Rap hip hop cool western, yo! A gang of black cowboy gangstas are planning the biggest heist of their lives. A fortune is passing through a small bank in a godforsaken town ruled by a sinister tyrant and his sadistic son. The paths of the gang and the tyrant passed before, and sweet revenge or brutal death is imminent as they meet again.

Now, this actually sounds quite intriguing to me, but there is one huge problem: The movie actually takes itself dead serious, while it on the best is a big joke.

OK, I can try to ignore the girls in the movie has silicon enlarged lips, with a tattoo outliner and a nice lip gloss thrown in, looking like some random prostitutes dragged off the street, with much less acting skills than you would expect even from a female of that given profession.

I can also try to ignore the desperate attempts at trying to be new by putting every known western cliché upside down, like the women are the strong ones kicking the guys butt, the black people are the cool dudes from da hood untouched by the slavery common a the time, while the white guys at best are stupid and pathetic cannon fodder, or at best evil and rotten to the bone.

I bet the director would be sued for racism if he movie had all the black guys exchanged with white guys. Not that I care about the political correctness of a movie, if the movie is good anything flies.

But, what kind of mindless, drug abused mind have come up with the plot?? I mean, some guys come up with the brilliant plan of walking straight into a bank loaded with treasure yet with no guards whatsoever, flash a gun, take the money before some guy chasing them magically appears outside from nowhere and we have a final shootout.

THATS IT! Swallow it down with some oh so deep soulshattering philosophy about bonds between brothers are stronger than life and death, made into a joke by what is possibly the worst western movie ever made.

I thought it would be refreshing and new, but they killed everything good about western movies, and added a bunch of boring, cliché-filled, badly executed elements instead.

I will even go so far to say that I can in fact enjoy a good turkey, because it becomes so bad it is actually fun to watch in good company, but this.. This is not even that.

Don't SEE THIS MOVIE! IT IS A TOTAL AND UTTERLY WASTE OF TIME AND MONEY! If you need to see an alternative Western movie, see Wild Wild West with Will Smith again instead, it is mindblowingly better than this load of humus.


I can't believe someone would actually want to put this film out for the public to view. Acting was pitiful on most parts (Caradine and some of the other veteran actors excepted). Costumes ranged from tight leather pants and tube top to "Western" costumes from a bargain Halloween store. From the wimpy bank manager to the W.C. Fields mayor, characterization was corny and I felt embarrassed for the actors. I can't even begin to describe the errors and bastardization of Western life and culture. An absolute travesty. This relates to BAD as "Unforgiven" relates to great. I think a 5-year-old could write a better story, film it and direct it... probably even act in it! If someone wants to play cowboy and film it for fun with friends fine, but don't bother publishing it. I do believe you should ad at least a ZERO to your voting scale.


This is by far the worst movie I have ever seen and the director deserves to be punched in the face. First, there's the massive history inaccuracy. I'm not racist, but why the hell are blacks and whites mixing with each other in a bar in 1866, in Texas, a year after the civil war!?! Second, the editing is atrocious, the worst I've ever seen. During a scene where the main cast is surrounded in a house with heaps of bad guys are shooting away, a scene where one of the guys in the house sticking a shotgun out a window is repeated 4 times. 4 times!! And by the time the shotgun sound is added in we've skipped to another frame! Third why the hell did I watch this movie! there were heaps of other better looking movie to hire but I had to pick this one! I could go on for ages about how crap this movie is, but I won't. I'd give this movie zero, but the rating system won't let me. Just don't see this piece of crap.


Let me start out by saying that I am a white male. I thought it was a decent effort at what they were attempting to do with this movie, so I've rated it a 4. But overall, this movie sucked.

Every time the camera was on a different person it was like the show stopped and they were trying to make some big drama out of each character. In order for that to work, people have to care, and I didn't care at all. It was like a bunch of different ideas that they were trying to mold into one film, but they didn't complete any of those ideas and in my opinion they didn't even work together.

Now let me get to the part that is probably controversial. I watched the special features on the DVD to see what the maker of this film, Jean Claude, was thinking... because really, a black western? An urban western?? Hey I'm a fan of Moulin Rouge where they incorporated modern music through the whole movie and it was superb, so I am not against new ideas. But Moulin Rouge was as much of a comedy as it was a love story and musical. It was meant to be a fantasy world of dreamers.

Brothers in Arms was to be taken completely seriously. Jean Claude explained that he wants to be the person to show people that there can be black westerns, that there can be black sci-fi, and a "black race car movie", etc. I admire his intentions, but for the love of God, a black western?? I kept waiting for there to be some kind of narration in the beginning that spoke of blacks in the old west, historically speaking. If that were the case, if the movie were to be documenting the little known black addition to the old west, I would have been glued to the screen. But this movie's attempt to put blacks in a western is like someone making a remake to Roots featuring an all white cast.


Simply one of the worst movie's I ever spent time on. Very Bad casting. A black girl sheriff in the wild west is a pathetic idea, Most of the actors are really bad for their roles. The black/Indian girl (Kenya Moore) was almost as bad as the sheriff. If anyone in this production ever had any Idea what happened in the times the movie presume to display, he should have stop this catastrophe. Aside from the fact that most of the Afro Americans was living in the big towns back than, there were never any small all black communities back than, and I'm pretty sure there where not to many black outlaw gangs at the time. Just an attempt to make a western gang movie. pour attempt at that. Even worst acting. The director should never be allowed on a set again. There isn't really anything good to say about this movie.


We all said at some point 'this was the worst movie i have ever seen',but common...this movie is a shame.I watch 'behind the scenes' or making of' of almost every movie I see...All the actors had only great words regarding the director and his work.The bad part is that even Carradine talked nice about him and the movie.Even Carradine?Well,he's good,maybe we think too much of him,i don't know.In my opinion,the director had the entire fault.Some should just do something else with the money,even donate...but stop doing 'things' like 'Brothers in arms'.I could say a lot of bad words,but i'm not gonna bother no more...1 is way to good for this movie..we should start our votes from 0,1


And then pulled behind a wagon through a mile of cactus and dropped off a big cliff into a deep ravine full of giant man eating ants.

This is the stupidest thing I have ever seen.

Did anybody else mention the introduction scene for Kansas (Kurap, by far the lamest actor I have ever seen,) where we see three of his cards being a King, Queen and Jack of spades and he then calls out that he has a full house? They're showing us a straight flush and then.....ugghhhh. And the next scene is that horrible sword slashing thing. And then the lady with the dynamite on her belly, who cares? shoot her, it's not like that dynamite is gonna hurt you from that far away. What kind of idiot robs someone by strapping dynamite to yourself and then standing thirty feet away from them?

They're trying to get us to believe that any of this could have happened in the American west of the past, when they can't even get us to believe that any of this could have happened at any time on the planet Earth.

The worst acting

The worst clothing (notice I don't call them costumes, because they didn't even attempt to make period clothing.)

The worst directing

the worst plot, dialogue, scene editing, music etc. HORRIBLE.

DO NOT WATCH, DO NOT WATCH, DO NOT WATCH!!!!!!

I'm going to have to do a months worth of brain teezers just to gain back the IQ points I lost from watching the first quarter of this?


"Brothers in Arms" is the latest in the sub-genre of 'hip-hop westerns', which stills strikes me as a great idea, but has yet to be realized into something more worthy than direct to video fare (Wild Wild West included). This film doesn't change that. It does have passable performances from Gabriel Casseus and Raymond Cruz to off-set the outright horrible ones of Antwon Tanner and Kenya Moore. Better than average (at least for direct to video) cinematography is overshadowed by the stale production design, dismal writing, dead action sequences, and repetitive stock hip-hop music. Hip-hop could hack it in a western, just hear T-Bone Burnett's work with the Nappy Roots in "The Ladykillers" and imagine the possibilities. But here, it's a complete distraction. How Jean-Claude La Marre ever nabbed David Carradine for this, I can only guess, but he does as good a job as anyone could've done with the writing and, in this kind of wreck, professionalism is the most you could ask for.

The last 5 minutes are so pretentious and melodramatic, they border on unwatchable. Please, save the song for the credits next time. If you want the scene to be powerful, give us a character that we have a reason to care about.

Here's to the next effort in this sub-genre, may it be something deep and resonant... Ernest Dickerson, where are you when we need you!


Disclosure #1: I saw the first ten minutes and was so bored, I just FF'd through the rest.

Disclosure #2: I worked on this film. It was a horrible horrible experience since the director was a huge, freakin' idiot who didn't know what he wanted or even how to get it in the instance that he did know what he was aiming for. It was the biggest fluster cluck I've ever been a witness to.

Disclosure #3: I am neither black nor a hip-hop/rap fan so I'm not exactly in the demo that this movie was aimed at.

That all said, this wasn't the worst film, Urban or otherwise, that I've ever seen. Bottomline, it's competently put together and I woudn't go much farther. It's not good enough to sit down and watch, nor is it bad enough to sit down and mock; it just sits there totally inert and lifeless. It just is.

Meh.


While parts of this movie are kind of fun, and the director uses some really nice shots, other parts were super lame. The acting overall was mediocre, but given the script, they did about as much as they could with the material. David Carradine was the only standout as far as the acting goes.

There were some costume decisions that were really bad and pulled me right out of the wild west. One character has a jacket with zippers on it. Zippers weren't around back then - they weren't invented until the early 1900s. The female lead's leather, belly-baring, bustier outfit was extremely anachronistic as well. It's straight out of a current day pop video and definitely something you could imagine Britney Spears or Christina Aguilera wearing, but not someone in a western lawless town in the 1800s. These things might seem nit-picky, but those are examples of the half-way done tone of the entire film.

Overall it's a mediocre movie that should have been more fun than it was.


Factual errors: The film contains several background story scenes which are designed to make the audience care about the characters. However, it is not actually possible to care about any of these characters.

Continuity: David Carradine appeared in several movies which were good. Then, inexplicably, he's in this movie.

