Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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13 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Hilarious If Predictable Entertainment!, September 16, 2002
This is one I save for time requiring sheer silliness with no observable traces of reality. I have to admit that it is a very contrived and predictable plot, but anything that is such an obvious spin-off of a fabulously popular television series would have a hard time being anything but derivative. Having said all that, I laughed all the way through the movie, and still chuckle thinking about a lot of the slapstick shtick used so liberally here. The storyline has been updated to make it a bit more topical, and the characters as depicted in the movie are slightly more contemporary than their counterparts in the TV series. But they are just as refreshingly corny and ordinary, and sometimes that is such an invigorating act to watch that it seems liberating somehow. The cast is uniformly terrific; the best is easily the late Jim Varney, showing surprising range in his star-turn recreating the Jed Clampett character in the shadow of the legendary Buddy Ebsen, who so many of us baby-boomers remember as being Jed Clampett. Of course, Cloris Leachman shows why she is such a celebrated actress in her hilariously naughty portrayal of Granny, and Erika Eleniak gives a wonderfully corny interpretation of sexy but innocent Elly Mae, more interested in ?rasslin? than boys, and as quick to ?whup? those boys if they get our of line. Also quite good is Diedrich Bader as Jethro (and also acting in drag as Jethro?s sister Jethrine, on the make and virtually unstoppable), as is Dabney Coleman as Mr. Drysdale, and a wonderful Lily Tomlin as Miss Hathaway. Of course, the villains are key in all this, and Rob Schneider and Lea Thompson spread their wings into comedic farce quite well. The scene with Thompson vamping Jed Clampett with her false French accent is hilarious for its ?shocking? unintended double-entendre, and is typical of how funny this movie is at times. As I said earlier, I save it for comic relief when I really yearn for mindless yucks, and it never fails me. Come on down and take a dip in the cement pond. I reckon you?ll find it powerful entertaining. Enjoy!
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12 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Hilarious, July 30, 2002
This is one of the best movie remakes of a classic TV show that I have ever seen. In the movie, the salt-of-the-earth Clampetts discover oil, get fabulously rich, and move to Beverly Hills. Jed Clampett (played by Jim Varney) is in search of a wife to help raise Ellie Mae to be a real lady, but the family must beware of evil people who want to steal their wealth. Now, perhaps that sounds a little far fetched, but if you've ever met some simple folk who come into a lot of oil money, the whole story sounds very, very close to home.The casting is superb -- there are cameo appearances by Dolly Parton, Zsa Zsa Gabor, and Buddy Ebsen. Lily Tomlin is hilarious as the familys secretary, and Jim Varney actually plays a very believable straight guy. This movie has no sex, foul language, or violence, and will bring lots of laughs to the whole family.
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8 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Tarnation! That there's a real big turkey, Paw!, April 12, 1999
By A Customer
The original series wasn't too sophisticated, but it was usually quite funny, the result of good casting, scripting, and direction. This feature version, however, lacks all those elements. There are a few talented actors in the cast, but their talents are completely wasted; the rest of the cast is simply devoid of talent. The script is atrocious, and director(?)Penelope Spheeris once again demonstrates that she possesses no comedic instincts whatsoever. In fact, Spheeris could almost be labeled the Ed Wood of the 90's, except for the fact that Wood could occasionally be funny, whereas Spheeris is never funny, simply pathetic. This embarrassingly awful bomb should be listed among the worst films of all time. In other words, this here movin' pitcher stinks worser'n ary skunk. P.U.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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