Time to look back at a film from the past. Two decades ago, Disney was at its peak. Animated films like Aladdin, Beauty & The Beast, & their magnum opus at the time was The Lion King. Pixar released their first hit, Toy Story, became the first fully CGI film in history which would later inspire other studios like Dreamworks, Blue Sky, & Sony Animation. Enough with the memory lane talk, time to look back at Flubber. A remake of Disney’s “The Absent Minded Professor.”
In the 80’s/90’s the late Robin Williams was a big name in the entertainment industry. He made a dozen of hits including Good Morning Vietnam, Aladdin, Mrs. Doubtfire, and a couple of stinkers like Jack, Patch Adams & Bicentennial Man.
Flubber was released in 1997. (around the same time Robin starred in Good Will Hunting) It earned bad reviews from critics including Siskel & Ebert who disliked it, Doug Walker/Nostalgia Critic did a review on it prior to Robin’s untimely death. Despite negative reactions, the film made a profit at the box office. Enough talk, time to breakdown the nitty gritty if a film from my childhood still holds up.
This review contains crucial SPOILERS. If you haven’t seen Flubber, read at your own risk.
Good Stuff & Bad Stuff
Good Stuff: Robin Williams did a good job for his performance as Professor Phillip Brainard.
Other Cast Members including Marcia Gay Harden, Christopher McDonald, Clancy Brown, (Mr. Krabs) Ted Levine, (Buffalo Bill) & Will Wheaton (Sheldon Cooper’s mortal enemy) all did a good job for their performances.
Jodi Benson (Ariel from The Little Mermaid) voices Weebo.
Some of the C.G.I. surprisingly holds up such as the titular Hulk like snot.
Danny Elfman orchestrated the music for the movie.
Cinematography didn’t have any Shaky Cam issues.
Weebo called Brainard, Darth Vader. The Original Star Wars Trilogy were re-released the same year Flubber came out. Plus, George Lucas sold the franchise to Disney for $4 billion.
The only joke that made me laugh is when Wilson farts out Flubber. If Flubber existed in real life, I want it to go inside Kim Kardashian’s bowels until she farts it out.
Weebo constantly plays old school Disney films and non-Disney films.
Bad Stuff: John Hughes (The Breakfast Club, Ferris Buller’s Day Off, Planes, Trains & Automobiles) wrote and produced the film alongside another remake of a beloved classic animated film, 101 Dalmatians. To put salt in the wound, he killed his career by writing Home Alone 3.
Christopher McDonald’s character Wilson, obviously told Brenard he’s the bad guy who’s gonna steal his girl. Imagine if the plot twist from The Prestige was mentioned way too soon before the end of the picture lacking context?
The Plot Twist was incredibly weak as we all know Wilson is basically the bad guy since Act I.
Brainard said, “I rather die than disappoint you.” Sadly, we all know what happened to Robin. Talk about “Harsher In Hindsight.”
The constant bouncing & slapstick gets old very quick without any variation.
A Blue Screen Effect such as the flying car sequence looks completely dated.
The Protagonist has poor memory as in Dory from Finding Nemo or Leonard from Memento. The Love Interest is clueless, even Mary Jane from Spider-Man has more common sense than her!
Nobody outside but the main characters & a little boy who notice the wacky situations constantly screams to know what the heck is going on with all the bouncing going on.
Incompetent bad guys (played by Buffalo Bill and Mr. Krabs) are cheap knock offs of Harry & Marv from Home Alone. Let’s be honest, John Hughes wrote this movie.
Suspension Of Disbelief is completely off the charts, due to the fact secondary characters never noticed what’s happening.
A Plot Hole involving Brainard not selling a secondary version of Weebo in order to save the university from bankruptcy. Scientistic Breakthrough 101, if you’re gonna make an invention, you need to keep your notes somewhere like a deposit box, otherwise you’re a goner.
Weebo’s obsessive crush towards Brainard was kinda disturbing when she projects a holographic human version of herself. Disney you’re suppose to make a light hearted family comedy not Jacob’s Ladder!
A dance scene outta nowhere with Flubber dancing with duplicates of himself does not contribute to the plot whatsoever. As Nostalgia Critic calls it, “A Big Lipped Alligator Moment.”
Near the end of the film, Brainard missed his wedding again. I would assume he never earned Character Development.
Final Verdict: D, AS IN DUNCE!
When I was a kid, I used to like Flubber, now that I’m older, I understand what’s wrong with the film due to every element I’ve listed under Bad Stuff. If you watch this as an adult, you’re gonna have a case of a bouncing headache. If you have a family of you’re own, go ahead & introduce you’re kids to a memory from the past & honor of Williams’ legacy.
If you want to watch a better movie with a character suffering from memory loss, go watch Finding Nemo & Finding Dory. That’ll keep you entertained with your kids.
Nickthemoviecritic.com 