MoPoshy Absolutely brilliant

Murphy Howard I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.

Kirandeep Yoder The joyful confection is coated in a sparkly gloss, bright enough to gleam from the darkest, most cynical corners.

Deanna There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

Scott LeBrun Peter O'Toole is a hoot as the harried owner / operator of a run-down Irish castle. Since he is in dire straits financially, he decides on a gimmick: turn the castle into a ghost-themed tourist attraction. Soon, a bunch of customers from America have turned up, including married couple Jack and Sharon (Steve Guttenberg and Beverly D'Angelo), a parapsychologist (Martin Ferrero) and his family, a young priest (Peter Gallagher), and a ditsy sexpot (the one and only Jennifer Tilly). What happens is that some honest-to-God real ghosts show up, chief among them Mary and Martin (Daryl Hannah and Liam Neeson), who have been re-enacting his murder of her for almost 200 years now.While this viewer is glad that some people do take great pleasure in "High Spirits", he found it a tedious mess often lacking in wit. It has a lot of spirit (pardon the expression) as it devises various frantic and farcical moments, but the material just isn't that great. I couldn't help but feel embarrassed for many of the actors, who frequently have to try too hard to make it all work. (The cast would charge that the producers were the ones that ruined the thing with their meddling and trashing of writer / director Neil Jordans' ("The Crying Game") good intentions.) The visual effects are variable, and production designer Anton Furst ("Batman" '89) creates some generally agreeable sets. A real castle in Ireland was also utilized, and there's some effective atmosphere generated from the location shooting that was done. The wind machine certainly goes full-blast at times.Some actors come off better than others. O'Toole, Neeson, and Ray McAnally (as O'Tooles' ghostly father) are pretty amusing, and as you can see, there are some very lovely ladies on hand. The less said about Guttenberg, the better.Overall, a disappointment, although it does tend to get somewhat better as it goes along.Four out of 10.

pesic-1 I saw this film as a child and I actually somewhat enjoyed it, mainly because my hormones were beginning to rage and I rather liked Daryl Hannah as a fragile, medieval maiden. But I also hated the humour. Even by 80s standard, this just isn't funny. The film is trying to compensate with noise, but none of the gags are even remotely funny, not to mention none of it makes any sense at all. When the film starts throwing nonsense at you for no apparent reason, it generates contempt. When joke after stupid joke fails to work, it generates contempt. When characters turn out to be dull, one-dimensional cardboard cutouts, it generates contempt. So by the time the 'twist' in the plot comes about, the audience is already exhausted and filled with contempt. And then one realizes that the 'twist', telegraphed from the very start of the film, brings nothing new. It's the same old moronic gags and a love story that goes nowhere. It is a shame to see a potentially good idea for a film, a pretty good cast, and a decent budget squandered like this. Why did we put up with Steve Guttenberg back in the 80s anyway? He's just awful. Frankly, I don't know how to judge this film. It does remind me of my childhood and the wonderful 80s which are gone forever. I'd give it ten stars for nostalgia, but judged on quality, I say it deserves around three stars. The actors, by the way, did a great job. It's not their fault. The script was terribly flawed, and that is the fundamental problem.

SpitfireIXB This is just another fine movie ranked far below what it deserves.Reviews of High Spirits by some movie critics are prime proof of the theory that "professional" movie critics often don't what they're talking about. Being quickly panned by British critics, and then dissed by their American colleagues, leads me to believe that many critics write negative reviews based on the opinions of others. In recent years, many critics seem especially to have hidden agendas, or have an axe to grind, or are pandering to special interest groups, which render their reviews worthless. Often, these critics appear to have never seen the movie they are condemning, or, worst still, are ignoring the cinematography and entertainment value based on their own petty bias. In High Spirits, some critics complained that the plot is thin, flighty and lacks realism?!?! But this is a comedy (and a very good one at that), not a serious theatrical work like as play by Shakespeare or some other artsy-f**tsy piece for the pseudo-intellectual snobs. While not perfect, it is certainly not the complete waste of time that some of these so-called critics claim it to be.The fact is, folks, this movie is very entertaining, a real joy, from the story, to the acting, to the sets, to the special effects, etc., etc. just a pleasure (albeit a guilty one) of movie entertainment. The entire cast give an exuberant, high spirited performance (pun intended) which is sure to tickle your funny bone. Peter O'Toole is hilarious as the penny-less, hereditary keeper of the castle who is about to lose it all. But Liz Smith is a riot, playing Peter's tipsy, widowed mother who still interacts (read has sexual relations) with her dead husband and communicates with other deceased family members. Liz Smith is a thief - she steals just about every scene in which she appears. A horny Steve Guttenberg, an unfaithful Beverly D'Angelo, a rapidly decaying Daryl Hannah and a flatulent Liam Neeson give excellent performances. The pious Peter Gallagher and temptress Jennifer Tilly are terrific in supporting roles as are the remainder of the cast, who are mainly from Dublin's Abbey Theatre, except for Connie Booth (who played the housekeeper Polly Shearman in Fawlty Towers), who is an American.Please ignore the critics on this one, folks, they are way off. This is a very funny movie, with a few semi-scary moments, that I can highly recommend to you. If you want classical drama, watch Hamlet or Otello, but if you want hardy chuckles, watch High Spirits. I'm sure you won't be disappointed.Rating: 8/10 stars

harfordamanda This is without a doubt one of my all time favorite movies!! I love every eccentric cheap second of it and couldn't ask for anything more, I've actually memorized it!! The story begins with Peter Plunkett (Peter O'Toole) about to have his home/castle/hotel taken away by a family rival named Jim Brogen who wants to open it as a theme park called "Irish World" in Malibu, CA. Fearing the loss of his home and place of employment he gathers his fellow workers and drunken mom (Liz Smith who I would love to have drink with) to conspire a way to get tourists to come stay at his hotel by masking it as a "haunted castle" which of course it's not although mum says otherwise. Of the many colorful guests that are staying there is Jack Crawford (Steve Gutenberg) and his wife Sharon (Beverly D'Angelo) who are having extreme issues with their marriage and are coming to Castle Plunkett in an attempt at a second honeymoon which Sharon wants no part of. Among the other guests are a parapsychologist (an expert in ghosts) and his family set to disprove the haunting, a not yet affirmed priest (peter Gallagher) and a sex crazed chick (Jennifer Tilly). Shortly after arriving the guests discover Plunkett's gimmick and prepare to leave but not before they learn that Sharon was sent by her father Jim Brogen to spy on Plunkett thus using her and Jack's trip as an excuse.Jack then gets drunk and stumbles onto a ghostly murder taking place and somehow manages to stop it. Soon after he falls for the murdered specter named Mary Plunkett (Daryl Hannah) and her killer husband Martin Brogen(Liam Neeson)who stabbed her on their wedding night wrongly believing that she loved someone else.Later weird things start happening to the guests and the very real ghosts of the castle begin to make their presences known especially Martin who won't give up on trying to seduce Sharon. (funniest parts of the movie if you ask me).On Halloween night things come to ahead and Jack and Mary get it on which afterwords puts him up the the ultimate test of love. Sharon unknowingly gives up her life for Mary and takes her place to be with Martin.By the end everyone is happily ever after. Honestly Liam Neeson was my favorite character of the whole thing and Peter O'Toole was brilliant. I believe this is somewhat based off a much older movie but for the life of me i can't remember the title any who, watch it on a rainy day and i promise you won't regret it.