I have little to say about this movie other than it is nowhere near as bad as I'd been led to believe. Actually quite amusing in places, it will strike a chord with anyone who has an interfering mother (and God knows I have!) as Estelle Getty invades Stallone's life.
I fail to see the reason for all the bad spirit directed at this film. The incidental music is a little repetitive and it's admittedly a one-joke plot. But it is a fairly good joke, and would have made for a superb hour-length TV movie. Unfortunately it's a 90 minute cinema film and so doesn't maintain its momentum all the way through.
I've seen people criticise the film for Stallone not getting to be "funny" in this movie. I mean, have you heard of a straight man?? Sylvester's contribution to the comedy is his underplayed reaction to his mother's obsessive behaviour. What do you expect him to do, dress up and tell jokes?
Admittedly, the surprisingly violent aspects of the film don't sit well, and it's hard to laugh at Getty when she's just shot a man and splattered his blood all over an airplane runway. Another problem is that her chemistry with Stallone isn't as pin-sharp as it could be; the two leave notable pauses in between lines. Maybe a few more takes could have honed up the reaction time, but generally it's fine, and Stallone really makes an effort to make it work.
Not an all-time classic, certainly, but a pleasant enough film to pass a Sunday afternoon. Just don't listen to the nay-sayers, watch it yourself and make up your own mind. 5/10.
I fail to see the reason for all the bad spirit directed at this film. The incidental music is a little repetitive and it's admittedly a one-joke plot. But it is a fairly good joke, and would have made for a superb hour-length TV movie. Unfortunately it's a 90 minute cinema film and so doesn't maintain its momentum all the way through.
I've seen people criticise the film for Stallone not getting to be "funny" in this movie. I mean, have you heard of a straight man?? Sylvester's contribution to the comedy is his underplayed reaction to his mother's obsessive behaviour. What do you expect him to do, dress up and tell jokes?
Admittedly, the surprisingly violent aspects of the film don't sit well, and it's hard to laugh at Getty when she's just shot a man and splattered his blood all over an airplane runway. Another problem is that her chemistry with Stallone isn't as pin-sharp as it could be; the two leave notable pauses in between lines. Maybe a few more takes could have honed up the reaction time, but generally it's fine, and Stallone really makes an effort to make it work.
Not an all-time classic, certainly, but a pleasant enough film to pass a Sunday afternoon. Just don't listen to the nay-sayers, watch it yourself and make up your own mind. 5/10.