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): After being identified by multiple witnesses during a blatant murder in a small town filled with vigilantes, the main characters return the next day to rob the bank. This idea is, in fact, completely f**king retarded.

Anachronisms: Sequined chaps did not actually exist in the old west.

Miscellaneous: The credits for this film list a director and several actors. However, acting and directing do not appear in the film.

Audio/visual mismatch: Good western soundtrack was apparently accidentally replaced with generic hip-hop garbage.

Revealing mistakes: Movie exists.


Recap: Brothers Linc and Zane, armed robbers in the wild west, gather the gang once more for one final job. The target, a bank, which in its vault has over a quarter of a million dollars for the railroad salaries. The only problem is that the town is practically owned by a ruthless man, one Mr Driscoll. Driscoll's son, Burt, is responsible for the death of Linc's and Zane's mother. And Driscoll's man Wolverton responsible for the death of the Reverend's family. So when the gang is in town, to check out the bank, they run in to Burt, killing him. This brings down the wrath of Driscoll and Wolverton, but the gang still decides that the job is worth the risk.

Comments: This is a very shallow movie, somewhat entertaining but with no depth in it at all. It tries to by bringing in connections and relations between a lot of the characters on either side of the law, but as these are never explored, just mentioned, it brings nothing. There are some action, and gunfights, and that is what makes the movie watchable. The gunfights are not good though, not very realistic at all. People just stand there, firing repeatedly. Not very much else happens, actually.

This is a movie to see if you are bored. Then it can kill some time for you. But if you look for a quality movie, keep looking.

3/10


This film is not quite as bad as most people posting here remark. The action scenes aren't great, but they are passable. The actors are all undeniably charismatic. The story has its drawing power with real potential, even if this is never realized. The central problem remains, however: like most 'post-modern Westerns,' it's very unclear what of this we're to take seriously, if any of it. If it is just to be a kind of 'gangsta Western,' then it needs far more and far better action, or if it's to be a comedy, then it needs far more and far better jokes. I think the great disappointment in this film, that it is neither comedy nor action film, nor even some weird hybrid, is what most reviewers are responding to.

I'm going to quote another IMDb reviewer (Winner55) on another film, Raimi's 'The Quick and The Dead.' Since I know this reviewer personally, I know he won't mind; he makes the point about 'post-modern westerns' far better than I could: "The post-modern Western, as a kind of parasitic sub-genre of the Western, began as self-conscious parody of the Western. The precursors were films like The Marx Brothers Go West and Bob Hope's Paleface - films set in the 19th century but including references to events of the 194os. But the post-modern really began to come out on its own as afterthought to the Spaghetti Western, the formula for which included larger-than-life caricatures of the traditional Hollywood Western. The best known of these early Post-Mod Westerns were the Trinity films, but there was actually a more successful American variant from about the same time (early 1970s), Support Your Local Sheriff.

"Notice that all the films mentioned so far have been comedies. For some reason, the makers of Post-Mod Westerns soon began taking themselves seriously, as heavily ironic commentary on the politics of the day - think El Topo, Dirty Little Billy, Doc. Most of these were failures - El Topo once considered a cult film, is virtually unwatchable now.

"But the serious Post-Mods did leave a legacy. Since the mid-1980s, a number of films have deployed the same heavy irony, although politics is no longer a major concern. Among the first noticeable of these revised Post-Mods was the 'Brat Pack'version of the Billy the Kid story, Young Guns. This film sold very well, but largely due to the all-star cast involved; most critics did recognize a deeper problem with it, that it was difficult to determine what of it was serious, what comedic, and what just pure self-indulgence, as in the infamous peyote sequence (which, already bad, nonetheless left such an impression it got redone in Tony Scott's abysmal Domino).

"This problem now really defines the Post-Mod Western. Watching these films, are we indulging in a fantasy, the plot and themes to be taken seriously despite the irony? Or is the irony simply a cheap and easy form of over-intellectualized comedy? The lack of any clear answer is the real lasting impression any of these films leave with us."


Brothers In Arms is a decent attempt at a modern western with a twist.

The film does stay quite loyal to the original concept of the western. The surroundings and atmosphere are generally authentic in appearance and the majority of the story doesn't try to steer off into other directions that are inconsequential to the period in time. In other words, no one rides a motorbike and ninjas have no involvement.

David Carradine plays Driscoll  a tyrant that has a stranglehold on a dreary western town. He owns everything including the law enforcement. He is a man above the law and fear is his favoured weapon of choice.

When a group of robbers come to town with the view of making the bank their next hit, they inadvertently kill Driscoll's son. This slightly scuppers the groups' plans and they must proceed carefully as Driscoll has vowed revenge for the killing of his son.

The film may have faults but unlike some movies it doesn't try to over-complicate the story to hide them. The acting is average. The film wasn't made with an Academy Award in mind so I don't think one can be too overly critical.

The music throughout the movie is fair with an intended mix of traditional western with some hip-hop style beats mixed in. It's not too overpowering for the theme but it may be irritating for the more sophisticated western viewer.

Unfortunately we reach what I believe are the real negatives.

The direction of the film is very poor. The film starts heavily with the flashy flashy camera style, jumping from scene to scene really quickly. The trend continues but thankfully for my eyesight it dies out slightly.

It does remind me a lot of Michael Oblowitz's work.

Some films can pull it all together with amazing action sequences - this does not.

This is the factor that annoys me greatest of all. In a western movie one expects a shootout, not just a shootout, at the very least, a good shootout. This is one western movie that does not deliver it in any form. It was like watching grown ups dressed as cowboys run around with toy guns shouting, "bang bang".

Director La Marre simply has no idea where to put the camera in the shootouts. In the close one on one confrontation there is no suspense and it's never clear who gets shot - In fact, sometimes its just noise. It is a very weak and shoddy attempt.

I'm glad to see a revival of sorts with modern westerns and I find it very difficult to criticise Brothers In Arms too much because with a tweak here and there (granted, one of the tweaks being someone that can shoot action) this really could have been a great film. It must be stated the estimated budget for the film was $1.5m and based on that figure it's a reasonable movie.

I certainly think it's worth a watch for some creative inspiration.


I am deeply in love with this film, and each time I watch it I love it even more. I truly look forward to seeing more from its writer/director, Randy Redroad. I fear that, living outside of America, however, I may have trouble finding his work... but I hope this will not be the case!

From beginning to end, "The Doe Boy" exudes a powerful, yet non-sensationalistic and understated spirituality that many films would do well to emulate.

The story concerns Hunter, a mixed-blooded Cherokee/White young man with haemophilia ("a white man's disease"), and his struggle for identity and for a sense of power over his life. Throughout the film he struggles with a difficult relationship with his father, made worse by Hunter's inability to play sports, to help his father work on his car, or to, as his name suggests, hunt (which is also a favourite pastime of his father). Along the way his grandfather, a full-blood Cherokee, gently assists him by telling him tales of their history and explaining his own way of viewing the world.

Hunter's father manages to persuade Hunter's overprotective mother to allow him to take Hunter deer hunting and Hunter, thinking he sees a buck, instead commits the social faux pas of killing a female deer, earning him the nickname of "Doe Boy". Giving away further details may lessen the experience of the first viewing, so I will not describe the other major plot developments that take place in this film, except to say that Hunter is left even more alone and powerless in this world, and calls upon the strength and wisdom of his grandfather to guide him to find the inner strength, courage and self-reliance to take the hand life has dealt him, and to become a true warrior and Cherokee brave.

I am still unclear as to the implications of the ending, however that does not make me love this film any less; perhaps the film maker intended to leave the ending somewhat open, given the nature of the events and circumstances that preceded it.

Without a doubt, this film - as beautiful, deep and soulful as the warpainted eyes of James Duval as the Cherokee brave of some of the final scenes of the film - is a must-see for any fan of James Duval or of modern, Native American-themed cinema. As a fan of both, I would like to thank both Mr Redroad and all the people who participated in the making of this film, for making available something so beautiful and touching, for the world to experience. I believe that James Duval may well be remembered for the role of Hunter Kirk for the rest of his career. This is a truly beautiful film, which I would very, very highly recommend.


Randy Redroad's 'debut' is astounding. The story is subtle but incredibly strong and emotionally-charged. It's about the struggles of self-identity, father-son relationships, reconciliation, and healing. There is no melodrama or cliché in this film-- it's entirely refreshing. The dialogue is terrific-- often hilarious, never trite. James Duval totally possesses his character and draws you into Hunter's story-- his performance is really beautiful. Anyone at all who's mixed-blood in some way can strongly relate to this story, but I think its detailed uniqueness actually reaches that point of being universally accessible. I don't think anyone can see this film without relating with Hunter or caring immensely what happens. This is one of those 'must-see/must-have' films for anyone who values good stories.


Talk about movies that slip under the radar! Almost nobody heard about The Doe Boy and there really isn't a good - or even acceptable reason.

Slowly paced this very gentle film packs an emotional wallop few films with far bigger budgets, more stars and loftier reaching stories could hope to achieve. Doe Boy is about Hunter - a boy with an American Indian mother and white father. Hunter is a hemophiliac, a disease seemingly unknown to Native Americans and which separates him further, forever making him feel like an outsider. His macho father (an absolutely terrific performance by Kevin Anderson) loves him, but is ever let down by the boy's inability to be more physically active because of his disease.

As the film traces Hunter's story from childhood through his late teens, we see the difficulty of the relationship between he and his father strained to the limits as well as the inability of his mother to let him go and become the man her son needs to be.

James Duval gives a performance that is positively incandescent; it is an amazing achievement. With relatively little dialogue, it is through facial features and body language that he fills Hunter with a sense of defiance and a desperate need for acceptance. We witness the painful struggle he endures of always being different, in not one, but numerous ways. Acceptance and understanding do not come easy, but with the aid of his wise grandfather, a beautiful girl, and coming to grips with his heritage and and the forces of nature, Hunter's journey is one that everyone should be able to relate to. It is a brilliant, moving performance.

In every way this quiet, little movie is about as perfect as indie film can be. A joy to watch.


