Mousehunt

Plot synopsis:
When once-wealthy string magnate Rudolf Smuntz (William Hickey) dies, he leaves his outdated string factory and a run-down mansion to his two sons, Lars (Lee Evans) and Ernie (Nathan Lane). When Lars refuses a proposal by representatives from the large Zeppco conglomerate to purchase their string factory, his wife April (Vicki Lewis) throws him out. Meanwhile, Ernie serves Mayor McKrinkle (Cliff Emmich) at his restaurant in anticipation of becoming a famous chef for serving such a high-profile guest. However, the mayor is poisoned by a cockroach (which came from Rudolf's old box of Cuban cigars that Ernie took for himself) and suffers two heart attacks, with the latter fatal. As a result, Ernie's restaurant is closed down by the Board of Health.
Finding blueprints of the mansion that they decide to live in, Ernie and Lars discover that it is a lost masterpiece designed by famous architect Charles Lyle LaRue. LaRue collector Alexander Falko (Maury Chaykin) makes a proposal, but Ernie refuses under the belief they can make a larger profit by restoration and auction. However, the brothers have already realized that the house has one stubborn occupant: a tiny and treacherous mouse. Lars is initially dismissive of the mouse but Ernie, remembering the cockroach incident, is determined to rid the house of any vermin that could potentially ruin their plans.
When a single mousetrap proves to be useless against the mouse, Ernie and Lars cover the entire kitchen floor with a number of mousetraps, but end up trapped in the kitchen when the door is locked. The mouse slips through the maze of traps with ease and drops a cherry, setting off the mousetraps in a dominoes effect. The brothers attempt to kill the mouse with a vacuum cleaner, but are covered with sewage. To make matters worse, the brothers are then served with a repossession notice by the bank, who warn them that they will lose the house unless they make an overdue mortgage payment of $1200 within two days. They initially attempt to raise the money by withholding the pay of the workers at the factory but this suggestion triggers an angry response from the workers who then go on strike. In desperation, Lars tries to run the factory on his own but ends up losing his clothes after accidentally feeding a loose thread from his jacket into the machinery while damaging the fuse box. He is then unexpectedly reunited with April, who has learned of the auction and the brothers' plans to get rich.
The brothers purchase a monstrous cat named "Catzilla" to deal with the mouse. Catzilla chases the mouse throughout the house while destroying everything, but gets tricked onto the house's dumbwaiter as the mouse sends him on a one-way trip down to his demise. They then hire an eccentric exterminator named Caesar (Christopher Walken) to handle the mouse, though he is severely injured and hospitalized after the mouse attaches him to the winch of his own truck which then violently drags him out of the house and destroys the plumbing. Meanwhile, Ernie goes behind Lars' back and tries to revive the deal to sell the factory to Zeppco but his meeting with them is thwarted when he is hit by a bus while trying to impress two Belgian hair models. As Ernie is taken into hospital, Lars arrives (while wearing April's coat and hat) and informs him that April has given them the $1200 to pay off the mortgage.
After getting back to the house and witnessing the damage caused by Catzilla and Caesar, Ernie chases the mouse up a chimney and gets stuck, and Lars attempts to light a match while the mouse starts a gas leak, creating an explosion that blasts Ernie out of the chimney and into the lake where he and Lars lost a tub that they were trying to bring in. Ernie takes a shotgun to fire at the mouse, accidentally shooting a compressed can of pesticide that Caesar left behind, blowing a huge hole in the floor. The brothers then get into an argument after an answerphone message from Zeppco reveals to Lars Ernie's attempt to sell the factory, which culminates with Lars throwing an orange at Ernie, but accidentally knocks the mouse unconscious. Unable to finish him off, they instead seal the mouse in a box and mail him to Fidel Castro in Cuba. The brothers reconcile again and finish renovating the house.
