City Slickers (1991)

Satisfactory, yet nothing special...

One of the biggest `are you kidding me' moments in Oscar history for me has got to be Jack Palance winning the supporting Oscar for his performance in `City Slickers'. Honestly, sure, it's not a terrible performance, but can you honestly call it a performance? He has like two scenes and what he does with them is truly nothing special.

In fact the entire film can be summed up in those very words; nothing special. It's funny in parts and the moral at the end is touching, but overall there is nothing here than cannot be found in a dozen (or more) other comedies, with greater effect even. The film is littered with standard one-liners that hit some time and miss others, and while the overall effect of the film is satisfying, it is nothing extraordinary.

The film follows Mitch Robbins, a man who loves his family but is disappointed with his overall lot in life and thus becomes bogged down by what he could have been and what he wound up becoming. His job is not exciting, but life in general is pretty boring and his outlook appears rather bleak. Add to that the fact that it is his birthday and you have a middle-aged man about to hit crisis mode. That is why his wife urges him to accompany his two best friends on a cattle drive adventure that is sure to bring Mitch to terms with his life. He begrudgingly goes along, but it winds up being the best thing for him.

Billy Crystal is generally pretty funny, but it wasn't until watching this movie that I realized how generic he really is. He's funny, sure, but nothing spectacular. His performance is genuine enough, but there is no real spark behind it; nothing that makes you beg for more. Daniel Stern and Bruno Kirby, who play Mitch's best friends Phil and Ed, are actually much funnier than Crystal is here. Jack Palance has some funny lines here but overall his performance feels unfulfilled.

I know that a lot of people love this movie, and I can't say that it isn't worth a watch or two. I thought it was funny, I laughed, I enjoyed myself, but I also realize that this is not the greatest comedy known to man, and the added admiration is a bit over the top. It's a good generic comedy that ends on a nice moral, that's about it.

Like I said; nothing special. August 25, 2008

Heads up! New Collector's Edition due out on June 3rd, 2008!

City Slickers, like most of the comedies I like best, works both as a vehicle for some pretty good humor and as a drama with heart, with something real at stake. Mitch (Billy Crystal) and his two best friends (Daniel Stern and Bruno Kirby) are each having midlife crises in their own ways. In an effort to find themselves they join a two-week dude cattle drive adventure where they do indeed surpass their former boundaries and find more about who they really are. Jack Palance plays Curly, the imposing, tough-as-cowhide, scene-stealing trail boss. The setting allows for endless jokes about cowboys and related matters, as well as some wry comments on human nature. All the principle actors are in top form.

The new DVD release of City Slickers will have a bunch of new special features:

-- audio commentary from director Ron Underwood and stars Billy Crystal and Daniel Stern (Bruno Kirby and Jack Palance are no longer living)

-- 4 featurettes
. . . "Back in the Saddle: City Slickers Revisited"
. . . "Bringing in the Script: Writing City Slickers"
. . . "A Star is Born: An Ode to Norman" (Norman being the calf Mitch adopts)
. . . "The Real City Slickers"

-- 2 deleted scenes: "Releasing the Herd" and "A New Job"

I've always enjoyed this movie and look forward to the new features, especially the commentary. Looks like it will be a worthy special edition. Four stars for this old DVD, but the new one gets five. Amazon is taking orders for the new DVD here. May 6, 2008

almost perfect..except

I ordered a full screen version...but I was sent a widescreen version.
It was for my mom after I bought her first DVD player.
It's one of her 2 favorite movies and I don't have the heart to take it away from her now...she watches it and "Twister" at least 2 times a week. She occassionally asks me what the 2 black lines are from. She's 88 years old, God Bless Her. March 23, 2008

City Slickers DVD

What can I say. I real classic, even enjoyed by my young children. Extremely entertaining. February 22, 2008

I love this movie

This is a great family movie. It's definately a feel good flick. Billy Crystal is great and funny, as always. This movie has a sweet message and it's an uplifting movie. I highly recommend it. January 28, 2008

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