The movie was wholesome and had a great story line. Blondell was great in it. =) There was some great scenery. The acting was very good. The direction of the movie was excellent. I think if this movie had gotten more press it would have done well in the box office.


This film is absolutely gorgeous and worth every moment. It's a Native American film that touches aspects of "Indian blood," the process of growing into a man, and moral/familial conflicts. Hunter is a dynamic character with facets that evolve as the film grows. For a film, I was blown away by the character progression. Hunter's story crosses ethnic lines and appeals to all audiences.

Deeply personal, quietly understated film. If you have an interest in Native American culture or really just appreciate a perfect script and a beautifully made film, then this is your movie.

Randy Redroad came to my school to speak and present two of his films, "Doe Boy" and "133 Skyway." My favorite part is when he said something along the lines of:

"When I review films and I am on the panel, oftentimes it's all PhDs and me. We review films and everyone says 'this reminds me of this' or 'this film was reminiscent of this' but you know what? Look at the film for what it is. You know, good for you that you memorized an author, what do you FEEL?"

After that he quoted a line from a Woody Allan film where Diane Keaton is looking at a painting and refers the painting to another artist "but without the wit." It was an eye-opening experience to hear him say this, something I had honestly never thought about before. But Randy Redroad is right, what does anything really mean without the emotion?

This is the type of film you're lined up for... by an incredible artist.


This movie was the biggest piece of absolute hog-wash that I had ever seen. I am from the town where the film was shot and I am also Cherokee and I must say . . . this movie (with my Indian heritage and all) made absolutely no sense. I left the room wondering what in the world I had just seen. The movie is filled with awful acting, no story-line and just nothingness. I will admit that the filmography was good. It is professionally presented although it is a "B" movie but otherwise I wouldn't go see it again if they paid me. What do you get when you cross a hemophiliac-native American with a poor story, bad acting and complete rubbish? Doe-Boy!


This 1987 film is a wonderful combination of sci-fi, comedy, romance and thriller elements. It is briskly paced despite being almost two hours in length, and features superb performances from the leads; Dennis Quaid is excellent as usual, as is Meg Ryan in her best role. Yet the plaudits must go to Martin Short in a truly great performance he has never matched. He just needs the right role. The supporting cast are great as well; the delightful villainy of Vernon Wells who is unrecognisable as usual! Also Robert Picardo camping it up superbly as The Cowboy, one of his most memorable creations, plus the great pairing of Fiona Lewis and Kevin McCarthy, who memorably says to his dog before feeding it: 'Never beg, never beg!' The cinematography and special effects/makeup are all great as well, and Jerry Goldsmith's score is brilliant, perfectly complementing the tone of the film, alternately exciting/sprightly/romantic. Joe Dante binds it all together with magnificent verve, plus Dick Miller makes his trademark appearance! A great, timeless classic. Highly recommended.


This is an updated "Fantastic Voyage" and interestingly done, I thought. Joe Dante directed a number of fun movies to watch.

It's not the innocent Steven Spielberg "E.T."-like movie I expected because of the language and several sex jokes. In other words, this is not a kids' movie.

Dennis Quaid stars and plays his usual cocky self. (He's mellowed in recent years.) Meg Ryan is her usual cute-but-of-little-substance self and Martin Short is just plain funny - the best guy in the movie.

The film offers a good combination of humor and science-fiction suspense. It's a fun movie I would rate higher if it weren't so silly in spots.


What a funny thrill ride this movie is! A man (Dennis Quaid) volunteers to be shrunk down to the size of a cell and injected into a rabbit. But terrorists are after this scientific breakthrough and by various hijinks he winds up being injected into the butt of a nervous grocery clerk, played by Martin Short. And that's just the beginning.

Innerspace shows Dennis Quaid at his most winning, and Short at his funniest. And of course, there's a very young Meg Ryan as their love interest. The jokes resonate with both kids and adults, and unlike most action-adventure films, the plot here is never short of ideas. And the effects are pretty neat too: as we see Quaid's character wander within the human body, we feel as much amazement and wonder as he does. LOTS of movies attempt to put you in outer space and worlds far away, but I can't think of one that has made the creative attempt of exploring our inner space.

I first saw "Innerspace" when I was 11. I didn't know who any of the lead actors were. I'd never seen Saturday Night Live. And I thought it was a great movie. Twelve years and hundreds of movies later, I still think it's wonderful.


This movie offers perfect entertainment.

The main characters and the performances by the actors are very good and comical. The movie is filled with some crazy 'not-so-everyday' characters and the villains are deliciously stereotyped and highly entertaining and there are some simply hilarious moments throughout the movie.

The movie can be described as an adventure science-fiction comedy. Surely the movie will not be remembered as one of the best of all time but I will always remember this movie as a very entertaining one and of which I have some very fond childhood memories.

The nice 'unknown' musical score by Jerry Goldsmith is very good, I actually watched this movie in honor of his death the day he had died, on 21 July 2004.

As long as you don't expect a masterpiece and merely want to be entertained, this movie is perfectly recommendable. Also very watchable for the entire family.

7/10


Tuck Pendleton (Dennis Quaid) is a hotshot Navy pilot on an unusual and top secret mission; he is to be shrunk down and injected into the body of a rabbit, but when things go wrong he ends up inside Jack Putter (Martin Short) instead. Jack must now work with Tuck in order to stay alive; and it's a great ride.

All the cast are good in this film, but Martin Short is brilliant; it's wall to wall action, adventure and laughs, and with a little romance thrown in, it's a winner. The special effects are outstanding for the time and Joe Dante's direction is excellent.

Innerspace is fun for the whole family 7/10


When Joe Dante wanted to do a remake of Fantastic Voyage, I liked the way he decided to make his version into a comedy. I was surprised to discover that this film wasn't too successful, because I believe Innerspace is good solid entertainment, albeit daft.

The story begins when Lt Tuck Pendleton (Dennis Quaid), an excellent pilot but an irresponsible hard drinker volunteers for a highly unusual experiment. He will be placed inside a submersible pod, and with the use of two microchips, be miniaturised and injected into a laboratory rabbit (called Bugs, what is it about Joe Dante and Looney Tunes characters anyway?).

But just after Tuck has been shrunk, a group of Silicon Valley industrial spies break into the lab, and steal one of the microchips necessary to reverse the miniaturisation process. In desperation, one of the scientists (Ozzie) runs with the syringe Tuck is in, and injects him into the body of Jack Putter (Martin Short).

Jack is a stressed out hypochondriac who is terrified of life, and learning that a shrunken human being is inside his body doesn't make him any less neurotic. With Tuck and Jack now having to depend on each other for survival, they team up with Tuck's ex girlfriend Lydia Maxwell (Meg Ryan) to recover the stolen chip before Tuck's air supply runs out.

I must confess to being a sucker for these loser comes out on top stories, and this film is no exception. Jack is a man who has nothing going for him in life, but with Tuck urging him on, Jack manages to find inner confidence he never knew he had and takes control of his life.

Both Tuck and Jack's characters go through changes in this film. Seeing the world through Jack's eyes, Tuck begins to reflect upon the mistakes he has made in his life. His irresponsible behaviour and heavy drinking was responsible for Lydia breaking up with him, and he wouldn't be in the situation he's in now if he hadn't recklessly gone through with this hare brained experiment.

Dennis Quaid makes a likable character as Tuck, because although he is a wise guy, his pep talks to Jack are quite inspiring and how you can learn to take control of your own destiny.

Martin Short is also a likable hero as Jack, although he does have a tendency to go over the top. Although he is supposed to be neurotic, his antics can grate on you a little on occasion. Some of his antics can be funny too, such as the crazy dance he does in Tuck's apartment, and yelling "I'm possessed" when he first hears Tuck's voice inside his head.

The different scrapes they get into are quite exciting, such as Jack's hanging on for dear life at the back of a refrigerated truck (although it is a little overlong). Tuck's battle with one of the spies inside Jack's body is very well done, and the method of killing him is quite innovative too.

One of the funniest scenes is when Tuck alters Jack's face to look like The Cowboy (Robert Picardo), someone who has come to buy the microchip off Scrimshaw (Kevin McCarthy), the man responsible for stealing the chip in the first place. The special FX for these scenes are pretty amazing, and the look on everyone's faces during these transformations are priceless.

The FX used for inside Jack's body are incredible, and are totally realistic. One of the best scenes is when Tuck is nearly pulled into Jack's heart, and is very nail biting. Another good scene is when Tuck ends up in Lydia's body through a kiss with Jack, and sees his unborn child in her womb. That is a very awe inspiring scene, and is worthy of the same fascination that made Fantastic Voyage great.

I believe this is a criminally underrated film. Admittedly, its a hard film to swallow, with things like altering Jack's face to look like someone else. How exactly could you do that? But this is a Joe Dante film, so you have to suspend disbelief a little. Meg Ryan isn't given enough to do, and its a pity her character couldn't have been given enough development.

There are also a lot of things happening in this film, and not everything is tied up like it should have been. The way Innerspace ends, there could have been a sequel, but so far it hasn't been followed up. With Dennis Quaid's and Meg Ryan's divorce that doesn't seem very likely now.

Still, Quaid has got a brilliant rapport with Short, and some (if not all) of the important matters are resolved. Its an entertaining film, and you find yourself being pulled along for the ride whether you like it or not. After Gremlins, Innerspace is my favourite Joe Dante film.


'Innerspace ''is a science fiction movie from the 80's, full of comedy and full of stars, like Dennis Quaid, Meg Ryan (this one very young and very thin in her 20's), Martin Short, and Kevin McCarthy. I personally find this movie adorable, since the scenes showing Tuck Pendleton inside of the human body, amazes me until today, seeing all those organs, embryo and even the cells in the veins.

I am not surprised to see that this movie is produced by Steven Spielberg, since the guy has a natural talent to make most of the movies a great success, with incredible stories.