When the night of the auction arrives, Lars discovers the mouse's box in the snow returned due to insufficient postage and with a big hole gnawed through it. Lars and Ernie panic upon seeing the mouse return, but attempt to maintain their composure as the auction continues. The mouse also devours Rudolf's "lucky string," which he gave to the brothers before his death, making their vendetta even more personal. The brothers desperately attempt to flush out the mouse by feeding a hose into the wall. As the auction reaches a record $25 million bid, the house rapidly floods through the walls and the floors, causing everyone to be washed out of the house as it promptly collapses. The brothers' only consolation is the fact that the mouse must finally be dead as their father's "lucky string" is found in the wreckage.
With nowhere else to go, the brothers return to the factory and fall asleep, with only a single chunk of cheese for food. Having followed them, the mouse restarts and feeds the cheese into the machinery inventing the world's first string cheese, which inspires Ernie and Lars. Ernie and Lars end their war with the mouse and have successfully rebuilt the factory as a novelty string cheese company. Lars has begun a relationship with one of the Belgian hair models, Hilde, and Ernie puts his culinary skill to work in developing new cheese flavors with the mouse as his personal taste-tester.

Tags: comedy

Review:
Granted, its not everyone's kind of humor (which certainly can be seen by the IMDB people that trashed it) but it is an extremely intelligent, yet slapstick dark comedy that may have you rolling on the floor.I do not think that this movie is good for kids.
Although the movie isn't really about a mouse (it was about two brothers coming together in the wake of their father's death), I think we all could use a little chaos in our lives once in a while..
Christopher Walken is superb in his small role, and the mouse is magical ( notice he takes a dump in Walken's mouth at the end of his sequence ) , down to his sense of nostalgia ( pictures of Hawaii on his wall , and old mementos ) Don't dismiss this first time round, you'll need to view a few times to catch the clever inserts ( like when Nathan Lane says " akuna matata " to an Arab at the auction ) Also note the beautifully whimsical moments of labor within the garishly dated string factory.......a lot went into this and although it is ridiculous there are many things to love about this film.............James.
I love this movie because Nathan Lane and Lee Evans both seem to be doing an homage to the slapstick movies of Laurel And Hardy.
Bronson Pinchot could have made a better sidekick especially for the physical humor, but even with Evans, the movie is a fast furious laugh riot as the guys try to catch one inescapable mouse which knows the house better than they do.
The mouse which is in part portrayed by real mice, puppets and computer animation steals much of the movie as does a cat from Hades which then in turn unleashes a wild and funny John and Larry (Tom and Jerry ???) sequence far funnier than the sadisticly lousy cartoon.
They don't look like they're related, Evan's too nice and Lane is too mean, but hey, it's a kids movie.
But also how touching  the mouse is given intelligence and has a motivation for what happens.Of course at heart this is a kids film and it is a very good one at that.
Nathan Lane and Lee Evans are the sons of a man that died that owned a string factory.Right in the beginning the fun starts.
Nathan Lane and Lee Evans star in this fun and sometimes touching film as brothers Ernie and Lars who inherit a mansion from their father.
Nathan Lane was pretty good in this movie as was Lee Evans.
The more the film advances, the more the traps prepared by Lars and Ernie Schmuntz are worked out: it begins with the simple, trivial trap: the mousetrap and it ends with the appearance of the mouse-exterminator ( an unexpected and irresistible Christopher Walken).
Moreover, the movie doesn't only focus on this "mouse hunt" but also on the Schmuntz brothers' efforts to earn money in order to save their father's string factory ( a world without string is chaos...).
With its Gilliam-like recreation of a dank, Orwellian universe; with its Tim Burton pervading of Gothic atmosphere; with its twisted Coens' live-action cartoon sensibility (imagine Christopher Walken in a children's film?
Seemingly inspired by classic comedy duos like Laurel and Hardy, while also updating the style with spiffy modern-day effects and filmmaking techniques, the movie was shaping up to be a surefire hit.
