)

This movie truly baffles me. I'm very surprised that the movie has been as well received as it has. It does have a few humorous moments, but by and large, it was rather boring and unfunny. Surprising to me, because Bill Murray has always been a favorite of mine. This is certainly not one of his better films, comedy wise. The cinematography was excellent, and the feel of the Japanese culture is well represented here. As a student of Japanese and the Japanese culture, I probably had a greater appreciation of the film, and thus scored it a little higher than I might have otherwise. But if you're looking for Bill Murray to shine in all his whacky and zany antics, look elsewhere. Try "Groundhog Day" and "What About Bob?" instead. This film just proves that you can't always trust critics and their opinions.
Rating 5/10