How often does a sequel overshadow the original?

Rating: 10/10 (2 January 2005)

Where does one begin? Delightful story line - casting A1A - scenery more than excellent ! The return of Robert DeNiro and the ever-beautiful Blythe Danner was a no-brainer. The cute couple, of course, worked. But, who would have thought to match up Dustin Hoffman and Barbra Streisand? When I first heard of this pairing, I thought: "HUH?" What a thoroughly enjoyable experience to see these two masters of their craft make movie magic in this story.
Dustin Hoffman was deliciously outrageous - what a wonderful role for him, at this point in his career. Barbra Streisand was equally outrageous, and has NEVER been more beautiful ! Even though she didn't sing (would not have worked in this film - Shucks!), it was a stroke of genius to place her in this role. She's so great at playing the Jewish card, as she has been throughout her career.
An excellent feature of the film, ala James Bond, was Robert DeNiro's RV - seeing the "secret hatch" where his covert stuff could be executed was very cool. Equally enjoyable was his character's "softening up" at the end - actually being willing to become more human.
Best Film Of The Year Oscar ? Why Not ?