The plot: Pilot Lt. Tuck Pendleton is a member of a top-secret miniaturization experiment, that sadly goes wrong when a rival team of scientists, try to stole their plans and ideas to make miniaturization a success for them. Instead of being inside of a rabbit, Tuck ends in the body of Jack Putter, a hypochondriac who thinks that now is listening to strange voices inside his head. When Jack discovers about Tuck, an awesome adventure begins, with Jack, Tuck and even Tuck's girlfriend, trying to help Tuck to be back in his natural size.


Joe Dante may be the zaniest director out there, along with Tim Burton. "Matinee" is my favorite of his movies, but "Innerspace" is certainly also up there. For the for couple of minutes, I couldn't figure out what was going on, but suddenly, the plot became clear. Lt. Tuck Pendleton (Dennis Quaid) is shrunk down to the size of a dust speck to be injected into an animal - a la "Fantastic Voyage". But then, a terrorist group seizes the lab and one of the scientists carries the hypodermic out. With his last bit of strength, he injects Tuck into local dweeb Jack Putter (Martin Short) - without informing Jack of this. From there, some very embarrassing predicaments arise for the two men, not the least of which is how to explain the situation to explain to Tuck's hubby Lydia Maxwell (Meg Ryan).

Throughout, "Innerspace" has Dante's quirky mark all over it. Dante of course gives a role to Dick Miller: in this case, Miller plays a cab driver. Dante regulars Kevin McCarthy and Robert Picardo also star, the former as villain Victor Scrimshaw, the latter as Scrimshaw's associate Cowboy. With some crazy lines, this movie is pure fun for everyone.


Can anybody tell me why almost everybody loves "Back to the Future" yet nobody ever deigns to mention this little beauty in the same breath? It more than deserves it.

 Quaid is excellent as the cocky yet likeable "Tuck Pendleton". Here is a character who has personality to spare and a nice line in putdowns. You get the sense that he gets as exasperated with Jack as we the audience do. Quaid can really deliver when given the right material, something that Hollywood provides all too scarcely.

 (POSSIBLE SPOILERS HEREON)

 Short overacts but is still pretty funny, and anyway, I suppose exaggeration is forgivable given that he's playing a neurotic. Ryan is cute but in all honesty is not given that much to work with. It's credit to her talent that she manages to stand out at all.

 Mr Igo is a cool villain, but one of many elements in the plot that aren't exploited to their full potential. The film is so bursting with invention that often things are touched upon and then dropped before they've really been explored. This all goes to show, however, that the film doesn't stand still for a minute, which can only be a good thing, especially when you have Quaid firing off the wisecracks.

 It's fair to say that amidst all the general good fun the special effects aren't always something you notice, but they are superb, especially for '87. Never once do they undermine the story.

 It really is Quaid's film though, personal favourite lines including "Dip, Dip, Dip all you like. Nothin's gonna fit ya" and "You better, you two-faced sonofab**ch"

 An absolute blast from start to finish; this really is unfairly overlooked as being 'just another remake of 'Fantastic Voyage'", when in reality it compares well with acknowledged classics of the comedy adventure genre such as "Back to the Future".


The great thing about Joe Dante in the 1980s was his knack for instilling humor into the sci-fi genre. Innerspace is probably one of the greats in that category, mixing in some great special effects (for its time) and some hillarious performances by Martin Short and Dennis Quaid. But what I especially enjoyed was the concept, turning a film that could have been serious and urgent into a film that was both funloving and interesting to watch. Sure, the whole idea is bupkiss and it was an homage to Fantastic Voyage, but the twist Dante put on it certainly makes it worth watching over and over.


This movie has a lot of elements to it and it strangely worked for me. I do not think it was a super success at the box office, but for me the movie was a very funny film. I do feel this one is more of a comedy than action or science fiction as Martin Short steals the show as the guy who ends up getting Dennis Quaid's character shot into his buttocks. The story, a group of scientist have invented a shrinking ray and they have used it to shrink Quaid's character and a ship to super small size. They aim to inject the ship and Quaid into a bunny, but some sort of attack occurs and he ends up injected into Short's character instead. So the rest of the film is the group that attacked the scientist coming after Short while Quaid tries to figure out a way to get big again. There are some interesting scenes of the insides of Short, though one has to wonder why they would have a device to attach to the inner ear of the bunny as I do not think you can talk to a bunny. The eye part though makes sense though. Another thing that makes little sense is the dude with the hand attachments, seems like a character that should be in a James Bond movie or something. I know there was a character exactly like that in a movie that was sort of a Get Smart movie called "The Nude Bomb" or something to that extent. This film though for the most part worked, especially when it was being a comedy.


My Take: Hilarious oddity piece with imaginative special effects and an appealing cast.

What a weird way to make a movie! And yet, what a fun and enjoyable film it is. INNERSPACE is a highly enjoyable little film, with some fine nifty special effects and some hilarious performances by Dennis Quaid, Meg Ryan and Martin Short. Not to mention Joe Dante's wacky inventiveness in his direction makes INNERSPACE is fun film for a very fun-loving audience.

Quaid plays Tuck Pendelton, a party animal of a scientist who volunteers to be shrunk to microscopic size and injected to the insides of a lab test rabbit. Things get awry when a rival company wrecks havoc in the lab, and one of his colleagues is forced to inject him to hypochondriac Jack Putter (Short) instead. While trying to find his way out of Putter's body, Tuck changes Jack's life, as he becomes his "conscience". On their trail is Victor Eugene Scrimshaw (Kevin McCarthy) and his group who wants this little science project for themselves. Then on is a combination of various chases, wackiness and secret services.

The movie takes the plot of an old B-movie, and brings it back to life, turning it to a fun and highly-spirited sci-fi comedy. It's like Richard Fleischer's classic THE FANTASTIC VOYAGE, but it has its own unique ideas and storyline to set its differences. Dante keeps all in fast pace, and doesn't keep us waiting for something to happen. The characters played by the leads are appealing and the script is filled with genuine laughs, with Short given the most. INNERSPACE is enjoyable entertainment, not to be taken seriously.

Rating: **** out of 5.


If you enjoy suspending disbelief and you appreciated "Gremlins", then this new offering form executive producer Steven Spielberg and director Joe Dante is guaranteed to keep you thoroughly entertained for over two hours (though you won't believe you've been sitting down that long). This extremely lively comedy concerns the misadventures of inept supermarket assistant manager Jack Putter (Martin Short), who is accidentally injected with a microscopic pod which contains a crack pilot who was supposed to be exploring a rabbit. So while Jack is beside himself with fears of demonic possession (he's hearing the voice of pilot Tuck Pendleton - Dennis Quaid), he is being pursued by government agencies and ruthless criminals. It all might sound rather fantastic, and it is, in the best possible way! Comic genius Martin Short really makes this movie his own with some outrageous antics (not unlike Jerry Lewis) that carry scene after scene, hilariously. Second billing really should go to Kevin McCarthy (though his is a small role) for his eccentric portrayal of Scrimshaw, the megalomaniac criminal who is 'just in it for the money'. Also great is Wendy Schaal, a checkout chick who is a little unsure about whether she should be dating the erratic Jack. Dennis Quaid makes a rugged, handsome hero while his real life wife Meg Ryan is a pretty heroine, in one of her better roles. Other strong support comes from Fiona Lewis and Henry Gibson.

Director Dante and screenwriters Chip Proser and Jeffrey Boam (Proser wrote the original story) have a ball with the wild premise (based loosely on "Fantastic Voyage" - 1966) and milk the comedy aspect dry, whilst the Academy Award winning visual effects team recreate the inside of the human body spectacularly, and Jerry Goldsmith provides a very effective and at times rousing score.

"Innerspace" is one of those movies that's loads of fun no matter how many times you see it! Several scenes are still riotously funny even for the fifth time. If only for Martin Short's manic performance and the brilliant special f/x, this picture is a must.

NB What looked like an opening for a definite sequel never did eventuate, or at least no yet!

Saturday, July 15, 1995 - Video


So entertaining that there should be some kind of law passed against it, InnerSpace is a magnificently engaging example of top-drawer family entertainment, directed with charm, with, humour and imaginative verve by Joe Dante; despite Gremlins arguably being his most iconic and popular film, InnerSpace may very well be his finest hour. In the 1980's, Dante made some wildly enjoyable movies including Gremlins and its sequel, Explorers, The 'burbs and The Howling; usually state-of-the-art yet delightfully old-fashioned and nostalgic charming, thrilling, marvellously referential to older movies (I'd say Dante did this better than nearly any other director), and with very imaginative story-lines filled with quirky characters, surreal humour and generous lashings of excitement. It's no surprise that Steven Spielberg often had a hand in the making of many of his films, though Dante infuses his own offbeat style to the proceedings; Dante's got a agreeable sentimental streak, but he's also got an anarchic one too, something that would reach full crazy fruition with Gremlins 2.

Anyway, back to InnerSpace, which is a 1980's update of the Fantastic Voyage scenario, in which a man is miniaturised and injected into the body of another man; Lieutenant Tuck Pendleton (Dennis Quaid) is the pilot agreeing be shrunk down to near-invisible proportions and then injected into the body of a rabbit, only for the experiment to be interrupted by evil rival scientists who want the all-important microchips necessary for miniaturisation. Somehow, Pendleton finds himself injected into hypochondriac supermarket clerk Jack Putter (Martin Short), whose life is a mess and has been instructed by his doctor to take it very easy, and to avoid excitement at all costs; bad news for Jack, great news for us. Pendleton manages to make audio contact with Jack from inside of him, and together they try and save Pendleton before his air supply runs out. Meanwhile, other characters start to get involved with the action, from Pendleton's ex girlfriend Lydia (Meg Ryan) to the mysterious Cowboy, the lethal Mr. Igoe (a man with a detachable hand that can be replaced with guns, white-hot flame throwers and something slightly more pleasurable as briefly glimpsed in one hilariously risqué sight gag) and the evil Mr. Scrimshaw, a shrewd businessman who wants the microchips to sell to the highest bidder.

