Frequently Bought Together
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Product details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
Reviews
From Amazon.co.uk
At the height of urban paranoia and the birth of survivalist movement in the 1980s, director Michael Ritchie decided to team Robin Williams and Walter Matthau in The Survivors. Talk about an odd couple; yet it actually might have worked, with Matthau's hang-dog deadpan and Williams' manic energy, were it not for a limp script by Michael Leeson. Williams and Matthau play two victims of Reaganomics, unemployed acquaintances who witness a robbery and identify one of the participants to the police, an act that turns them into targets for the robber in question who comes looking for them. Williams' response: become a one-man arsenal and join a training camp for militant survivalists. But the comedy is neither sharp enough nor sufficiently smart to pull it off; Matthau is the calm centre while Williams' comedy rockets all around him, to surprisingly little effect. --Marshall Fine, Amazon.com
Synopsis
Two unemployed men (Robin Williams and Walter Matthau) find themselves the target of an out-of-workhitman, whom they disarm in a robbery attempt. One of the men takes off for a survivalist camp, hotly pursued by the other and then by the hitman.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
By Barca 82
Format:DVD
This is a corker of a film for Matthau fans. I came across this late one night on TV and have always been fond of it. The 'Survivalist' motif and plight of the everyman running through the film is as relevant today as it was when it was made, the tone being set with some nice satire from Randy Newman- "Every Man a King" opens the movie.
Robin Williams and Matthau are thrown together when they witness and unwittingly prevent a hold up. Both men soon lose their jobs- in a cracking scene Williams is sacked by his boss's parrot. Williams becomes increasingly insecure and turns to survivalists, convinced he is being tracked by the thwarted hold up guy who inists he is 'the man who killed Jimmy Hoffa' - a comically sinister performance from Jack Locke. The film is a bit slaptsick and clumsy at times and there are some clunky bits of dialogue and a familiar undone villain scenario is played out. The main female character - Matthau's teenage daughter is more interesting than most- Kristin Viigard plays a well balanced and laid back character completely unfazed by the overwrought adults and events around her.
But it is the Matthau-Williams friendship that endures and eventually emerges as the central theme. Matthuau tracks his friend down to a survivalist camp where it emerges the inhabitants are being ripped off by the survivalist leader. In the final scene the Williams character breaks down and strips naked in the frozen wilderness saying to Matthau "I don't know whats real any more" - Matthau's response is to take off his coat and wrap it around Williams "I'm real" he says. Cranky film at times, but also warm, tender and at the end there, quite touching.
Robin Williams and Matthau are thrown together when they witness and unwittingly prevent a hold up. Both men soon lose their jobs- in a cracking scene Williams is sacked by his boss's parrot. Williams becomes increasingly insecure and turns to survivalists, convinced he is being tracked by the thwarted hold up guy who inists he is 'the man who killed Jimmy Hoffa' - a comically sinister performance from Jack Locke. The film is a bit slaptsick and clumsy at times and there are some clunky bits of dialogue and a familiar undone villain scenario is played out. The main female character - Matthau's teenage daughter is more interesting than most- Kristin Viigard plays a well balanced and laid back character completely unfazed by the overwrought adults and events around her.
But it is the Matthau-Williams friendship that endures and eventually emerges as the central theme. Matthuau tracks his friend down to a survivalist camp where it emerges the inhabitants are being ripped off by the survivalist leader. In the final scene the Williams character breaks down and strips naked in the frozen wilderness saying to Matthau "I don't know whats real any more" - Matthau's response is to take off his coat and wrap it around Williams "I'm real" he says. Cranky film at times, but also warm, tender and at the end there, quite touching.
4 of 7 people found the following review helpful
By D. Clark
Format:DVD
A very poor movie. Robin Williams acting is hammy and plainly false. Walter Mathhau is as dependable as always but is let down by a poor script. Some good one liners but not worth wasting an hour and a half of your life on.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
4.2 out of 5 stars
36 reviews
14 of 14 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
It shouldn't work, but it does . . .
22 May 2005
By Amateur Historian
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:DVD
The comic premise of this movie is a good one. Two passing acquaintances are thrown together trying to escape a hit-man with bad nerves and colitis---well-played by Jerry Reed. I think Williams does carry the movie, but his repartee with Reed is some of the funniest writing (more likely improvisation) I've ever heard. Whatever this movie lacks is made up for in the scenes pitting Williams' "Donald" against Reed's bad guy. Those scenes are worth the cost of the whole movie. I'm amazed and also happy this one was released on DVD.
12 of 14 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of my all time favorite Comedies
12 April 2003
By M. La Vean
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:DVD
Robin Williams is masterful as a zany survival nut who is being taken advantage of by a scheming businessman preying on fear that society will break down...Walter Matthau is the perfect straight man/foil for Williams...
Even though this is an older movie it is a theme which is still timeless...Is society getting ready for the "Big Flush" and how do responsible people respond to it?...
Williams and Matthau provide one very funny solution.
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
robin williams is hilarious in this film
27 April 2004
By A Customer
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:DVD
this movie is a genuine treasure to watch. sit back and enjoy one of robin william's best roles. walter matthau and jerry reed round out the cast in a twisting comedy about life, getting fired, and giving society the finger. enjoy
›
Go to Amazon.com to see all 36 reviews
4.2 out of 5 stars
Were these reviews helpful?
Let us know
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
