Meatballs

'Meatballs' is a nice and surprisingly, bittersweet film. It remains every bit as fresh, funny and entertaining as the day it was first released. Forget the sleazy in-name only "sequels". This is the one-and-only, the original. It is a very good-natured and uplifting film. It makes and leaves you feeling good, but a little bit sad when it is over. It perfectly captures the experiences of being a kid, summer camp, camping and growing-up. It also captures just as well the memories made by making friends and having a good time and the pain of having to say goodbye. There are many memorably funny moments and even some touching ones, as well. It is unthinkable how anyone could not like this film or give it bad reviews. Having grown-up in the late 1970's, it is a nice trip to the past and fond memories of summers gone-by. I highly recommend this warm, charming and upbeat film. Don't miss it!

I just saw this for the first time in 10 or 15 years...maybe close to 20. In some ways, it was better than I remembered...in other, it was MUCH worse.

First of all, there's the music. It's just plain awful. There are only 5 songs in the movie, most of them used more than once. The opening song is shrieked by a chorus of annoying children, and the disco-y title track is performed by Rick Dees. It doesn't get any worse than that. Even the background music is terrible, with much of it repeating the themes of the other nauseating tunes. We also get some truly lame slapstick, mostly in the opening credits.

On the other hand, Bill Murray is spot on brilliant as usual...you have to wonder if he ad-libbed the whole thing, or if the writers just gave him all the funny lines. Or maybe he's just that great- turning a weak script into comic genius. The best part are his surreal PA announcements. ("Lobsters...get out of here...you're a menace!")

You also get a lot more character development than you have any right to expect in a movie like this. At least half the characters seem like real people...and mostly real people you would like to have around. Even "Spaz" gets to do a more than any other Eddie Deezen-type character ever did, and when he gets the girl, it's plausible. (She's not absurdly hot, but he doesn't automatically pair up with one of the nerd girls- see "Revenge Of The Nerds" for examples of both cinematic phenomenons.)

And when the plot seems clichéd...well, ya gotta wonder if it wasn't a cliché yet when they made this. While it wasn't the first summer camp movie- ya gotta go back at least to "The Parent Trap"- it's certainly the movie that made it it's own genre. In fact, I was surprised that there was no Talent Show scene..."Wet Hot American Summer" spoofed the summer-camp genre so perfectly, I just assumed everything in it came straight out of Meatballs. (I also half-expected Jon Cryer to pull up in a convertible with a chimp, thanks to "Mr. Show's" epic camp-olympiad spoof "Monk Academy")

Anyway, this one seems to be vanishing a little as far as the late-70's/early 80's comedies- it's not a cable staple anymore, and certainly doesn't have the cult following of Caddyshack or Animal House. I was pleased to catch it on Showtime today- and in High Definition at that! Sure, it's pretty awful in spots, but you could do a lot worse in a 70's/80's teen comedy. And again, Murray is a genius.

I can hardly call this a great film but it is entertaining. In my case I, at the time this film was released, was the same age as some of the junior campers in the film. For me watching this film brings back the memories of my camp years. While some of the pranks that takes place in this movie, like carrying the camp director out in his bed and leaving him on the side of a road, strung up in the trees or out on a lake, are a bit over the top some of the other pranks are not. When I went to camp the campers and counselors pulled similar stunts such as running underwear up the flag pole, canoe battles and boys raiding the girls cabin. As I grew older I realized these night raids to the girls cabin that I participated in were carefully orchestrated by the counselors so that we wouldn't find the girls in embarrassing situations but at the time I thought it was real and it was fun. That's what MEATBALLS (MB) is.

MB captures not only the scenic beauty of camp surroundings but the beauty of being young and carefree. MB give a great example of pre-teens, teens and young adults living their summer with no concerns other than guys hooking up with girls and girls hooking up with guys and booth having as much fun as they can before they head back to junior high & high school and college. The opening title song that goes "Are you ready for the summer?...no more homework no more books, no more teachers dirty looks..." describes exactly how summer is viewed by school kids.

I personally enjoyed the two campers Spaz and Fink. What boy, nerd or jock, didn't spend all camp trying to cozy up to some pretty girl camper? What guy didn't want to be accepted by the other campers and counselors? While these two characters are somewhat over the top I bet everybody who watches the film can't help but to like these two guys. These two characters are a mix of Charlie Brown from PEANUTS and Jack Tripper & Larry Dallas from THREE'S COMPANY. I would bet that most viewers even cheer for Spaz in the egg carrying competition and for Fink as he attempts to "beat the stomach" in the hot dog eating contest.

Lastly, this movie had normal looking kids and counselors. No super models for counselors or campers that wore trendy clothing. It is fun to just kick back and watch this film and remember when life was as fun as this movie.

Probably of more appeal to those who went to summer camp during the 70s and 80s, the value is high for anyone seeking a hit of nostalgia. It's more amusing than laugh out loud funny, and the plot follows a standard road in a fairly loose fashion. Bill Murray in his first starring role makes this a more interesting watch, as does the realisation that it was filmed during an actual camp season.

.... It just doesn't matter....

I haven't seen this move in about 15 years, but I remember it well, and I remember loving it!!! The fact that I can still quote many, many lines in this film, says a lot. I loved the campfire story.... "and there hanging in the door covered with blood...." and the way the poor camp director was always waking up in weird places. I still smile when I think about it. I have to rent it, to see if It still makes me laugh out loud (I was only 15-16 years old when I last saw it, my since of humor might have changed), But I really remember it being on of Bill Murray's best.