Starring the delightful comedic geniuses Nathan Lane and Lee Evans, the story of two down-on-their-luck brothers trying to deal with a rodent infestation in the mansion they've inherited is an appealing and well-made release.
though in retrospect, it might be a little too extreme for particularly young children.Following the death of their businessman father Rudolf (William Hickey), brothers Ernie (Nathan Lane) and Lars (Lee Evans) are both forced to stay at the run-down old mansion that was left to them.
But it won't be an easy task, as the two quickly realize that this isn't just any mouse...The film's strength lies in the charming lead performances and the absolutely manic and highly cartoonish comedy, brought to life with Verbinski's trademark dark and stylish visual direction.
I won't spoil it, but you can tell Walken is having an absolute blast with the film.The comedy of the film is absolutely awe-inspiring, comprised of both broad and completely whacked-out slapstick for the kids and some truly twisted and subtle dark laughs for the adults.
The cast is great, the titular mouse is adorable, the comedy is laugh-out-loud funny, and the stylish direction is just fantastic.
Natan Lane, as I learned just know, I'm an ignorant person at this point, has distinct portfolio of titles, but it's only one movie where I watched his acting, the same for Lee Evans.
So everyone here who's critiquing it as if they were expecting an intelligent grown-up comedy (reviews whining about it being "crude" or even "too dirty" - seriously?) have only themselves to blame and should probably have a bit of a think about what they're doing knocking a funny, innocent kids movie for using slapstick and being a tad predictable (that's what's great about being young: clichés are often still new and so execution is more important than novelty).
Nathan Lane and Lee Evans are stellar as Lars and Ernie Smuntz, two bumbling brothers with an unmissable kinship to Laurel and Hardy, who fall on hard times financially.
From there the movie takes off in a funhouse of slapstick pratfalls, brilliant physical comedy, cartoonish and imaginative set pieces, and a sense of humour that's playful, yet ever so subtly not appropriate for kids.
The supporting cast is speckled with knowing comic turns from various characters actors: Maury Chaykin eats the scenery, and everything in sight as a real estate debonair, William Hickey makes a ghostly cameo as the brothers father, and literally looks like he's on his death bed for real!
This film is is the debut of Gore Verbinski (famous for the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy and Rango) who does a really good job at mixing the elements of the Coen Brothers with Laurel-and-Hardy and John Huges in this funny movie.
Rent this movie, it is a very funny film you and your kids will enjoy and laugh..
Two brothers Ernie (Nathan Lane) and Lars (Lee Evans) inherit a museum- like thread factory and a debt-ridden mansion after the demise of their father.
Things got wacky when the brothers start to get rid of the mouse, using one method after another.This film was like 15 years ago but its humor is still fresh.
This movie is actually an homage to the old "Tom & Jerry" cartoon strips of the 1940's through 1960's, especially when the brothers bring in a cat to try to kill the mouse.
I missed it when it was released and I was not too eager to see a family live/animated drama about two simpletons who want to get rid of the mouse in the house but in the traditions of Tom and Jerry or Home Alone always get outsmarted by a much smaller but smarter, quicker and unpredictably creative opponent.
Besides, any movie with Christopher Walken doing what he does best - a crazed, creepy, and funny character, is a must see.So the story is simple - once there was a mouse, a very smart mouse that lived in an old mansion alone.
It combines live action and animation masterfully and seamlessly, and one hilarious scene runs after another without any pause culminating in the auction sequence that was made as an astounding mixture of slapstick comedy and disaster movie.
Another favorite scene was at the animal shelter where Ernie (Nathan Lane) and Lars (Lee Evans) wanted to get the meanest scariest cat, "and preferably with a history of mental illness.
I was fascinated by the clever inventive little mouse, and the movie kept my interest and child-like joy until the very end.
Lane and Evans are very funny together, and the movie is a work of art from the enormously visually and sound talented director, his cast, and his production team.9/9.5.
