Pretty Good

I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

It was OK. I don't see why everyone loves it so much. It wasn't very smart or deep or well-directed.

It's a movie as timely as it is provocative and amazingly, for much of its running time, it is weirdly funny.

The story of the slightly off-kilter and zany Tenenbaums never fails to bring a smile on my face. Not only is this film very visually satisfying and beautiful but, it is genuine and uplifting, too. Anjelica Huston is radiant (as usual) and Owen Wilson's strange wannabe Tenenbaum character truly kept me on my toes. While this review may sound a little on the a** kissing side, I do genuinely feel that this movie is more than just an Anderson-loving hipster's bonanza. It is movie that tells a unique story and remains one of my favorites of all time. There is a reason it is on the 1001 Movies to See Before You Die list!!!

By far and away this is the best Wes Anderson movie, and probably the best performance of Gene Hackman's career. The subtle dramatic relationships behind the typical quirky Anderson fare separate this one from his other films. It is quirky but grounded and the relationships feel real even if the characters are heightened to unrealistic levels.

A film so, so, so, bad, soulless, without charm, that promises you many things to start, and then it is as if you discard all of the above and there remains an empty, meaningless film and where there are only purely senseless situations with Characters so soulless and not funny. It's cancer, you could only save the aesthetics they gave you, and the scenarios, but the script does not exist, nor an outcome, no coherence. I finished seeing it because I hoped something would happen in it, and no.

I first saw "The Royal Tenenbaums" when it came out in the theater. It has some very funny parts, and I laughed at those. After a while though, I noticed that very few other people were laughing. I've seen the film twice since then, and while I know some of the funny scenes to watch for, with each viewing it has seemed less funny. Which leads me to conclude that the comedy of this movie is good the first time around, but it's not something that can continue to tickle one's funny bone. Or, it may be dated – funny in a culture around the turn of the 21st century, but not so much so a few years alter. After that first time, I wondered about the diverse reactions. Maybe some viewers didn't get the comedy. Some probably did, but it wasn't funny enough to make them laugh. But, there likely were others for whom some of the film got too close to home, too close for comfort. For them it wasn't funny at all. In my second and third viewings of the film, I became more aware of that. There surely are people who have had some of these experiences in their families. To them, it may not funny to watch something like they've experienced on film. Some people still may suffer or have bad memories. An adopted child whose father would embarrass her by always noting the she wasn't his "real" daughter. A self-centered, selfish father (or mother) who seldom paid attention to a son or daughter. An absent parent for much of one's life. Drug use in the family, other dysfunctional relationships. That gets to the point that the humor in this film is not the type that everyone can laugh about. It can be crass or hurtful to some. People who have grown up in highly dysfunctional families may smart at some things in this movie. The movie is about a terribly dysfunctional family. So, those who haven't seen this movie yet and may be considering it – be forewarned. For others though, there are some very funny scenes and a few instances of hilarious dialog. The cast all are quite good. Gene Hackman does a great job as the manipulative, selfish lout, Royal Tenenbaum. Anjelica Huston was exemplary as the almost dour separated Etheline Tenenbaum. The rest of the cast of mostly dysfunctional geniuses are all very good. People who are prone to despair or depression should not watch this movie. But adults with a keen sense for wit and far out humor should enjoy this movie – but probably only one time around.