Beanbioca
As Good As It Gets
Griff Lees
Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.
Nayan Gough
A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.
Kaydan Christian
A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.
cessnaace
This film is the perfect companion to the two CD set "The Sherman Brothers Songbook," which I listened to before I watched the DVD of this film.Let's start with what I already knew. I knew that the Sharman's had written the vast majority of the songs used in Disney's films of the 60s and early 70s. I likewise knew that they had written some of the songs used at the theme parks. But they wrote so much more.They wrote songs for albums by former Mouseketeer Annette, such as "Tall Paul," which topped the pop charts, and "Pineapple Princess." They wrote "Sweet Sixteen," which became a number one hit for Ringo Starr. They wrote songs for the film musical "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang." I knew that they had written "It's a Small World." But they contributed even more that I hadn't even remotely been aware of.If you've ever been to a Disney theme park, their footprints are everywhere. "The Tiki, Tiki, Tiki Room." "Magic Journeys" at Epcot. "Meet the World," used at Tokyo Disneyland. "There's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow," the song used at The Magic Kingdom's Carousel of Progress." The real treat of the CD is "Makin' Memories," at "Journey Into Imagination" at Epcot. Disney edited a slew of photos ranging from touching to cute to funny to this song. It's was replaced years ago, but I've always loved that song.What shocked me is that they had written several songs for "Winnie the Pooh," and the Charlie Brown animated films.Their are some people that they interviewed for the film that were complete surprises, such as Turner Classic Movies host Robert Osborn, and director John Landis. It was also cool to see Pink Floyd covering one of the Sherman's classics.Some other nice touches include one of the Sherman's singing and playing the piano for "Feed the Birds." During this song they inter-cut Walt Disney feeding birds on the Disney lot.Highly recommended.
T Y
Never heard of this movie? That's because it's not very good. For over an hour, it makes the fatal mistake of assuming that the audience is already interested in its topic. It doesn't draw you in or build. And the makers are unfamiliar with the concept of "getting to the point." After 45 minutes all we know is that the two famous song-writing brothers of countless Disney songs don't talk to each other. It teases this forever. We are going back in history and revisiting their childhood home; at a point it still hasn't conveyed anything beyond "they don't like each other." I lost patience waiting for them to get on with it and began to jump over portions. Bobby, a very sympathetic figure, is so difficult to understand they should've put sub-titles on screen when he talks.The aspect of Sherman songs that the movie doesn't acknowledge is that they are delightful to kids, and excruciating to adults. The Sherman brothers didn't write some of the most irritating songs ever written, they appear to have written ALL of them.(Supercalifragilisticexpialadocious, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, It's a small world, Let's go fly a kite, Feed the Birds, Chim chim Chiree, Winnie the Pooh, Hushabye mountain, me ole Bamboo, Toot Sweets) Songs that get stuck in your head in the bad way. The movie is really just an excuse to parade these songs past you.
MartinHafer
This is the third Disney documentary I've seen in the last couple months (this includes this film, "Walt and El Groupo" and "Waking Sleeping Beauty") and all three were enjoyable bits of nostalgia. However, unlike these other two films, the Shermans were most famous for their work but they wrote music for a wide variety of projects--not just ones for that studio.The film begins in a way that took my by surprise. Apparently it was made by one of Bob Sherman's sons and one of Dick Sherman's sons. Neither knew each other and their families never really interacted--despite their fathers being brothers and long-time writing partners! Now that is weird and caught my attention, as it seems that over the years the two became more and more estranged from each other and were so unalike. What follows is a nice nostalgic look at these men and their lives and shows the many ways in which their music has shaped films and our culture.The film is well made, fascinating and great for Disney fans and non-fans. While not as amazingly good as "Waking Sleeping Beauty", it is some documentary.
NJMoon
There are some things that I wish I didn't know. That the famous brothers Sherman don't really get along or like each other all that much is one of those things. It's sad. And it is ironic, considering most of their music and lyrics seem a match made in Tin Pan Alley heaven. I am glad, however, that this somewhat disjointed and clumsy documentary about their lives reminds us of the many songs they have created: from the theme to the Tiki Room in the Disney theme parks to fun throw-away songs for Annette's surf movies of the 60's. Truly, their output for the better part of three decades was astounding. It is a shame that their sons couldn't have cobbled together a better, more compelling tribute to the pair. This film is cinematically lifeless and adds little understanding to their polar personalities. Try as they might "The Boys" just come off as one dimensional and rather dull. Thank goodness their tunes will speak for them for eternity instead of this well-meaning but awkward film.