Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Murray at his finest...well, since Ghostbusters that is., June 5, 2003
Larger Than Life is a fun (and sadly forgotten) little family flick that everyone can enjoy. Im 16 and I was chuckling all throughout by the likes of Bill Murray and Matthew McConaughey who are essentially the heart and soul of this kiddie adventure. The plot is a bit more advanced than most youthful ventures, and revolves around the escapades of sarcastic motivational speaker Jack Corcoran (Bill Murray), who receives a rather large inheritance from his estranged father and unknowingly gets a suitcase full of clown supplies and a large elephant named Vera. Deep in debt and eager to lose the new burden placed on his hands, Jack goes cross-country hoping to strike up a deal in which he can get Vera off his hands and make a little cash on the side. This, of course, goes awry and moral dilemmas lie in wait as Jack comes across floods, a paranoid hitchhiker played superbly by Matthew McConaughey going by the name Tip Tucker babbling about corrupt cops and conspiracies in motion by Big Brother, hijacking semi trucks, and half a dozen other little slapstick moments that should have the kids giggling. Larger Than Life is a simpleminded comedy aimed for the adolescent audience and though a few crude jokes are disguised by adult talk and should be over most of their heads, should be one that will provide the young ones with 93 minutes of fun and constant laughs from Murrays comical antics while still remaining family friendly and appropriate.As for the disc, for one, you can expect Larger Than Life to be next to bare bones since its another nail in MGMs budget title catalog and the demanding MSRP is reasonable, and secondly, its a kiddie flick and therefore features are not a top priority, and three, the films next to pitiful $8 Million box office haul doesnt help either. That said, there is the obligatory Trailer presented in a widescreen format. Nothing special there. No booklet as usual. And since this is still an adolescent adventure, MGM gave us a bland full-frame presentation that is a tad bit above VHS quality. The picture quality is simple, faded, and bland. Nothing really stands out as a nice transfer would have and things remain in a neutral setting whether bright or dark, never adjusting quality with a change of atmosphere. And since there is really no sound effects and dramatic explosions to show off, the Stereo Surround mix is rather bland. Oh, and in addition to the less than par picture and sound quality we get a bland little promo for a dozen or so other MGM family budget titles. The reason I give Larger Than Life a four star rating is because as a film I enjoyed it, Murray was flawless and his sarcastic humor never let me down, plus the fabulous cameo by McConaughey didnt hurt. But as a DVD, its a toss up. MGM put no effort into the release and starved the flick of anything other than a Trailer. Yet on the other hand, the film is meant for the kids and there is not a demand for deleted scenes or commentaries among the target audience plus the low MSRP keeps Larger Than Life in reason. If you are looking for an affordable family fun title that the kids will get a kick out of then by all means go for Larger Than Life, and for those who are fans of Murrays relentless sarcastic antics, but those who are looking for a full fledged feature filled disc (which I doubt there are more than a dozen or so including myself) should steer clear. Larger Than Life is a fun kids flick that the whole family can sit back and enjoy, and for the budget its a full fledged value. Thanks for reading my rather lengthy review of Larger Than Life; I hope it helps in your decision.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great, Clean Fun, October 16, 2000
This was a funtastic movie. I just loved it. I have seen it several times and enjoy every bit of it. I even laugh just thinking about it. Bill Murray is such a funny actor, but it was great to see him in a good clean movie. The movie is wonderful for both kids and adults. Mathew McConaughey was hilarious as the high strung truck driver. Leonard Maltin doesn't know what he is talking about. I actually did not even know that it was McConaughey until I read the Maltin review. The scene with Bill Murray trying to drive the semi-truck brought tears to my eyes, I laughed so hard. I also really enjoyed the scenery in Colorado and New Mexico. If you are tired of the rubbish that Hollywood normally puts out and you want to see a great, clean, and fun movie, you must see larger than life. It is wonderful.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Life is a carnival, make a friend if you can , November 5, 2004
If you ever felt like dancing in the street with an elephant this would be the movie to do it to. Although there is no dancing in this movie, the music fits within each scene perfectly. Larger Than Life is a movie for the entire family to watch more than once.
The title is the first line to two songs in the movie and I liked them both and they seem to tell the whole story to the movie.
Larger Than Life starts off at the 34th Annual Upholstery Convention with the introduction of the key note speaker, Jack Corcoran, the author of Get Over It. While Jack is pacing back and forth planning his speech, he receives a phone call from his mother. This becomes a pattern in the movie.
Bill Murray gives an outstanding performance as Jack. The speech begins with a story about how Jack's father saved a child and died in the process. His book Get Over It is his way of sharing things he found out about himself. There is a funny bit in the room where the members at the convention are involved in climbing on top of each other in a pyramid.
Jack arrives at the lawyer's office ready to claim his fortune. What happens next is he receives a trunk and is told of his fathers heart attack while performing. Turns out Dad was a circus clown and the elephant appears in the office. Jack then learns of the amount due to the lawyer for damages incurred by the elephant, $35,000. Jack leaves and tells them they will be hearing from his Mother.
The scenes are of Jack and the elephant walking through the town and all the citizens staring at them. A young boy on a bicycle tells Jack of how he looks just like his Father. He tells Jack about whistling to communicate with the elephant. They continue walking until they end up in the cemetery and there is the grave of his Father. The elephant seems to know this as well. Then the police car arrives and the lawyer is sitting there telling Jack he has 14 days to come up with the money or go to jail.
The music in the movie is by Los Lobos, Curtis Wright and The Staple Singers. The credits mentioned working with the American Humane Association and USDA Forest Service.
There are parts to this movie that my children are not interested in, they watch for the elephant scenes. I thoroughly enjoy Larger Than Life and spend most of the time laughing at the comedic scenes that Bill Murray seems to enjoy playing. The way the elephant responds to him is a nice touch and you can tell they became friends in the movie.
This is a great family movie for a Sunday afternoon, or a nighttime flick for the whole gang after dinner. The music lifts my spirits and I felt sad and happy at the end of the movie when Vera went on the jet.
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