MovieChat Forums > Pirates of Silicon Valley (1999) Discussion > Boy does this movie NOT hold up well...

Boy does this movie NOT hold up well...

posted 8 years ago by TheSeeker7
10 replies | jump to latest

As an unabashed Aaron Sorkin fan, I was quite looking forward to Steve Jobs, but the way my work schedule played out and not exactly a huge and wide theater count (even at the start), it just never worked out for me yet. Prompting me earlier this week to have a rewatch of this movie.

wow. and trust me, I get no pleasure from saying this, I'm a big Noah Wyle fan. But yea, I can't help but think this thing's been treated with some real nostalgia-colored glasses by the public for the last several years. It really feels like the only saving grace is pretty much portions (not all, mind you) of Wyle's performance. I feel like I remember Anthony Michael Hall in particular having gotten a lot of praise for his work here, but even that (& granted, this might've just been more fault of the script), so much of it is soooo on the nose, it just comes across as lazy writing. Practically like a caricature of an incredibly nerdy young adult who doesn't know how to talk to a girl to save his life.

But I'm sorry, the worst offender in these proceedings is John DiMaggio. Now, I was actually kinda surprised to see when I checked, but at the time this was made, he'd in fact had about equal number of live action acting roles as he did voice work. So he was of course far from the virtual modern legend that he is currently in the world of animation and voiceover. And yet, he seems to treat it like it was a VO gig. I mean this is some of the most egregious overacting I've ever seen, it really kinda got into cringeworthy territory.

[–] tempmail1974 8 years ago

Interesting you feel that way. I showed it to a couple people over the summer and they loved it.

I think it holds-up very well.

[–] PacificPooch 8 years ago

I don't agree. This is still an efficient and effective telling of the story. I don't see how it "doesn't hold up".

[–] SuperSonicX 8 years ago

Agreed, and it's the best portrayal of early Microsoft until we get a proper Bill Gates biopic.

"Don't believe everything you hear on the radio." - Charles Foster Kane

[–] PacificPooch 8 years ago

it's the best portrayal of early Microsoft until we get a proper Bill Gates biopic.

That's very true. In fact, because of all the Jobs and Apple movies, books, etc. since Pirates came out, one can almost argue that this has become more interesting for the Microsoft origin story than Apple's. Personally, I wouldn't go that far just because Pirates does such a good job with Apple and Jobs, but my point is that their story became so well propagated over the past 10 years while Microsoft's story has faded from consciousness somewhat in that time.

[–] nights_dream_paradox 8 years ago

Won't happen. Bill Gates has been doing a lot of reputation whitewashing lately, so a biopic that shows what a scoundrel he truly is wouldn't be well received.

[–] charactercombo 8 years ago

I agree. This movie holds up remarkably well. Sure, it can feel a bit dated in how it tells its story, but it does tell it story well. Plus, since most of the story takes place in the past, there really isn't modern day indicators now or back when it was filmed.

"No talking from things that don't talk!" - Jaye Tyler

[–] swc11-48-550133 7 years ago

You may be right that it doesn't hold up. I first watched it when it initial came out and loved it so when I watch it now, to me its like I am watching it in the 90's and not present day, so it hasn't aged at all.

[–] lambda_core 7 years ago

I just watched it for the first time and loved it

[–] Canuck21 7 years ago

I could not disagree more.

[–] Utpe (658) 5 years ago

I'm in total disagreement. This movie is practically a good representation of the feud between Microsoft and Apple during those years. The actors did a hell of a job portraying Gates and Jobs. So did the rest of the supporting cast for that matter.

Some could argue that the movie is dated, but that's because it is. A lot happened after 1999. If they made it today or at least up until Jobs's death (2011), then the story would be complete.

I sincerely doubt any studio would since "Pirates of Silicon Valley" was direct-to-video (TV movie). There was no theatrical release. Somebody like Anthony Michael Hall would probably request a hefty paycheck nowadays.

I would watch this over "Jobs" (2013) and "Steve Jobs" (2015) any day of the week. One had Ashton Kutcher and the other Seth Rogan. No thanks.