Popeye (1980)

User Rating:

4.8/10   

Director:

Robert Altman

Writers:

Jules Feiffer (screenplay)
E.C. Segar (based on characters by)

Release Date:

12 December 1980 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Family | Musical | Romance

Tagline:

Haves a happy holiday wit me an' Olive!

Plot:

The sailor man travels to Sweethaven, falls in love with Olive Oyl, adopts Sweetpea and makes an enemy with Bluto.

Plot Keywords:

Popeye | Spinach | Sailor | Abandoned Baby | Baby

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Robin Williams	...	Popeye
Shelley Duvall	...	Olive Oyl
Ray Walston	...	Poopdeck Pappy
Paul Dooley	...	Wimpy
Paul L. Smith	...	Bluto
Richard Libertini	...	Geezil
Donald Moffat	...	The Taxman
MacIntyre Dixon	...	Cole Oyl
Roberta Maxwell	...	Nana Oyl
Donovan Scott	...	Castor Oyl
Allan F. Nicholls	...	Rough House (as Allan Nicholls)
Wesley Ivan Hurt	...	Swee'pea
Bill Irwin	...	Ham Gravy - the Old Boyfriend
Robert Fortier	...	Bill Barnacle - the Town Drunk
David McCharen	...	Harry Hotcash - the Gambler

Runtime:

114 min | Argentina:115 min | Finland:97 min (1981)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Vistasonic

Certification:

Iceland:L | South Korea:All | Canada:G (Canadian Home Video rating) | Australia:G | Argentina:Atp | Finland:K-8 | France:U | Sweden:7 | UK:U | USA:PG (Approved No. 26147) | Singapore:PG | Brazil:Livre

Filming Locations:

Anchor Bay, Malta

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

Robin Williams's film debut.

Goofs:

Continuity: Just before Pappy starts singing "It's Not Easy Bein' Me" his pipe is in his mouth, then after he starts singing the pipe disappears, then near the end of the song when he's tied up it's in his hand.

Quotes:

Popeye: Bluto. Even though you're bigger than me, you can't win, 'cause you're bad, and the good always wins over the bad.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Alien: Resurrection (1997)

Soundtrack:

Sail With Me

An Outstanding Film!

What's with all the bashing? I never get tired of watching this warm, visceral musical that pulls me in with its myriad textures, striking colors, and unpredictable pacing and dialogue which never seems contrived or scripted (and of course was often expertly improvised). It is the unfettered antithesis to all the shiny, over-produced media of our age. No pretty faces. No product placements. No feel of a commercialized film crafted to be anything other than a comedy musical adaptation of one of my favorite comic strips. It adapts the world of E.C. Daily's style, before King Features "cleaned it up" for animation. Disjointed, rambling...borderline insane, just like the comic! And the music is bonus all the way through. Quirky, playful, simple numbers that perfectly reflect the feel of the old comic. But then again, I liked Hudson Hawk and the Forbidden Zone, so you probably don't want to listen to me. I'm not holding my breath for a commentary-loaded SE DVD.