I'm a big fan of 1980's blockbusters, especially irreverent, imaginative fare like GhostBusters, Back to the Future, etc, not to mention masterworks such as Spielberg's early classics; in today's era of bigger, bigger and not quite better spectacle, the 1980's equivalent of the big summer movies look more and more like a Second Golden Age of Entertainment than ever before, with lots of films that haven't dated thanks to an abundance of great ideas, freshness, with, great genre performances and a healthy blend of natural, human character and fantastic special and visual effects. These days, blockbusters are too big, too empty and too superficially monumental, making them agreeable things to consume along with your popcorn at the cinema but proving to be hollow experiences when experienced on the small screen or even on a repeat viewing at the cinema. Of course, there are exceptions, especially Sam Raimi's delightful Spider-Man movies, but for me, the late 70's and 1980's was where it all worked best.

It's difficult to find a purely entertaining movie that not only has no flaws whatsoever, but whose virtues are almost consistently wonderful, but InnerSpace might be the one; Dennis Quaid never quite made it as a big A-list star, but here's he wonderfully likable, despite of (actually, maybe because of) his cockiness and smart attitude, and he manages to register a consistent strong presence throughout the film, even though he spends most of the time trapped in his tiny ship, thanks to his performance and his excellent chemistry with Martin Short, who never quite hit the jackpot in another film quite the way he does here. Here, he's absolutely hilarious; wound up, stressed, understandably amazed by just how insane this predicament he's stumbled into is (at first, quite realistically, he thinks he's losing his mind, maybe even possessed). Meg Ryan is also very charming and engaging as Lydia (very cute too, in the days before she milked said cuteness to disagreeable levels in her 90's films), who tags along for the ride but doesn't get let in on the whole truth of the story for the most part. As the villains, Kevin McCarthy (a Dante favourite) is brilliantly funny as Scrimshaw, while Fiona Lewis is very good as his man-eating deputy sidekick. As Mr. Igoe, Vernon Wells, a.k.a, The Campiest Villain Ever (as seen in Commando), manages to be genuinely chilling and scary for the second and last time in his career as a bad guy (the first was Mad Max 2), while Robert Picardo is painfully funny as the Cowboy; on an added note, his method of seducing women in nightclubs using an imaginary lasso does NOT work in real life. Not that I've tried, of course. Great comic support comes from Henry Gibson as Jack's boss at work, and Wendy Schaal as Jack's confused and selfish co-worker.

The action is wonderfully staged and sometimes quite suspenseful, especially Mr. Igoe's pursuit of the syringe early on in the film, a hilarious moment where Jack is flying off of the back doors of a van and a terrifically exciting encounter with a freshly shrunken Mr. Igoe and Pendleton above Jack's acid-raging stomach. The special effects are marvellous, especially when the film takes us inside Jack's body; these moments are often breathtaking, while's there's even a lovely moment when Pendleton temporarily finds himself inside Lydia and he sees their unborn child. The film is also hilarious, with countless great gags, a near-perfect balance between humour and excitement. By the end, you'll be left breathless, and yet it still manages to conclude on a delightful open note.

InnerSpace is one of my all-time favourite movies and one I still enjoy thoroughly every time I watch it.


Caveat: I have always hated Martin Short. I find him annoying, semi-retarded, and blame him for the Phoebe-Cates-career-killing "Drop Dead Fred", even if he was not even in that film. However, Short was quite amusing in this one.

"Innerspace" has Dennis Quaid shrunk down to be injected into a rabbit. Whoops! He's stolen by the villain from "UHF" and injected into Martin Short instead, who then must save Quaid with the help of Quaid's girlfriend, the pseudo-lesbian Meg Ryan.

Short's quirkiness worked for this film. I mean, goodness, he has a little man inside of him. And he works well with director Joe Dante, a Steven Spielberg protégé influenced by Bugs Bunny... his comedy is best reflected in "Gremlins" and "Gremlins 2". How he got to be a master of horror is beyond me (though one would assume from "The Howling").

The shots inside the body were interesting (like the "Body Wars" ride at Disney World), and Quaid was a great pilot for the adventure. I could have used less Meg Ryan, who seemed to be very unnecessary to the plot and her allegiance was unclear.

So um, yeah... it was a fun romp... watch it.


A Navy pilot, Tuck Pendelton, (Dennis Quaid) has been chosen for a secret experiment to operate a pod-like craft that is miniturized smaller than a grain of salt to be injected into a laboratory rabbit. However, the experiment goes haywire, and a bad batch of dudes want to take over the Miniturization all together. After stealing a microchip that is required for the process, one of the scientists injects the pod into the hypochondriac Safeway employee, Jack Putter. (Martin Short)

Unfortunately, the one chip they've taken is useless without the other, which is inside the pod--which is inside Jack Putter!

Now Pendelton, his beautiful ex-girlfriend, Lydia, (Meg Ryan) and Putter, have to work together to get the other chip back, and re-enlarge the pod before Tuck runs out of oxygen.

This is one of my absolute favorite movies!

I love all of the comedy that fits perfectly with the plot, the stunning special effects of all the close-up views of the human body, and romantic twists that suits the movie as well.

I highly recommend this film for science-fiction, comedy, action, and romance movie fans....So this movie will most likely suit anyone!

If you haven't seen this, it's a MUST to rent or buy. Very exciting, delighting, and fun!

You wont regret watching it! :)


The premise is ingenious: a man injected into the body of another man. Brilliant!

The movie itself is crammed with wonderful twists and special effects. *Sigh* They just don't make them like this anymore. Great plot, great characters and a neat ending.

I've seen this movie when it was quite young and I've just seen it again. It's still great! If you didn't see it yet, you really should!


I saw this when it first came out and it had everything going for it. Action, Comedy, a neat Sci-Fi premise,a great script and cast but it did horrible at the Box Office. Other than marketing, I have no idea why this never found it's audience and its a shame because it would have been nice to see a sequel that it was set up for at the end. It's kinda sad now that Dennis Quaid and Meg Ryan have broken up because their paring made it all the more special. If you haven't seen this one, check it out.

Why is this not on DVD??????


When I saw this movie for the first time I wasn't Meg Ryan's fan yet. I think I watched it in one of this saturday morning tv session, I really liked, specially the cast. This wonderful girl, who I became fan later is really funny and totally different of the kind of characters she would became specialist later. Dennis Quaid is great, he is a very talented actor, but working with the woman he was going to marry is incomparable, there is a great chemistry between them. But the star of the movie is Martin Short, who is hilarious as the schizophrenic Jack. It's certainly the funniest science fiction movie ever made.


This movie was one the first movies i watched and I loved it then and I love it 10 years later. Innerspace is another of those movies of the eighties that was charming and lovable to watch, they don`t make this great movies today.<br /><br />The movie is an adventure comedy starring Martin Short who gives the performance of a lifetime, he`s great and enjoyable to watch. Dennis Quaid and a young beautiful and charming Meg Ryan stars as well. When i first saw the movie i fell in love with Meg, she was great.

The movie has a very good and entertaining story and you can`t stop watching and enjoying the dialogue and great performances. Director Joe Dante deliver a great show for both youngster and adults.


I saw this ages ago, having recently watched on video. Normally I find comedies not worth watching twice, but Innerspace still made me laugh - even after all this time!!

Martin Short's character Jack Putter was great. He was a wimpy nerd, perfect to be injected in the butt by the doc carrying Dennis Quaid. I liked the part where his face was changed to the Cowboy's and back again. Very funny!!

Meg Ryan was a bit of a pain-in-the-butt (no pun intended), tho I think she should've married Jack, he was the cuter one!!! Dennis Quaid was great in this movie also, even confined to a teeny tiny pod floating around in Martins insides.

The inside-the-body SFX were cool. The scenes where Dennis had to escape the heart, plus the parts where he gets to see thru Martin's eyes etc really made good effects. It makes you wonder how you'd feel if that happened to you, Martin's reactions are priceless!!!

The bad guys provided plenty of comic relief, I like Cowboy's sleez and the big thug who fainted every time he saw something 'horrible'. The scene where Martin's hanging off the back of the truck was rather cool.

I recommend this flick to anyone who likes sci fi, comedy, romance, action, adventure! Because this movie has the lot!!

I give this flick 9 out of 10.


The best part about the movie was when "Jack Putter" was changing his facial features to become the cowboy and when he changed back!! That was hilarious!! I thought I was going to die I laughed so hard my sides hurt!! This was an excellent comedy, and Meg Ryan was great in the film also.


Innerspace is basically one long homage to Fantastic Voyage, but with Dante's typical weird comedy attached for good measure. All of Dante's favorite actors (William Schallert, Kevin McCarthy, Robert Picardo, Dick Miller) are along for the ride, but standouts are Quaid and Short. Meg Ryan in the Lois Lane role is less impressive. Overall, Innerspace is probably the wierdest "buddy movie" of all time.


Spielberg didn't direct this, but it has his fingerprints all over it. The king of schmaltz can't resist dumbing it all down and hamming it all up until he's sure all the kiddies will demand mum and dad take them to see it.

It didn't work this time; it bombed at the box office, and deservedly so. Trying to make a Sci-Fi and a comedy rolled into one just doesn't work. It didn't work here.

I feel a bit sorry for Dennis Quaid, I usually like his films, but nobody involved with this stinker had much choice, especially Dennis.

It didn't even work as fluffy, mindless entertainment, as some Spielberg films do, I just can't ignore the bad science and the misplaced humour.

I gave it a 3, simply because I managed to sit right through to the end.


A cocky, jerky, hyper-active/rambunctious test pilot (Quaid) who never outgrew his high school jock phase is miniaturized with the intention of being injected inside a rabbit, but when things go awry due to terrorist interference, he gets injected inside a man instead, specifically a hapless grocery store clerk (Short). With the bad guys hot on their trail and time running out before the pilot suffocates, the clerk must gain the trust and help of the pilot's unhappy girlfriend (Ryan, Quaid's real life ex-wife now). Naturally, over the course of their adventure the male bonding scenario results in the clerk getting in touch with his inner Rambo while the pilot learns that there's more to being a real man than just being overly aggressive and fearless.

