Crwthod
A lot more amusing than I thought it would be.
Zlatica
One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.
Paul Vincent (movieswithpaul)
They don't make them like this anymore and movies are all the worse for it. A fun story, a good cast and most of all a real sense of FUN. Something truly missing from comedies made today. Now it's like a sitcom with dirty jokes. I almost expect a laugh track. Bill Murray was on his game in this film, and his manic energy propels the entire production. There have seen many who have imitated it, but this remains the original classic.
jimbo-53-186511
Having just watched Meatballs I was struggling to decipher what this film was trying to be or what it was trying to say; clearly it has a coming-of-age aspect to its story, but it's given very little focus or development. It's also clearly a film about the trials and tribulations of a bunch of youths whilst they're at a summer camp whilst they are being mentored by their crazy leader Tripper (Bill Murray).The problem with this film is that it has no definitive structure and no coherent plot line; it moves from scene to scene and from person to person but never in a way where it feels as though a story is being told - it felt like I was watching a series of goofball sketches lazily edited together rather than an actual story. Up until about the 60 minute mark the film doesn't seem to have any kind of point (although to be fair it does establish one in its final third) but to be honest I found myself kind of bored; nearly all of the characters are boring clichés that unfortunately remain this way throughout the film - there never seems to be any revealing moments or irony with any of these characters making them feel rather dull and one-dimensional.There is one interesting aspect of the story (involving the bond between Rudy and Tripper) which is quite endearing, but it's never really given the attention that it deserves and sadly Reitman seems more interested in creating several chaotic and random moments which never seem to manifest themselves into any kind of story and many of these moments seemed to serve little purpose.When I looked at this film I was actually hoping that it would be similar to Animal House but the thing with Animal House is that it was silly but funny whereas Meatballs is silly without being funny and that's the key difference. There were no big laughs on offer at all and very few small laughs (the only thing I found mildly amusing was the scene where they strap Monty to his bed and leave him outside strapped to the bed overnight).One thing that is great about this film is Bill Murray and he does bring this dreck to the life whenever he is on screen. Granted he does overact occasionally, but in fairness he probably felt obliged to because nobody else seemed to be making much of an effort.The film has a nice feel good ending to it (albeit a predictable one), but truthfully Meatballs isn't a particularly fun film to sit through and its 'Are you ready for the summer' theme song is pretty annoying as well.
freakfire-1
This might be for those who have been to summer camps, but it sure isn't an entertaining camp. I went to one before, but it didn't make me scream up and down for joy. Instead, it made my head hurt.The first thing you notice is that Bill Murray actually had some hair in the 70s. Yeah, and he also didn't mind running some. But to get him to run a lot, you would need to give him a woman to chase after.Its not that some of the stunts can't be funny. For example the running joke with one of the councilors who is always waking up somewhere else due to the movement of his bed. Instead, its that the jokes and stunts were poorly setup and executed. It just failed to be funny.To somebody who loves comedy, this is a pain. Others are glued to it for life. I wish it was more like Leonard Part 6, but it doesn't come close. "F"
avaloswrld
Meatballs is a great, feel-good movie. The first time I saw this movie was 1981 on HBO. I was 13 and loving every moment. I just finished watching it again, thanks to the 50+ movie channels satellite offers these days.Anyways, not only is Meatballs the excellent feel-good movie every young boy and 30 something should watch, it reminds me of the times I had in summer camp when was 7-10 years old. Bill Murray really makes the movie, as does "Rudy." The movie really shows how boys and girls did act at summer camp. Now, my summer camps were all church summer camps, but as young kids we all wanted the same things; to be accepted by others and fit in, and to have a shot at holding a girl's hand and maybe getting a kiss. those times were always great.Thanks to Ivan Reitman, we have a movie to ensure rekindling of great memories and laughs.
