| The Big Bounce | | Cast : | Owen Wilson, Morgan Freeman, Sara Foster, Gary Sinise | | Director : | George Armitage | | Studio : | Warner Home Video | | Format : | Color, Closed-captioned, Widescreen | | Released Date : | January 30, 2004 | | DVD Released Date : | June 07, 2005 | | Language : | English (Dubbed), Spanish (Subtitled), French (Subtitled) | | Audience Rating : | PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested) | | | BUY THIS DVD FROM AMAZON |
Customer Reviews
| Rating |  | | Date | June 06, 2005 | | Summary | Bad Heist Movie | Content
 | This movie stars Owen Wilson as a petty thief named Jack Ryan trying to make his way in Hawaii. After attacking a co-worker with a baseball bat, Wilson is befriended by Walter (Morgan Freeman) the local judge/resort owner who offers Jack a job instead of sending him to jail. Jack eventually meets Nancy (Sara Foster) who is having an affair with Jack's rich, former boss Ray (Gary Sinise). Jack and Nancy plan to steal money from Ray's cabin and this forms the "plot" of the movie.
I guess that this is supposed to be a "heist" movie, but most of the movie does not really focus around the heist much at all. Instead, Jack and Nancy dance around and have a stupid flittery romance for most of the scenes. Jack and Nancy's plan is never completely fleshed out and seems rather simplistic. I can say that there are some suprizes when the actually get around to stealing the money, but the suprises are somewhat predictable and not really that inovative.
I agree with other viewers who say that the actors in this movie are wasted on shallow characters. There is nothing stellar about Wilson's character and Foster's character is little more than eye candy. Freeman, Charlie Sheen, and Gary Sinse (who only has a few lines in the movie) should have been better.
In terms of heist movies, this one falls far short. If you want a good heist movie, see The Italian Job. Even National Treasure has a pretty good heist scene. But The Big Bounce has no interesting scenes of thievey whatsoever unless you consider stealing a bunch of wallets from a house as interesting. Instead, The Big Bounce is just full of petty would-be criminals and half-baked schemes. |
| Rating | | | Date | June 02, 2005 | | Summary | Great Cast Buoys Lighthearted, Lightweight Leonard Caper | Content
| Maybe this second movie version of Elmore Leonard's caper novel of the same name (first filmed in 1969 with Ryan O'Neal and Leigh Taylor-Young) is no GET SHORTY or OUT OF SIGHT, but it's a lot more fun than critics gave it credit for (a lot more fun than the dreary original, for sure!), and it deserved to do better at the box office. When it came out back in January 2004, this BIG BOUNCE's new Hawaii setting was especially welcome during that year's harsh winter season! Hell, all it took to make me love this flick was the playful rock-tinged Hawaiian-style score (though scorer George S. Clinton missed an opportunity: it would've been such a hoot to include Paul Revere & The Raiders' "Kicks" or a cool cover of same, in honor of TBB's thrill-seeking leads! :-), the lush tropical scenery, and the sight of Owen Wilson naked in the ocean! :-) Wilson, the king of comedic neo-slacker cool, is in his element as Jack Ryan (so not Tom Clancy's action hero! :-), an ex-con surfer dude with a penchant for getting in trouble (as he says, his "two longtime companions" are "bad luck and bad choices"). Jack gets into plenty of it thanks to newcomer Sara Foster as Nancy, a sun-kissed cutie with the insouciant insolence of the young Lauren Bacall. Wilson and Foster have an easygoing, playful chemistry even when they get their kicks from stealing cars and "B&E" (Breaking and Entering, a popular indoor sport for movie couples earlier this year what with TBB and ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND). When the stakes are raised up to murder, however, Jack has to start rethinking his laissez-faire approach to life... Wilson and Foster have a great cast to double-cross and be double-crossed by, including Morgan Freeman, Bebe Neuwirth, Gary Sinise, our fave British movie tough guy Vinnie Jones (nice change of pace, seeing him get his butt kicked for a change :-), Willie Nelson, and Charlie Sheen and Harry Dean Stanton as father and son! Add lots of snappy dialogue (I particularly liked Wilson's "friendship" speech to Gregory Sporleder: "If I'm in trouble, you won't be there for me...I won't be there for you..." It's a Bogart-style tough-guy speech given a slyly witty spin thanks to Wilson's laid-back delivery), much of it uttered over the rocks (in more ways than one -- I haven't seen so much drinking in a crime comedy since the THIN MAN movies, only the drinking impairs the characters' judgment here :-), and you've got a lighthearted, lightweight way to pass a lazy afternoon, especially if the weather is too dreary for real-life fun in the sun!
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| Rating | | | Date | May 20, 2005 | | Summary | Piece of junk. | Content
| If there was a Blockbuster's worst store, this would be showcased. First off, let me tell you about the plot...wait! There is no plot. This has no humor whatsoever. It is just so stupid. The director needs to be fired. |
| Rating | | | Date | April 18, 2005 | | Summary | Great Cast, not so great movie | Content
| Owen Wilson heads up a pretty amazing cast list here as Jack Ryan, the petty thief pretty boy in Hawaii, trying to hit big. Morgan Freeman, Charlie Sheen, Gary Sinise, Willy Nelson, Sara Foster and even Harry Dean Stanton......and the list goes on. Even the pedigree of Elmore Leonards novel and George Armitage in the directors chair (Grosse Pointe Blank) make you sit back after watching this and ask - What happened? This is a very dull movie that promises much, but fails to deliver on just about all levels. A who's scamming who? game unfolds that keeps you guessing, but fails to really grab your attention, and looks like everyone was just going through the motions for a paycheck. The visual distraction of Foster (virtually bikini clad throughout the picture)wears thin very quickly, and even though I am a fan of Wilson, I found this picture to be hard work. Always waiting for something to get going leaves you feeling deflated as the end titles roll, and aside from a few sparse moments of comedy I cannot really recommend this movie. Freeman is as always engaging, but even his talents are wasted here, and one suspects that the original 1969 movie was better as it at least had an ending. The confusing and implied added "twist" at the end here makes no sense at all, and feels like a fun ride that ends halfway round. Rainy day material only, and rent before buying. |
| Rating | | | Date | April 08, 2005 | | Summary | what happened? | Content
| horrible boring movie that neither funny nor entertaining.
though one actress: Anahit Minasyan is very pretty. thats it!!!
don't waste your money on this either to buy or to rent. its a really bore. its stupid and dull. |
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