Silly and absurd it may be, but still an engaging sci-fi comedy adventure. Well performed by the affable Short, the dependable Quaid and Meg Ryan at her cutest. The film's biggest flaw primarily is that it shows Dennis Quaid naked, and no one needs to see Dennis Quaid naked.


Occasionally, a movie comes along that is a delight from the beginning to end. "Innerspace" had all of the elements perfect, from writing to acting.

Martin Short is absolutely hysterical. This was the perfect vehicle for his physical nature. I never laughed at him in other films as much as I did here.

As I recall this movie in my home town, it did not spend that much time in the theater. I never saw it until it was released on video. It apparently did not gross that much money, and that is a mystery to me. It remains one of my all-time favorites.


Of course, I recommend this movie to any Wes Anderson fan, but if you're new to this director and you have yet to jump on 'the train,' (No pun intended), this is a fantastic place to start. Set against the backdrop of preset-day India, three brothers try to piece their lives back together after the shocking death of their father. As always, Wes gives us dead-pan acting, dead-pan camera angles and dead-pan composition, his signature moves. We are never quite sure whether to laugh or to cry, but we know the emotions we feel inside. Anyone who has ever tried to reconnect with any family member needs to see this movie, you will see the parallels, as crazy at it may seem, it's true. Everyone of our families has a character just like in any of Wes' films.


This film is about a lot of things- I think the primary motif and theme is the male body- the three brothers wear slim fitting, 60's or 70's style suits and accessories, and are often shown in little more than a pair of boxers or light cotton pajamas. They run in slow motion; they place themselves physically close to one another even when they are in conflict; and Jason Schwartzman's love scene with "Rita" is visually PG (no nudity, no obvious humping) - but when he licks his fingers and puts them "somewhere" down below the camera frame, he participates in one of the more sensual sex scenes I have seen. Moreover, the brothers save the three Indian boys from the river and must grasp onto them physically, bodily - this contact is essential. The father of the one dead boy also washes and oils his son's corpse. The film is about heterosexual, intimate, male-male contact- how men can become close to one another physically, emotionally, and spiritually without any suspicions of homosexual undercurrent. This male-male friendship - maybe bro-love? - is the rock upon which the shifting visual sands of the movie comes to rest. Women disrupt, but bring joy - brotherhood is difficult, it is not a choice, but it is somehow far deeper than romantic love. The film is beautiful - pure, sensual, deadpan, intentionally eccentric Wes Anderson - but betraying, as always, an emotional impulse towards the "family romance" - the inimitable love between family members that respect one another.


Well, maybe it wasn't actually long as it seemed. I kept waiting for something interesting to happen.

In reading some of the high reviews of this movie, perhaps those people are intellectuals or movie critics looking for something other than what I would look for.

I'm just an average Joe, watching a movie to be entertained - not particularly looking for the higher message. This movie totally missed the mark for me. I didn't understand what the point was, and cannot fathom how others rated this highly.

Although I have noticed that it seems that almost every movie on IMDb has a rating in the 7s... It makes no sense to me that a movie this dumb would get such a high rating.....

Anyway, I don't recommend this movie.


A pathetic excuse for seeing a lot of naked girls, this Fred Olen Ray apocriph production is a lesbian feast, with several almost always naked female ghosts doing a lot of two-some, three-some and four-some while a team of reporters shoots a documentary on them. Julie Strain appears only in two erotic scenes (both with the porcelain twins, a couple of blondes resembling - but only for the face, as she as definitely better boobs - Italian pornstar Selen), while in the other five you have a couple each with Aria Giovanni (another goddess of this kind of movies), Mia Zottoli (also known as Ava Lake), Felony and Nicole Specht.

The movie starts well, with a pool scene among Julie and the Twins involving a silver dildo, but it becomes almost boring for the rest, apart from a few very good moments (as the sado-maso scene involving again Julie and the Twin and also the final four some, involving all the rest of the female cast), with really annoying fake moans, always out of synchro. Good, yes, for the genre, but could be a lot much better than this


With a title like 13 EROTIC GHOSTS I was under no illusion what sort of film I'd be watching - A rather threadbare plot revolves around a bunch of supernatural investigators finding out about ghostly happenings after a girls school is struck by lightening and burns down in a special effects sequence that wouldn't look out of place in the cheapest DOCTOR WHO production

As you can imagine this threadbare plot is just an excuse to show some lesbian love action and despite the sex scenes not being up to the erotic standard of ALLYSON IS WATCHING the sex scenes are fairly good for this type of genre though to be overly critical there's maybe not enough boy on girl action

13 EROTIC GHOSTS doesn't take itself too seriously and does contain this memorable exchange :

" You know she reminds me of my old Co in 'Nam . Iron underpants we called him "

" Maybe we should call her Iron implants ? "


It's a pity this film will not be more widely seen. It is an authentic demonstration of what it's like to live with one of the most enigmatic of mental disorders, autism, which afflicts about one person in 1000 (the more common and milder Asperger's syndrome affects about 6 in every thousand). Elissa Down, the maker of the film, has personal experience  two of her brothers are autistic  and with the aid of some truly accomplished acting she avoids cheap dramatics and conveys some genuine feeling.

The family portrayed has its eccentricities but you could not describe it as dysfunctional. Dad (Eric Thompson) and Mum (Tony Collette) not only have a strong love for their autistic teenager Charlie (Luke Ford) but they have learned to cope with his behaviour. The dramatic tension comes from younger brother Thomas (Rhys Wakefield) who loves the brother he has grown up with but finds the effect Charlie's' behaviour has on other people hard to take. Charlie has a few less than endearing habits like throwing tantrums at supermarket checkouts and bursting into other people's houses to use their toilet. The general adolescent horror of people who are different doesn't help much either  having a "spastic" as a brother is not good for the image. Yet Thomas's developing relationship with neighbour and fellow lifesaving squad member Jackie (Gemma Ward) gets a positive push from his situation.

As director, Elissa Down has a nice light touch, and the prejudice and distaste the family have to deal with are neatly sketched in. There are plenty of amusing moments; when a fight breaks out in a bus queue outside a high school several male teachers try ineffectually to stop it and it is the tiny but determined female lifesaving coach who, furiously blowing her whistle, restores order. Tough army NCO Dad holds conversations with his teddy bear and the two brothers wind up on stage together as dancing monkeys after Charlie's original partner throws a tantrum.

It has been suggested that autism, which has a strong genetic component, is a variation on normal rather than a defect, but its severely disabling nature means it has to be regarded as a malfunction. Autistic savants with freakish mathematic powers a la "Rainman" are extremely rare. People with mild forms of autism can function quite well in society, but Charlie is not one of those and will require care for the rest of his life. All this film is asking is for a little understanding of the pressures on families who have to support people like Charlie. I wish one of the commercial channels would show this in prime time instead of the usual reality show crap.


Thomas (Rhys Wakefield) has just started at a new high school. His father serves in the armed forces and the family has to relocate regularly. His brother Charlie (Luke Ford) has severe Autism and Attention Deficit Disorder. He's not able to speak and because he's the size of an adult, caring for him is not easy. At the start of the film we see him grunt with delight as he tramples a newly-bought carton of eggs into the kitchen floor.

While Thomas's mother (Toni Collette) has accepted her son's condition, Thomas has not. He wants to keep his brother a secret from his new schoolmates but when one student (Gemma Ward) learns of his sibling, she's not put off.

It's been a number of years since I've connected with an Australian film to the extent that I did with THE BLACK BALLOON. From the interesting title sequence at the start, we're drawn into the challenges of life with a family member suffering a developmental disability. While, I suppose, an outsider could never fully appreciate just how demanding such a life could be, the film gives us a very good idea.

One of the film's many accomplishments is its successful blend of drama and comedy. It could quite easily have been a depressing affair but many of the brother's outrageous acts prove most amusing. On other occasions, they're heartbreaking.

Equally fine is the performance by Luke Ford. Playing a handicapped character is a challenge for any actor, but Ford is totally convincing as Charlie. Never do we consider he's an actor playing a role.

Toni Collette is first-rate as the ever-loving mother. She's heavily pregnant and when complications arise from her pregnancy, we can't help but wonder if the third child will be like Thomas or Charlie.

The most likable of the characters is Thomas's classmate and later girlfriend, Jackie, played by Gemma Ward. Her acceptance of Charlie and her solid support for Thomas makes her most appealing. It's interesting to note that while Thomas sees Charlie as a burden, his formal introduction to Jackie and the development of their relationship has much to do with his brother.

THE BLACK BALLOON is the work of first-time director Elissa Down, who studied film-making in Perth. She has done a sterling job. Having grown up with two Autistic brothers, it must be a profoundly personal work. The screenplay, by Down and Jimmy the Exploder, is honest and moving and the photography by Denson Baker is fine. I particularly appreciated his low- angle wide shots.

THE BLACK BALLOON won the Crystal Bear at this year's Berlin Film Festival. It's an important film and deserves to be seen. The Australian Film Industry, sadly, does not have a good reputation, at home or overseas. But if we make films like this one, that's sure to change.


I saw 'The Black Balloon' last night as a charity event for our local disability services. All who attending the movie premier were people who live and breath disabilities. There were teachers from special schools, carers and parents of disabled children. I am a parent of an autistic boy and employed to work with special needs children, I found this movie to be funny, heart warming and realistic to memories of my own child. The movie is based on the everyday effects of living with a disabled sibling which I'm sure many siblings will relate to (I know my older girls will). The amount of attention given to Charlie is felt by Thomas and the enormous responsibility of caring for a disabled sibling at the age of 16 years was heartbreaking for him. I gave this movie a 10/10 because I felt the movie portrayed exactly how life is for a family with a disabled child. Luke Ford was excellent with portraying Charlie and Rhys Wakefield's exceptional representation of having to live with a disabled sibling will hopeful make the public think about the family life of a disabled child/adult before they stop and stare and whisper. Offer help and do not fear them for they are angels in disguise.


