CommentsXp Best movie ever!

Plustown A lot of perfectly good film show their cards early, establish a unique premise and let the audience explore a topic at a leisurely pace, without much in terms of surprise. this film is not one of those films.

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.

Gary The movie's not perfect, but it sticks the landing of its message. It was engaging - thrilling at times - and I personally thought it was a great time.

brchthethird In THE SURVIVORS, Robin Williams and Walter Matthau team up to take on a professional hit-man, at least at first. This film actually makes fun of survivalists which, while relying heavily on stereotypes, is still quite funny. The story, though, is predicated on a series of coincidences which makes the whole thing seem set up to make a point. And while things never get preachy, there are a few moments that might have you rolling your eyes a bit, but then it returns to the laughs. Even though this is one of Robin Williams' lesser comedies, he and Walter Matthau make a fine comic team who play nicely off of the other. There isn't too much in the way of character building, but I didn't honestly expect too much of that in this type of movie. The pacing is pretty good, keeping things moving along at a nice clip, until the final act which was a bit bloated. It isn't until the final moments that a switch-a-roo of sorts is made in terms of who the villain is, and calculated to drive home the message of the film, that is, survivalists are all crazy, deluded gun nuts. While this might be true to an extent, this still doesn't excuse reframing the hit-man as just another victim of an "economy in the toilet" (to borrow a phrase from the film). This just seemed odd to me, and somewhat misguided. Still, the farcical nature of the film makes it hard to take seriously, but in the end I quite enjoyed it. Great? No, but it's a decent watch.

RoseNylan When I first heard of a movie starring both Walter Matthau and Robin Williams, I thought "I have got to see this movie" since I think both men are very funny. Unfortunately, one plus one doesn't exactly equal two in this case.Robin Williams and Walter Matthau are two men who get let go from their jobs due to a poor economy. Williams then decides that society is simply falling apart beyond repair and joins a reclusive militant society in snowy Vermont. Matthau gets dragged into Williams' life by something of a side plot regarding Jerry Reed, who robs a diner when Williams and Matthau are both there and Matthau sees Reed's face, leading Reed to chase after the men.There are some funny moments and the film is certainly quite watchable, but the plot is too unfocused and fragmented.

jrs-8 It seems that many people have enjoyed "The Survivors" and as a huge Walter Matthau fan I sure wanted to be one of them. "The Survivors" is a muddled mess with script problems and, most curiously, problems with the casting of its leading actors Matthau and Robin Williams. Just reading that would make you thing that the casting is inspired but it ends up working against the film. Matthau and Williams have two very distinctive styles of comedy that work against each other and that aspect is clear throughout the movie. These two appear to be starring in different movies even when they are on screen together. Director Michael Ritchie appears to have let Williams and his manic sense of humor go crazy with no attempt to reel him in to a calmer level more suitable for the film. Take a look at "The World According to Garp" where Williams worked with the great George Roy Hill to see a restrained and terrific performance. Sure some of Williams' manic comedy sneaks through there but it was at a minimum. Here Williams is all over the map which is surprising considering director Ritchie's track record of only good movies up to this point ("The Candidate", "Smile" and "The Bad News Bears" among others).Another problem with the film is the tone of the script. It wants to be satirical, farcical, and dark all at the same time. Had it stuck with just one of those tones we might have had a better movie. Perhaps a satirical look at the difficulties of big business which is suggested in a funny opening scene when Williams is fired by his boss' parrot. Or perhaps a dark comedy about two down on their luck guys who happen across a hit man, trying to stay alive or even perhaps hoping to be killed, as they get their lives in some sort of order. This is hinted at but the story falls flat with the casting of Jerry Reed as the hit man who turns out to be a likable guy. Reed never convinced me he was anything more then the Snowman with a gun waiting for Burt Reynolds. He always seems to be winking at himself and never comes off as menacing. And the last act of the film at the survivalist outing is so mundane and silly it doesn't even belong in this film."The Survivors" could have been a really special film had director Ritchie reigned in and restrained Williams some and having the script go through major overhauls instead of looking like they shot a first draft. As it now stands there are a few laughs and it's not a total waste of time but will be a huge disappointment to fans of the lead actors.

jukes_pirate This is classic Robin Williams! The plot is full of holes and overall it's fairly pointless, but this movie makes me laugh and grin no matter how many times I watch it. The best scenes take place in a snowy New England forest, and the movie does an awesome job of capturing the atmosphere.