I'm a very picky movie-goer. But I consider this gem one of my all-time favorite comedies, a very short list that also includes "Raising Arizona," "A Fish Called Wanda," "Groundhog Day" and anything written by Albert Brooks. Although it can't fully compete with these outstanding comedies, it actually comes pretty close.
I generally reject movies with severe logic problems--even when they're comedies. And even though this picture had a big one (Jim Belushi and John Ritter spend most of the movie being chased by bad guys trying to get a map indicating where aliens will land, but when they arrive at the spot they find the bad guys already there waiting for them.) I didn't really care. Between the "clown attack," clever banter and the premise of aliens offering a formula to save the world in exchange for a glass of water, this movie delivers by continually taking the viewer in unexpected (and often ludicrous) directions.
Watch it with an open mind and few expectations (as I did the first time I happened to catch it on cable late one night) and you may be pleasantly surprised.
I generally reject movies with severe logic problems--even when they're comedies. And even though this picture had a big one (Jim Belushi and John Ritter spend most of the movie being chased by bad guys trying to get a map indicating where aliens will land, but when they arrive at the spot they find the bad guys already there waiting for them.) I didn't really care. Between the "clown attack," clever banter and the premise of aliens offering a formula to save the world in exchange for a glass of water, this movie delivers by continually taking the viewer in unexpected (and often ludicrous) directions.
Watch it with an open mind and few expectations (as I did the first time I happened to catch it on cable late one night) and you may be pleasantly surprised.
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