Wild and crazy fun with "The Dude"

Rating: 9/10 (31 March 2004)

You've got to hand it to the Coen brothers. They certainly know how to push the right buttons at the right times when it comes to off color comedy. Following on the heals of the acclaimed hit Fargo, The Big Lebowski is cut from the same irreverent mold as its predecessor. It concerns the adventures of "The Dude", an incredibly lazy hippie bowler with no aspirations who just can't stay out of trouble. As with all Coen films, the performances and writing are first rate, especially Jeff Bridges as "The Dude" and John Goodman as his violently unstable bowling partner. The humor is definitely not for everybody, but the people who don't like it will probably steer clear anyway. I'll just say you'll probably find yourself laughing for all the wrong reasons. I think we could all learn something from "The Dude" I learned that I really dig this movie and now I want to check out the other works in the Coen brothers' impressive catalog. 9/10