MovieChat Forums > North (1994) Discussion > Can't find anything wrong with this movi...

Can't find anything wrong with this movie

posted 12 years ago by cryptical70
22 replies | jump to latest

I've owned NORTH on dvd for about four months and it remains one that I watch and enjoy. And I just can't find really anything bad about it. I think the critics were out of their minds when they panned this movie. Plus many of the online user's reviews are more or less biased. I don't find it offensive nor unfunny. In fact it contains a lot of memorable scenes and great cinematography. It's not Shakespeare of course, but it does remain a nice family film. Elijah Wood and Bruce Willis are very good in NORTH.

I plainly don't understand ANY of Roger Ebert's gripes! He said that the film attempted to be 'manipulative.' What is he talking about??? I've read his review, and re-read it and re-read it. None of his criticisms make any sense to me.
He was just too harsh on the movie. He's a lousy film critic, in my opinion.

Any other fans of NORTH? I'm sure there are.

[–] BigEasy1203 12 years ago

I don't always agree with film critics, but then films are very subjective, so no two people will ever agree about every single movie.

That being said - when 3 well-known critics list this among the worst movies they have ever seen (and many more have panned it as well), I'm going to take their word over the folks on IMDB. I've never seen this movie and I won't, based on those reviews.

[–] praisethelove 11 years ago

Wowi feel sorry for you bigeasy. you just cant think for yourself huh?

Take good care of yourself, Sally Orchid

[–] Xeokym 12 years ago

Plus many of the online user's reviews are more or less biased.

Why are other people's points of view "biased" just because they're the majority? Did it ever occur to you that maybe there's a reason so many people hate the movie, rather than the absurd idea that most of them have never seen it & just listened to negative reviews, or the even more absurd idea that they saw it & liked it but didn't want to be in the minority, so they jumped on the bandwagon & said it sucked? When you say other people's opinions are biased, you're suggesting they're prejudiced; that is the meaning of the word "biased." What kind of prejudice would people hold against a movie, especially when it comes from an otherwise reliable director & cast of reliably good actors? That makes no sense.

What does make sense is that you just happen to not have the same opinion as most people, but instead of just admitting that you like a movie that most people find bad, you have to twist it around & try to make it sound like everyone else is "wrong."

I'm not saying you're wrong in liking the movie...I am saying, however, you're wrong in the way you look at other people's opinions. I found the movie droll, boring, numbing, and terminably unfunny. I'm not biased - I just watched it & I didn't like it.

»«ëÕ|{¥(V)
I can't understand your crazy moon language.

[–] Galagatron 12 years ago

Being that I followed Entertainment Weekly at the time, I remember seeing "North" mentioned for about a year before it was released and anticipated it. I didn't see it in theaters but rented it, but don't remember having a problem with it anymore than most other lackluster somewhat forgotten movies of the time. I just remember overhearing a kid spoil it after leaving the theater.

[–] stevenackerman69 12 years ago

Well, I think the problem with the film is this: Children don't lightly separate from their parents, especially if the big sin is just not paying attention at the dinner table. I actually hated the kid lawyer type. He made my skin crawl.

[–] mrdjx 12 years ago

I believe that what Roger was talking about is we're expected to cheer for North at the end as he learns to love his parents, yet he hasnt learned anything about cultural or ethnic diversity despite travelling all over the world. The film instead of addressing this issue, simply cops out with making the entire plot a dream and then discards the previous hour and a half of racism as it were nothing. Ironically the "its-all-a-dream" device implies that North, the hero and protagonist of the film, is a closet racist.

[–] jpmkam 11 years ago

It stunk badly. Hard to believe that Reiner made this film only 2 years after A Few Good Men.

[–] rbarton-878-163029 9 years ago

I think he made it simply because he wanted to travel to Hawaii and China and other vacation destinations for located in this movie for free.

[–] SniperMaske 9 years ago

So Roger Ebert would have been playing the Thought Police for racial PC there.
Interesting; that would explain his rage as this kind of people are often prone to it, in typical accusatory inversion.

[–] Primeval_Scum 11 years ago

It's boring, doesn't really take advantage of the concept and the jokes are some of the lamest, and cheesiest ever heard in a major hollywood movie. it's also too dark at times for a kids film and not even dark humor, just dark with no punchline like when they sent the old people out to sea. how was that supposed to be funny? a movie about an 11 year old traveling around the world had so much more potential and really could have explored so much more. instead its just mean and uninteresting.

[–] 11 years ago

[deleted]

[–] all-a-stew 11 years ago

I liked it. It has it's problems like many movies, but it was charming and nostalgic enough for me to keep watching.

http://junkieintheattic.wordpress.com

[–] Robbmonster 10 years ago

Anyone who uses the word 'manipulative' to deride a film should have their review stricken from the record.

Film IS manipulative, above and beyond all other things. Every moment of every film the audience is being 'manipulated' to like certain characters, to heard certain conversations, to look at various places on the screen.

Not liking a film because it's manipulative is like not liking basball because too much of it is a guy throwing a ball.

Never defend crap with "It's just a movie"
http://www.youtube.com/user/BigGreenProds