One of few comedies that is a true comedy.For the most part, this entire movie can be a silent movie and still be just as funny.The lead cast and even the supporting cast are great...but nothing beats the mouse...and I do mean...nothing beats the mouse.A very creative film with some really cool concepts and absolutely hilarious structured story.From the very opening scene to the very closing scene...pure genius.
With clever storytelling, awesome effects and some bold daring stunts (BY A MOUSE) - this is one of the est films I've ever seen.When I first heard of it, I thought that this movie was just a lame kids film - like most are, however I was very wrong.Even William Hickey's part was great...and his menacing photo on the wall looked like it changed faces in every shot...did it?
Mouse Hunt i think is a fantastic movie to watch.
Hilarious comedy movie and one of the Nathan Lane's best.
They are perfectly casted for the film and it probably wouldn't even nearly been as great as it was if different actors were used for the character roles.The film also has a great and unique look production design wise and is shot very well with some nice-looking cinematography and some hilarious sequences and so many great moments of comedy/drama, the movies is so quotable as well with so many great and memorable lines from Nathan Lane as well as Evans.
Christopher Walken as has a great performance in it as well and plays such a memorable character in it.I think MouseHunt is a 90s comedy classic and it's a shame that the movie itself has become so overlooked by so many other 90s comedy movies and is almost forgotten nowadays, but definitely watch it if you can and Its guaranteed you'll get at least a few really good belly laughs from it because there is just so much comedy gold in it.
You can see that a lot of effort and planning were put into some of the films jokes and visual gags like the mousetrap sequence and had a great script and talented director as well as crew behind it.It deserves a higher rating on the page than what it has currently and really deserves a sequel after all this time.
Overall an extremely funny and entertaining, clean family comedy film that is also very well acted and directed.
Mousehunt really is nothing more than just a cute little family oriented kids movie, and for trying to be that it succeeds.
Mousehunt is, I think, one of those great sleeper movies like "Princess Bride" that most people miss when they first come out.
The gags are not funny at all, i didn't laugh a bit, not even my younger brother who is actually the main reason i watched this film, didn't laugh at all.
As it is, it feels like the viewer is watching two distinctly different movies: 1) the horrid, grotesque, violent "mouse hunt" and 2) a charming modern update of Laurel & Hardy, which does not mesh well with the rest of this cinematic garbage Spielberg and Company call a movie.
String magnate Rudolf Smuntz (William Hickey) dies leaving his ancient factory and run-down mansion to his sons Lars (Lee Evans) and Ernie (Nathan Lane).
I actually think this movie needs a cute animated mouse whom the audience can root for.
This is a great movie - dark enough for adults and enough slapstick for kids (and adults!).Chris Walken puts in a superb slot and the leads do an fantastic job - if you have not seen this I strongly suggest that you do!.
Mouse Hunt is a movie that I watched for the first time at least 10 years ago.
The movie follows two brothers, Ernie and Lars, whose father dies and leaves them his string factory and a huge abandoned house.
All in all, Mouse Hunt is really worth the watch if you're a fan of the older slapstick comedy movies.
As they start fixing it up they realize it is inhabited by a mouse not willing to give it up, and so the battle for the house begins.Hilarious movie, everything is perfectly balanced and Nathan Lane and Lee Evans both delivers some golden moments.
I personally loved this film and laugh every time i watch it, i think that it didnt recieve a wide audience as it should have, and think that is definently worth a second look..
In this 1997 cartoon style, slapstick comedy directed by Gore Verbinksi, (Pirates of the Caribbean, The Ring) and starring Lee Evans and Nathan Lane,tThey play Chalk n Cheese brothers who inherit a rundown house from their recently deceased father.
That occupant being a mouse that they try to exterminate but predictably runs rings around them to comedic effect.An enjoyable romp with colourful performances from an overall decent cast this is what happens when you put Laurel and Hardy, Tom & Jerry and Home Alone in a blender.
