Splendid live-action cartoon from Altman. In need of reassessing.
Popeye (1980)
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Reviews Counted:26
Fresh:15
Rotten:11
Average Rating:5.8/10
Consensus: Altman's take on the iconic cartoon is messy and wildly uneven, but its robust humor and manic charm are hard to resist.
Runtime: 1 hr 54 mins
Genre: Comedies
Synopsis: The classic comic strip and cartoon hero comes to life in Robert Altman's film adaptation of the adventures of the spinach-munching sailor. After he's thrown from his ship during a storm, Popeye... The classic comic strip and cartoon hero comes to life in Robert Altman's film adaptation of the adventures of the spinach-munching sailor. After he's thrown from his ship during a storm, Popeye (Robin Williams) finds refuge in a quaint seaside town. There he rents a room from the Oyls and meets their daughter Olive (the perfectly cast Shelley Duvall). Olive is engaged to Captain Bluto (Paul Smith), a bully and ruffian who is in charge of collecting taxes for the mysterious Commandant. Popeye, who was orphaned at an early age, is in the midst of a desperate search for his missing father, but what he doesn't realize is that the shipwreck has brought him unexpectedly close to his final destination. In bringing his own distinct vision to E. C. Segar's legendary hero, Altman creates an atmosphere that is breezy, loose, and filled with slapstick shenanigans. Williams portrays Popeye with a physically comic flair that is both honest and energetic--as do the rest of the cast members, including frequent Altman contributors Duvall, Paul Dooley, and David Arkin. Harry Nilsson's songs add to the lighthearted affair, making POPEYE an enjoyable family viewing experience all around. [More]
Starring: Robin Williams, Shelley Duvall, Ray Walston, Linda Hunt
Starring: Robin Williams, Shelley Duvall, Ray Walston, Linda Hunt, Paul Dooley, Paul L. Smith
Director: Robert Altman
Director: Robert Altman
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Reviews for Popeye
This one really takes an unfair beating, but at the risk of losing your respect entirely, I'll just say it: It's my favorite Altman film!
Altman's job was to convey the spirit of the old cartoons, not dish up some ultraslick Hollywood sitcom fodder. He gets the job done right.
If you strip away the film’s loyalty to its source material, it’s not difficult to see that, in many ways, Popeye is Altman’s comic spin on McCabe & Mrs. Miller.
Altman's live action take on the comic strip sailorman is typically idiosyncratic and wilful, but, sadly, far from being any good.
Latest News for Popeye
November 21, 2006:
Auteur Robert Altman Passes Away at 81
Robert Altman, the esteemed and venerable director of "M*A*S*H," "Nashville," and "The Player," died Monday from complications due to cancer. He... More...
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