As my folks both worked in mental health care facilities, this movie reminded me of visits to their workplace. The audience at my screening were very quiet, yes I know it is a drama, but some aspects of Charlie behavior and reactions of others is quite funny. I felt guilty laughing in some scenes, hopefully it is not a sign of underlying mental issues!

It does make you feel for those who care and live with people with special needs. A movie such as should be a real wake up call, love your family, it's the only one you have got.

A good movie overall.

7/10


Are you sitting comfortably? Are you a tolerant, open-minded person reading this? How about if someone walks into your house, your bathroom, while your daughter is taking a shower. They act extremely weird. Can you still be kind and tolerant, acting reasonably towards a strapping young man who, unknown to you, is autistic?

The tagline for this film is, "Normality is relative." So just how much of someone else's normality can you take?

According to director Elissa Down, the Black Balloon is, "a metaphor for a 'different' childhood filled with moments of chaos, joy and sadness for what may have been." Our cinematic awareness of autism is probably defined by Rain Man, or the more nuanced but rarely seen Snow Cake. Elissa Down says how, "it was very important in the rehearsal process to take it to the streets and for Thomas and Charlie and Jackie and Thomas to do some road-testing of their characters in public." Charlie, her main character, announces the family arrival to the neighbours by banging a wooden spoon and wailing on the front lawn. Charlie doesn't speak. He's autistic and has ADD. He's unpredictable, unmanageable, and often disgusting. He recalls not the mediated autism of Rain Man or Snow Flake but the out-of-control weirdness appropriated by Lars von Trier's characters in the controversial film, The Idiots.

Charlie is not 'nice'  at least not until you've managed to see him through the eyes of his devoted parents. To them, he is like a big child who has frequent tantrums. He's not an ideal brother to younger sibling Thomas, who's just turning sixteen. Especially as the girl in the shower is the girl he is trying to date. Especially as when he finally has her over to dinner, Charlie gets his testosterone-filled kit out at the table and gives it a good rub.

The shower girl is Jackie Masters, Thomas' partner for basic life-saving classes at school. In what seems like a happy nod to mainstream cinema, Jackie is not only gorgeous but has a beautiful personality. She helps Thomas to feel more caring towards his brother as they soon form a threesome for days out together.

Toni Collette plays the boys' Mum, heavily pregnant. Which means Charlie is called on to help Dad around the house a bit more and with looking after Thomas.

The Black Balloon is an excellent example of Australian cinemas coming-of-age movies. It fearlessly reaches outside the box and sets up a tug-of-war between normalcy and idiosyncrasy. Although there are elements of rather unsubtle box-office pandering (the photogenic young couple and a rather simplistic finale) it opens up new challenges in the way we think about people. The Black Balloon is a film of which to be proud.


Elissa Down has used her personal experience of growing up with two autistic brothers, one of whom she describes as a "Rainman" character, and the other the inspiration for Charlie, the autistic and ADHD-afflicted brother of Thomas. The story is touching, sometimes side-splittingly funny, sometimes tragically upsetting, but ultimately uplifting. There isn't a weak performance, and as usual Toni Collette gives a believable portrayal of a mother whose strength holds her family together. Luke Ford is amazing as Charlie, reminiscent of Leonardo Di Caprio in "What's Eating Gilbert Grape?" It's good to see an Australian film that tackles such a difficult subject, and does so brilliantly.


The Black Balloon opens with an awkward dance between filmmaker and audience, the latter trying to suss whether the able-bodied actor is playing an autistic character or is lazily impersonating the illness, all obvious ticks and embarrassingly broad gestures. Filmmakers often deploy mental disability for shallow manipulation (hello The Proposition), wherein the strings of the characterisation appear painfully obvious.

It becomes apparent, however, that debut filmmaker Elissa Down has instead crafted a very fine and perceptive film, indeed. A semi-autobiographical, coming-of-age drama, The Black Balloon connects for its frank exploration of a difficult subject. Though she opts for every cliché imaginable- the ocker father (Erik Thompson), the tireless mother (Toni Collette), the wish-fulfilment girlfriend (model Gemma Ward), family strife- Down has weaved these seams for surprisingly effect.

Sixteen year-old Thomas (Rhys Wakefield) is an impish, often self-involved hero, perpetually embarrassed by his autistic older brother, Charlie (astonishing newcomer Luke Ford). Though his pregnant mother is confined to bed rest, Thomas often shirks his responsibilities and becomes prone to intense bitterness. The Black Balloon darkens sooner than you would expect for an Aussie drama and honestly reflects upon the repercussions of Thomas' selfish behaviour.

Down's direction is very strong and visual, especially in the moments of Thomas' embarrassment and anguish, culminating in a brutal sequence at the dinner table. The violence here is sudden and deserves full credit for its unexpected impact. Although heartfelt and touching, Down's film is never cloying and earns its warm moments through genuine pain and reflection.


Life isn't easy for Thomas. Living as the younger brother in a family of four, with a fifth on the way is hard enough to begin with. It's even worse when the older brother is severely autistic and unable to care for himself in any way. So, quite naturally, Thomas struggles with growing up.

Films dealing with family lives like this only work when they show all the sides to a story and this one does it well. All the members of the family are properly introduced and their interaction is done well enough to give the impression that it is a perfectly normal family, which has a specific difficulty added to it.

The complexities of living with a mentally handicapped person are brought out well enough without ever being overly sentimental and, as far as I know from the interaction I have had with several autistic people, real enough.

All in all it is a real good film about growing up and growing up with a tremendous challenge making it harder on you. I loved it, and even more so because I know what Thomas went through from personal experience.


the actors, they were astonishing... simply astonishing.

this is a beautiful movie, humane, sentimental, TRUE and not "drama" actually. Why say its a drama? its reality! its LIFE!

I don't have an autistic person in my family, but i know people who have, and I've met children who are autistic. Everybody should know, what this means, what its like for a family, and its members. but most of all, everyone should see, what a human being is capable of, the love, the care, the beauty, the sensitivity, the tolerance, the acceptance, but also all the negative sides, the ignorance, the desperate moments, the anger..

the best movie .... I've seen in years. the only meaningful movie I've seen in years. bravo... to all the participants, the writers, the actors, ... bravo.


This true to life film is a inside glimpse into a family that is, at its core, held together by the mother. Toni Collette plays the mother of an autistic son. Her performance is real and a driving force in the film. Her autistic son Charlie is a trial for the entire family and for his mother, whose life is so static and day in day out, she has come to accept Charlie for the person he is and she does this through simple love.

At the center of the story is the other son, Thomas (Rhys Wakefield) and his burden of keeping his brother Charlie a secret and his further burdens of family life. When father Simon is away from the home it is Thomas who tries to run the household. Charlie is played by Luke Ford who gives a wonderful performance (remember him from The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor). Their family struggles with bouts of seeming normalcy and shocking bits of harsh truth and bitter reality.

Thomas develops a strained relationship with a girl that is nice to him. This girl, Jackie (Gemma Ward) is striking and upon making it clear that she likes Thomas finds that he doesn't know how to deal with this. Both solid performances by Gemma Ward, a model, and Rhys Wakefield with his truthful, from the gut acting.

Written and directed by Elissa Down, who has two autistic brothers in real life, obviously brings her experiences to bear and is innately able to bring pressure to this trouble torn family while bringing out some very emotional love. The winner of this film is Toni Collete whose acting through the turmoil is completely convincing. The acting together with a strong script really make this a movie worth seeing.


Australian filmmaker Elissa Down's THE BLACK BALLOON is a thoughtful film, down to earth with no apology in depicting a close-knit family of four (Toni Collette as Mom who is pregnant with a fifth member coming, Erik Thomson as Dad whose army life demanded constant moving, and two teenage sons: Luke Ford as Charlie the autistic one who is older in age but not in behavior, and Rhys Wakefield as baby-face Thomas in his uneasy growing teen period) - taking on living with autistic challenges everyday (sometimes by the moment).

It is a coming of age story revolving around 17-year old Thomas, how he deals with the people around him: his brother Charlie, Mom and Dad, schoolmates, new friends and neighbors. There is more than meets the eye. Thomas seems to be battling inner conflicts, dilemmas he's reluctant to confront: "Will Charlie ever be normal?" he asked. "Charlie is not my problem," he shouted. Mom and Dad are both very patient and tolerant. The family's togetherness is very much held by a determined mother (again, brilliantly portrayed by Toni Collette) that would not 'give up' on her eldest, and Charlie is treated just like any child having his (normal) tantrums and (unpredictable) antics. As the film progresses, we feel for Thomas' frustration with Charlie, and welcome the relief of his delights with popular girl at school, Jackie (Gemma Ward gave an endearing portrayal) who has no problem hanging out with both Thomas and Charlie. She (from a single-Dad family) accepted Charlie with equal normalcy and seemed to fit into Thomas' family rather well.

Like any family life, there are turn of events: Mom has to be 'confined to bed' at the hospital prior to birth of baby, so Dad and Thomas are left with the charge to handling Charlie's day to day needs - a learning curve that Thomas didn't expect. Through the ups and downs (Thomas' driving lesson with Dad in his car, Thomas' birthday family celebration 'blow out' with Jackie present), anguish and laughter (yes, that happens, if only we can laugh it off and let go more often), a new family member did arrive, and at Charlie's school performance, Thomas had his coming of age challenges and came through understanding his brother Charlie more. Director Down spares us no 'mushy' sentiments or Hollywood 'feel good' pressures - she delivered a bold and assured script (co-written with Jimmy Jack, telling like it is from her personal experience with two autistic brothers) and gave us a film we can appreciate the possible family warmth that can be steadfastly generated in challenging circumstances. "The Black Balloon" has hardly the hint of a debut feature from a talented filmmaker to watch, Elissa Down. The casting of Luke Ford and Rhys Wakefield paired as the two brothers is a godsend, indeed. Convincing performances all round.

Enjoy also the interesting opening credits: at the corner of your eyes, you could notice there are 'extraneous' words or obvious name labels of things within each frame, e.g., grass, sky, wall, jeans, fence - as the credits roll on. Ah, it's for the sake of Charlie, the autistic brother and the rest of the family, too.