Never the less, it visually does look great with Verbinski creating a cartoon-1950's style world which our two leads inhabit, while the incidental music by Alan Silvestri who's worked on other movies like Who Framed Roger Rabbit and Van Helsing compliments it's slapstick, comedic tone.
I am in my mid thirtees, married for 10 years, have two children, have my own international trading business, and still enjoy watching old Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Yosamite Sam, and Tom and Jerry cartoons.If you can appreciate child-like humor, you will thouroughly enjoy Mouse Hunt.
Yeah, there is some bad jokes and stuff like that but this was the type of movie were you can just relax and have fun (though I still found the cockroach scene a little too morbid.).
I like this movie, it is really funny, and I like the way the mouse always comes back.
I came across Mouse Hunt after seeing good reviews and am happy to say i was not disappointed by it.I'm not a big fan of Lee Evans and was almost put off watching it because he's in it.
What amazes me about the previous comments made is that none of them mention Laurel and Hardy.This movie is clearly a homage to L&H, or should that be "attempt at trying to imitate L&H"?The scene in the square, where the fatter, moustached Smuntz brother waves the ends of his tie at the women across the way is a straight lift from Hardy, and there are many other places where the scene is, shall we say, uncannily like a Laurel and Hardy scene.Since film-making has advanced a little since their day,  there is the opportunity to have a lot more special effects, and the mouse which is the bane of the Smuntz brothers' lives can be filmed doing lots more interesting tricks.
Just like The Matrix was a live action Manga film, Mouse Hunt becomes a live action Tom and Jerry movie, without having to resort to sickly sweet sentementality.
I think the timing of both Nathan lane and Lee Evans is very good.
This is so silly it actually works, especially since creative animal wrangling (and probably the state of computer SFX at the time of shooting) means there is some almost baffling footage of an actual mouse doing stunts worthy of "Die Hard" - and if it's unreal for an 8-year-old to beat two burglars it's utterly ridiculous for a 4-inch rodent to beat, well, anyone, giving the movie an absurd twist that elevates it above its piers.The movie is full of references to popular action flicks, and the psychotic pest control guy who is a staple in this kind of story is amusingly overplayed by Christopher Walken.In short, I chuckled warmly many times throughout Mousehunt - the leads are funny, the battle against bankruptcy, brotherly rivalry and, of course, the mouse from hell is considerably less of a waste of time than watching paint dry....
This one portrays brothers Ernie (Nathan Lane) and Lars Smuntz (Lee Evans) trying to rid their new house of a rodent who appears to be more clever than either of them.
it's as funny as home alone nearly as entertaining, and a great family movie.
I love the part when cat and mouse are inside a piano, running on the keys, and it sounds like an ominous film score.Providing the human element, the two brothers Ernie and Lars Smuntz (Nathan Lane & Lee Evans) are both on top comic form.
Basically the Smuntz brothers, Ernie (The Birdcage's Nathan Lane) and Lars (Lee Evans, after Funny Bones and before There's Something About Mary) have recently lost their father, Rudolf (Prizzi's Honor's William Hickey, who died soon after), they inherit the family string factory, and an old house.
The whole movie talks about a mouse and two idiots who tries to kill him because he lives in an old house they try to sell.
Mouse Hunt (1997): Dir: Gore Verbinski / Cast: Nathan Lane, Lee Evans, Christopher Walken, Vicki Lewis, Michael Jeter: I couldn't understand why children laughed.
Nathan Lane and Lee Evans try shamelessly to kill a mouse so that they can profit off the house, and while they're at it, they may have killed their careers.
Reasonable, mostly silly slapstick from Gore Verbinski concerning two misfit brothers who inherit a mansion of great worth, only to lose it to a mouse.
Good, fun flick with some true comic moments, is headed for an obvious conclusion early on, even though it takes some time to warm up.Nathan Lane and Lee Evans are no match for our hero, the mouse.
Nothing else can account for the slapstick humor and superb timing of the numerous set pieces and scene designs here.This was the first movie I saw where Nathan Lane was front and center, and of course, he is superb.