This movie, about an underemployed reporter who finds himself literally purchased as a toy for a rich spoiled brat, is an okay comedy movie.
One of my first thoughts at the beginning was that the protagonist Jack Brown was a bit annoying because I think he exaggerated, which I was right about for the rest of the movie. I think Richard Pryor (as Jack Brown) tried too hard to be funny. It felt very forced. When it comes to the comedy in general, I sometimes felt that it worked, speaking of some of Jack's interactions with people around him, but that's about it. It was hard to get much out of this genre.
Jack and Eric Bates were the heart and soul of this movie, and I think the concept itself about their relationship was valuable. However, there were several things that didn't really get my interest, like rush and pacing issues. Sometimes their relationship didn't have flow, and it was sometimes confusing. It also felt forced and underdeveloped.
The third act was alright. It was far from perfect, but it had some good action, and the last scene was one of the best moments in the movie. However, a small detail that bothered me was that Eric's father, Ulysses Simpson "U. S." Bates, put his relationship with Jack behind himself mainly based on his rescue by Jack in the pool. We barely saw that detail. It wasn't obvious enough, and I coincidentally guessed that Jack saved him. What I'm trying to say is that there were several details like this that set the plot in motion. It was unnecessary confusing sometimes, especially for a simple movie like this one.
This movie has many flaws, but in the end I don't think it was directly bad. The cinematography was okay, and I liked the score. What ruined some of my experience was that when the good elements appeared, the bad elements appeared right after, which overshadowed much of the positivities.
I have to mention one thing. I have 10,825 movies in my watchlist at this date, and I shuffle my watchlist and pick the first movie that comes up every time I'll watch a movie because I prefer to go in blind. What follows is crazy: Ned Beatty (as Sydney Morehouse) was forced to take off his own pants in this movie, and literally the exact same thing happened to another character played Beatty in the previous movie I first-watched. What a coincidence! There was a 0.009 % chance for this...!
In conclusion, despite the movie's many flaws, it's not a terrible movie. The cinematography and score are decent, and the relationship between Jack and Eric has the potential to be heartwarming. However, the movie is bogged down by poor execution, including rushed pacing, underdeveloped characters, and forced comedy. As a result, the good elements are often overshadowed by the bad, leaving me with a mixed bag experience.
One of my first thoughts at the beginning was that the protagonist Jack Brown was a bit annoying because I think he exaggerated, which I was right about for the rest of the movie. I think Richard Pryor (as Jack Brown) tried too hard to be funny. It felt very forced. When it comes to the comedy in general, I sometimes felt that it worked, speaking of some of Jack's interactions with people around him, but that's about it. It was hard to get much out of this genre.
Jack and Eric Bates were the heart and soul of this movie, and I think the concept itself about their relationship was valuable. However, there were several things that didn't really get my interest, like rush and pacing issues. Sometimes their relationship didn't have flow, and it was sometimes confusing. It also felt forced and underdeveloped.
The third act was alright. It was far from perfect, but it had some good action, and the last scene was one of the best moments in the movie. However, a small detail that bothered me was that Eric's father, Ulysses Simpson "U. S." Bates, put his relationship with Jack behind himself mainly based on his rescue by Jack in the pool. We barely saw that detail. It wasn't obvious enough, and I coincidentally guessed that Jack saved him. What I'm trying to say is that there were several details like this that set the plot in motion. It was unnecessary confusing sometimes, especially for a simple movie like this one.
This movie has many flaws, but in the end I don't think it was directly bad. The cinematography was okay, and I liked the score. What ruined some of my experience was that when the good elements appeared, the bad elements appeared right after, which overshadowed much of the positivities.
I have to mention one thing. I have 10,825 movies in my watchlist at this date, and I shuffle my watchlist and pick the first movie that comes up every time I'll watch a movie because I prefer to go in blind. What follows is crazy: Ned Beatty (as Sydney Morehouse) was forced to take off his own pants in this movie, and literally the exact same thing happened to another character played Beatty in the previous movie I first-watched. What a coincidence! There was a 0.009 % chance for this...!
In conclusion, despite the movie's many flaws, it's not a terrible movie. The cinematography and score are decent, and the relationship between Jack and Eric has the potential to be heartwarming. However, the movie is bogged down by poor execution, including rushed pacing, underdeveloped characters, and forced comedy. As a result, the good elements are often overshadowed by the bad, leaving me with a mixed bag experience.