When i saw this movie i was in tears. I have a cousin who is autistic she is not as bad as Charlie the character though and she can be a handful and quite annoying at stages and i never ever saw it from the other point of view. That my other cousin well her older sister had to do the same things that Thomas had to do when she was young and when i look back upon it now she never complained she was alway the quite one and she was always there for her sister. So i now find it so upsetting to just figure it out now what she had to deal with on top of her parents divorcing and what so many other people out there who have autistic people in there families have to manage with and they don't seem to make a fuss about it. So it does make me more grateful for life. And after watching this movie it does make me see what my cousin is going through. Which reminds me they are coming up for Christmas so it will be a lot of laughs i cant wait to see them both.


Much attention has risen from the production of this film by debut feature film director Elissa Down. With a notable essemble which include the likes of supermodel Gemma Ward, and prowess-much Toni Collette, a truly heart-warming and melodramatic storyline was intrinsic.

Her portrayal of the autistic Charlie is not only imaginatively accurate but catches your sympathy and imbeds itself into your very own psyche, making it more harder to forget even after the film. Family ties are brilliant!!! Down accentuates this through her extremely generous and proficient use of the risky mis-en-scene and verisimilitudal lighting.

It is a film of sheer simplicity. Although i found the intense connection between the two brothers, Charlie and Thomas, quite realistic, many have argues that Down's character analysis is quite mediocre. Seeing as it is her first movie as suppose to her previous short films, the film can be classified under the 'Beginner's' guide to film-making.

Toni Collette is a professional actress like always, while Gemma Wark seem s bit too exotic of a flower for this type of environment. The Australian actors seem monotonous, and the script can be seen as flawed in the way the stroyline never tends to fluctuate.

I give it a 7/10. It is a beautifully humble film but it just lacks the thrilling essentials. Better off next time, Elissa!


Osmosis, I don't care whether you liked the film or not. That's a personal choice. Personally, I thought it was great. 'Fraudulently obtained' taxpayer money? Fraudulently obtained obviously because you didn't like it. It didn't fit into your box. Does a film that you like that I don't (that has been funded by Government Filmcorps) also fall into the 'fraudulently obtained' category. I'm guessing not. I've always been amazed at this line of thought. Money wasted you say. I'm quite happy to let Government bodies fund crap films until the cows come home. As long as about one in ten is a classic. Which usually happens. Good public money spent! And what is a quasi-plagiarist rip-off? You're either a plagiarist or you're not (no quasi about it) and plagiarist rip-off is the oxymoron of all oxymorons. And I've got to add: "Obviously the American Film Industry has been totally conned into believing our mainstream people have talent which explains the constant stream of ever worsening quality of films these days." That doesn't make any sense whatsoever. Do you mean the American Film Industry has taken all our talent so now there's no-one left and as a result our films are crap or do you mean that Americans are making our films huge box-office hits, through their naivety (being conned), and so we keep making the films you don't like. The latter premise is nonsense because our films don't make big Hollywood money whilst the first premise is self-evident by your logic. As Tarantino had Michael Madsen say 'I'm betting you're a big Lee Marvin fan'. I'm betting you're a big Crocodile Dundee fan. Not that there's anything wrong with that. I have it myself. But there's different ways to watch different films. I hate Elton John's music but I can understand why people like it. You obviously have an oligarchical problem with some film board. Script rejected?


My heading summarizes my thoughts of the film in its entirety. The film is decent on all levels though it never breaks down the barriers of brilliance. The film is directed by Elissa Down and was co-written between her and Jimmy Jack. Elissa Down grew up with an autistic brother which is the main theme of the film. It is directed in a simplistic, true and heartfelt manner which suits the story perfectly. This isn't a film that tries to take on the universal disease that is autism but is a quiet and beautiful film which gives hope to those who watch it as we see a content family that deals with having two sons of similar age. One, our protagonist, is Thomas while the other is his autistic brother Charlie. Thomas is going through adolescence and is having his own troubles like a new girl at school called Jackie. Some scenes hold such emotional power that I found myself in tears. It is worth seeing.


This is one of the best films i have ever seen... I recommend it to anyone. Never before have I ever been put on such a roller-coaster of emotion from mind-blowingly intense scenes to scenes which make me feel sick. Scenes that make me laugh and scenes which make me want to punch something. Rhys Wakefield portrays an adolescent teen amazingly. Which I found surprising looking at some of the acting skills from his fellow Home and Away actors (see Xavier in H&A, WHY IS HE THERE???).

I saw the trailer and am a big fan of Toni Collette so decided to rent the film and was interested to see Rhys play a central character. The quality of directing took my breath away and I congratulate anyone involved in the production. I bought it straight away after renting and have watched it at least 5 times all with different people to show them one of the best films EVER MADE.


Finally got to see this movie this week, and loved it, if that's the appropriate thing to say. I can appreciate that it would be hard watching for the family members of people with autism. For the rest of us, it's a well-needed window into their lives - created by a director with personal experience to draw on, so grounded in reality. From my knowledge of friends and a cousin with autistic children, the absolute unpredictability of autism, sitting in contrast with the autistic person's need for stability in their surroundings, does make for a challenging family life. I found the scenario unfolding in this movie credible and compelling, with the central role of Thomas, as portrayed by Rhys Wakefield (only otherwise seen by me in a local soap opera), a strong lead. You go through the roller-coaster of emotions with him, and can empathise with him as he faces the "ÿou're the spastic's brother" routine from his peers. For any country, it is good to hear your accent on film, and to see your streets. Especially when it's done this well.


Having a child with severe autism, i approach every autistic related movie with caution. The trailer pulls on your heartstrings, the movie however spells out things that parents and siblings experience on a day to day basis. The movie running at 93 minutes, can't ever convey a life with autism, but with the director, seems to have brought her life experience to the screen in a thoughtful and observant way (small observations only people touched by autism would recognise and find funny and painful). Im not sure if viewers with no experience would understand these, which is the most heartbreaking aspect of the whole movie. I wish, i really wish everyone could see this movie, and if one single clip could make a difference, i think the world would be a better place. Overall, its an uplifting movie, but unfortunately it wont change the way most of the world think of this disability. Siblings experiencing or who have lived with autism, I think, will see this movie differently. it does seem to preach to them, how they should behave and what their responsibilities are. We (parents, siblings and autistic children) are still waiting for the definitive movie, that will open the world's eyes.


Spoiler: sort of.....

I was okay with this film until about the 20 minute mark when the autistic boy starts playing with his own feces. And it's not just one quick scene either. It carries on through a sequence that lasts a good five minutes.

I'm just not that dedicated to Australian cinema.

And even if you take that scene out, this thing really doesn't come across as a good advertisement for Australian film. It's the same old story we always see about a quaint little family drama that fundamentally bores the living day lights out of anyone who isn't Megan Spencer.


This movie, while accurate, is the most disturbing piece of cinematography on autism that I've ever seen. I have personal experience with autism, my sister and I had to leave the theater in the middle of the movie because it so accurately portrays the life of a family that has experience with autism. I would not recommend this movie.

I think this would be helpful for people who would like to understand autism better. But people who have children or siblings with autism should avoid this movie, it's an emotional roller coaster which could prove to be too much on the more sensitive family members.


A total quasi plagiarist Rip-off of there is something about Mary. Once again the rich and privileged of Australia use fraudulently obtained tax payer funded government grants to make a mediocre film with louse monotone emotionless acting.

How Americans can be impressed with the constant flow of rubbish from this oligarchy totally astounds me.

Whilst there are many Talented Australian Actors and film Auteur's they never make it into the mainstream which has been hijacked by the rich.

Obviously the American Film Industry has been totally conned into believing our mainstream people have talent which explains the constant stream of ever worsening quality of films these days.


I missed this film at the cinema due to its mixed reviews. Without entering into the debate about british critics I found myself wondering if I was watching a different. This film was reviewed as a british gangster film which it isn't. It is however very british in its characterisation and dialogue, although there is something continental about it which lifted it out of the mire of other brit flicks for me. It is a black comedy which occasionally makes you laugh out loud and other times is black enough to be "noir". Hans Mattheson plays an unsuccessful market trader called Virgil Guppy who has all the necessary accessories - chic PR-girl girlfriend (Beth Winslet), jaguar car, high flying friends but but doesn't have the portfolio to back it up. In fact it is the Jaguar car which proves to be his down fall when a body is discovered in the boot and he is framed for murder. He is sacked, his girlfriend leaves him - in short he loses everything. Finding himself down and out on the streets he is adopted by a rag-taggle mob of car theives led by Tiffany Shades played by Charlotte Coleman. In what could be her best performance for a good while Coleman is spot on as the enigmatic, sexy and streetwise Tiffany who, together with her nine year old son and his gay bosnian babysitter, help Virgil Guppy get his life back. Matheson is fine in the lead, Beth Winslet proves Kate is not the only Winslet who can act whilst succeeding in being different from her sister, and Coleman is very watchable indeed. This young cast is ably supported by Clive Russel - always good value and Lynda Bellingham - the oxo mum playing a prostitute with a heart of gold. The film is well cast and none of them let the production down. This film won't change your life but it if fun and very watchable. Some of the well written dialogue sticks and many of the scenes stay with you several days later. All in all a very good effort which deserves at the very least to be seen and I urge you to seek it out. I think we will be seeing more from Gareth Rhys Jones and if nothing else Charlotte Coleman is worth the admision alone.


i cant say a negative word about this film as i would obviously be taken it out of context as it is without drought the sort of film the typifies quality direction acting and great moody dialogue not to mention the original scenes. it has no relation to lock stock,its far more left field than that watch this film its great.also the acting is superb charlot Coleman's last film before she tragically died saw a performance second to none. its a shame films like this arnt being made in the uk anymore, talent is hard to come by and films like this and others of this jonrer, this i mean the ones that have the rare power to create atmosphere and this is one of them.