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Movies / On DVD / The Big Lebowski
The Big Lebowski

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The Big Lebowski (1998)

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Reviews Counted:72

Fresh:56

Rotten:16

Average Rating:7.1/10

Consensus: Typically stunning visuals and sharp dialogue from the Coen Brothers, brought to life with strong performances from Goodman and Bridges.

Runtime: 1 hr 58 mins

Genre: Comedies

Synopsis: The Coen brothers have done it again. Mixing in Leninist philosophy, mistaken identity, crazy characters, a kidnapping plot, and a deep love of bowling, they have unleashed upon an unsuspecting... The Coen brothers have done it again. Mixing in Leninist philosophy, mistaken identity, crazy characters, a kidnapping plot, and a deep love of bowling, they have unleashed upon an unsuspecting world the many glories of THE BIG LEBOWSKI. Jeff Bridges plays Jeff Lebowski, known as the Dude, a laid-back, easygoing burnout who happens to have the same name as a millionaire whose wife owes a lot of dangerous people a whole bunch of money--resulting in the Dude having his rug soiled, sending him spiraling into the Los Angeles underworld. The film is beautiful to look at, especially the scenes in the bowling alley, which feature a vast array of bizarre characters--including Steve Buscemi, John Turturro, Sam Elliott, and the movie-stealing, riotously funny John Goodman as the Dude's crazy best buddy. As usual in Coen brothers films (BARTON FINK, RAISING ARIZONA), the dialogue is hysterically warped; the plot is confusing, complicated, and kinetic; the soundtrack is virtually another character; and the acting is weirdly stellar. THE BIG LEBOWSKI is yet another thoroughly entertaining foray into the strange and fascinating world ruled by Joel and Ethan Coen. [More]

Starring: Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Julianne Moore, Steve Buscemi

Starring: Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Julianne Moore, Steve Buscemi, David Huddleston, John Turturro, Peter Stormare, David Thewlis, Ben Gazzara, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Tara Reid, Flea, Torsten Voges, Philip Moon, Mark Pellegrino, Jack Kehler, Aimee Mann, Asia Carrera, Jerry Haleva

Director: Joel Coen

Director: Joel Coen
Producer: Ethan Coen, Eric Fellner, Tim Bevan
Screenwriter: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
Composer: Carter Burwell

[See More Credits]

Reviews for The Big Lebowski

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41 - 60 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 >> >|
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 

There is no satisfactory beginning, middle or end to it, but it does have its moments.

Full Review Source: Laramie Movie Scope | comment Comment
01/01/01
Robert Roten
Robert Roten
Laramie Movie Scope

No review available.

comment Comment
01/01/00
USA Today
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

A genial spoof about life on the unhinged margins of L.A. that's a lot more carefully constructed than it pretends to be.

Full Review Source: Salon.com | comment Comment
01/01/00
Andrew O'Hehir
Andrew O'Hehir
Salon.com

Although there are plenty of laughs to be had, what ultimately makes this film feel like a minor effort is the lack of the tightly coiled (albeit noticeably bent) internal logic that governed the duo's previous efforts.

Full Review Source: rec.arts.movies.reviews | comment Comment
01/01/00
Andrew Wright
Andrew Wright
rec.arts.movies.reviews

There are bits of brilliance here as in all Coen Brothers movies. Just not enough of them.

Full Review Source: San Francisco Examiner | comment 1 Comment
01/01/00
Barbara Shulgasser
Barbara Shulgasser
San Francisco Examiner

It sounds like another precious Coen brothers gimmick, but in Bridges' hands it becomes a hysterical running joke.

Full Review Source: Bryant Frazer's Deep Focus | comment Comment
01/01/00
Bryant Frazer
Bryant Frazer
Bryant Frazer's Deep Focus

I wish the Coens the best, but they're going to have to do better than this. I know they can.

Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com | comment 2 Comments
01/01/00
Christopher Null
Christopher Null
Filmcritic.com

Not that The Big Lebowski is without its charms, but, like its central character, it is occasionally aimless and incoherent.

Full Review Source: Apollo Guide | comment Comment
01/01/00
Dan Jardine
Dan Jardine
Apollo Guide

Viewers with a taste for bizarre, even surreal, humor will have a ball.

Full Review Source: Christian Science Monitor | comment Comment
01/01/00
David Sterritt
David Sterritt
Christian Science Monitor

The comedy here is sometimes so sharp that you could roll in the aisle with laughter and not seem any odder than the characters you see onscreen.

Full Review Source: Ozus' World Movie Reviews | comment Comment
01/01/00
Dennis Schwartz
Dennis Schwartz
Ozus' World Movie Reviews

There are more ideas here, more wacko side characters and plot curlicues than the film can support, and inevitably it deflates from having to shoulder so much.

Full Review Source: San Francisco Chronicle | comment 4 Comments
01/01/00
Edward Guthmann
Edward Guthmann
San Francisco Chronicle

It's best just to accept The Big Lebowski on its own anything-goes terms.

Full Review Source: Boston Phoenix | comment Comment
01/01/00
Gary Susman
Gary Susman
Boston Phoenix

A film that may be instantly forgettable but should keep you grinning for a couple of hours.

Full Review Source: Compuserve | comment Comment
01/01/00
Harvey S. Karten
Harvey S. Karten
Compuserve

The Big Lebowski doesn't always bowl strikes. But in this wacky comedy, even the gutter balls are funny.

Full Review Source: Rochester Democrat and Chronicle | comment Comment
01/01/00
Jack Garner
Jack Garner
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

The Big Lebowski is a mess. But what a glorious, wonderfully-entertaining mess it is.

Full Review Source: ReelViews | comment Comment
01/01/00
James Berardinelli
James Berardinelli
ReelViews

This plot need not be taken too seriously. Watching it amble along is enough of a treat, since the Coens populate this story with oddballs and bowling balls of such comic variety.

Full Review Source: New York Times | comment Comment
01/01/00
Janet Maslin
Janet Maslin
New York Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

This uneven screwball comedy -- a disjointed and half-hearted attempt by the Coen brothers to return to the Raising Arizona style -- is bound to underwhelm even their most fervent admirers.

Full Review Source: Deseret News, Salt Lake City | comment 1 Comment
01/01/00
Jeff Vice
Jeff Vice
Deseret News, Salt Lake City

It never really bored me at any point, but at the same time, it never really excited me either.

Full Review Source: JoBlo's Movie Emporium | comment Comment
01/01/00
JoBlo
JoBlo
JoBlo's Movie Emporium

The Dude and Sobchak begin as caricatures too, but they're allowed to grow into something deeper, if only because the humanist economy of the Coens' surrealist vaudeville allows for a couple of human beings within the tapestry of freaks.

Full Review Source: Chicago Reader | comment Comment
01/01/00
Jonathan Rosenbaum
Jonathan Rosenbaum
Chicago Reader

This time, they have all the parts together, but someone forgot the glue.

Full Review Source: Cinematter | comment Comment
01/01/00
Madeleine Williams
Madeleine Williams
Cinematter
 
 
41 - 60 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 >> >|
all

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