Product: What Women Want [VHS] (2000)
Rating: 1.0
I hated, hated, hated this movie. Hated.
I have never actually been angry with a movie before, but this one did it. I saw it in the theaters, and it put me in a bad mood for days. Obviously it did not have this effect on some of you, maybe even most of you, and my reviewer rating will take a serious hit from this.. but I want to put out the warning to those people who read the reviews, that if you are ever uneasy about Hollywood's attitudes about women, you'd better stay far away from this movie.I found this movie incredibly insulting, in the way it portrayed every single female character, in the jokes, in the plot, and in the conclusion - pretty much beginning to end. I didn't go in looking for trouble, but it found me - I saw it in the theaters with a girlfriend looking for some light escapism and got a nasty reminder of just how dumb, useless, and incapable Hollywood thinks I am as a woman. This is present in some small degree in most every Hollywood romance, but it is obvious, blatant, rampant in this one. You know the premise. So, what do the women in this movie think about? Mel Gibson. Constantly. Their lives are practically centered around him. They have nothing better to think about, whether it's on the job or on the street. They are shallow. They are needy. Their careers are open to the manipulations of Mel Gibson's character, but we forgive him, because he is cute and much more important than anyone else. What does Mel Gibson learn about women? They sure do lots of dumb things, don't they? Funny! It sure is hard to look pretty all the time! Maybe Mel will deign to talk to them and make their lives worthwhile! What am I doing surfing the internet when I could be applying mascara and waxing my legs! What do I need a job for, anyway, when I could have a handsome boyfriend instead! Excuse me while I throw up.This movie is not funny, and manages to be incredibly derivative of every successful romantic comedy without learning a thing from any of them. The leads are not compelling, as a couple or seperately. Mel Gibson's character is an ...at the start, and even more of an ... at the finish, even though we're supposed to believe he is enlightened for understanding how much women want him. Gee, thanks Mel. Are you gonna stop manipulating every girl in sight now? Can Marisa Tomei have her dignity back? Can Helen Hunt have her job back?This probably won't bother a lot of you, so don't worry about it. It's the same old thing, only moreso. It's got eye candy, and requires no thought whatsoever. Keep giving Hollywood your money. But some of you know what I'm talking about, and to them I stress: unless you're hankering to get your mad on, skip this one.