The Big Lebowski

Staring: Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Julianne Moore, Steve Buscemi, David Huddleston, John Turturro, Peter Stormare, Sam Elliott, David Thewlis, Ben Gazzara, Jimmie Dale, Gilmore Philip, Seymour Hoffman, Tara Reid, Flea, Torsten Voges

Review by The Ranting WolfCastle

    Some movies are so intellectually stimulating that you watch them in awe, fearless to udder a word as to the Godlike quality of the film.  The Big Lebowski is not one of those films.  Not to say that it isn't wonderfully entertaining.

    Jeff Bridges stars as Jeffery Lebowski, or as he liked to be called, The Dude.  It all starts when a couple of thugs mistakenly brake into his apartment, thinking he is a millionaire.  Well, one thing leads to another and one of the thugs end up pissing on The Dude's rug.  All The Dude wants is another rug.  So he finds out the who the real Lebowski is, and asks him for another rug.  The Big Lebowski is not impressed.  The Dude leaves only to be called back the next day to the mansion.  You see, The Big Lebowski's wife has been kidnapped, and he wants The Dude to drop of the ransom. 

    I liked this movie.  I didn't really understand the onslaught of crack baby characters that were imposed upon me with frightful boisterousness, but I still liked it.  The plot is a bit confusing, but yet painfully simple.  It is only when I reflect upon it, that I realize this.  It's pretty much unexplainable.

    The characters, although ones that were born with a crack addiction as I have mentioned previously, are as unique as they come.  Walter, John Goodman's character is a Vietnam veteran, who thinks every time someone complains he has to tell them that he fought in Vietnam for their freedom.  Donnie, Buscemi's character, pretty much gets told to "Shut the fuck up." throughout the movie, but who, when push comes to shove, has a heart attack and dies.  Then there's The Dude, who gets high in many scenes, and who's philosophy on life is to take it easy.  All the other characters are so bizarre I can't even offer an explanation.  All I can say is, you know that when the bassist for The Red Hot Chili Peppers is in a movie, it's gonna be a little bit fucked up.  Pardon my French.

    Although the plot is foggy at first, the dialogue is funny.   Especially if you're one of those people who loves expletives.  If not, then you probably won't care for it much.  All the acting is good, especially on the efforts of Goodman and Bridges.  None of the other characters are really developed enough to know what their motives are, put that helps the plot out in some cases.

    I'm still a bit baffled as to what this movie actually was.  I know it was entertaining, and funny, but I'm still not sure what it actually was.   If you don't like cussing, and blatant drug use, and violence, you probably won't like this movie, unless you like weird films.  If you do like all of the above, and find them entertaining to observe, watch this film.

    Now, don't take a forty percent as a bad rating.  It's just that I don't really know what else to rate it.  I liked it, it was entertaining, but it left me wanting more.  I guess I just felt a bit unfulfilled.  So I guess that's it.  Take it easy, and always remember, "The Dude will abide."

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