Bill Murray

The Dead Don't Die (2019)

 

The peaceful town of Centerville finds itself battling a zombie horde as the dead start rising from their graves. 

Zombie (and doomsday) comedy is meant as a satire to present-day U.S.A., which works only intermittently, but it entertains with a lot of wit, Murray's and Driver's deadpan and a lot of amusing cameos.

Bill Murray

(ph: Nigel Parry)

Bio:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Murray

City of Ember (2008)

For generations, the people of the City of Ember have flourished in an amazing world of glittering lights. But Ember's once powerful generator is failing ... and the great lamps that illuminate the city are starting to flicker.

A very nicely produced adaptation of a good young adult novel adds some quite unnecessary aspects to the story and is fairly watchable, but fails to capture the mystery and atmosphere of the book.

Maltin**: "Adaptation...never fires the emotional response it needs so badly. The real star of the film is production designer Martin Laing."

The Jungle Book (2016)

The man-cub Mowgli flees the jungle after a threat from the tiger Shere Khan and, guided by Bagheera the panther and the bear Baloo, he embarks on a journey of self-discovery, though he also meets creatures who don't have his best interests at heart.

Highly entertaining updated version of Kipling's classic, mixing excellent CGI animation with a real  (good) actor playing Mowgli, resulting in more realistic and in parts dark and upsetting sequences for a child audience.

On renewed viewing: menawhile a guilty pleasure of mine.

Ghostbusters (2016)

Following a ghost invasion of Manhattan, paranormal enthusiasts Erin Gilbert and Abby Yates, nuclear engineer Jillian Holtzmann, and subway worker Patty Tolan band together to stop the otherworldly threat.

Recap of the 80s box office success with an all-female hero cast ist just as silly as the original, but likewise mildly entertaining.

Zombieland (2009)

A shy student trying to reach his family in Ohio, a gun-toting tough guy trying to find the last Twinkie, and a pair of sisters trying to get to an amusement park join forces to travel across a zombie-filled America.

Fairly entertaining zombie spoof surprises with its cast of top stars; Bill Murray#s stint is worth the watch.

Maltin**1/2: "Murray is amusing in an off-kilter cameo as himself, but it's Harrelson's gung-ho performance that propels this likable if silly film."

The Jungle Book (2016)

The man-cub Mowgli flees the jungle after a threat from the tiger Shere Khan and, guided by Bagheera the panther and the bear Baloo, he embarks on a journey of self-discovery, though he also meets creatures who don't have his best interests at heart.

Highly entertaining updated version of Kipling's classic, mixing excellent CGI animation with a real  (good) actor playing Mowgli, resulting in more realistic and in parts dark and upsetting sequences for a child audience.

On renewed viewing: I still enjoy this version very much.

Lost in Translation (2003)

The Monuments Men (2014)

An unlikely World War II platoon is tasked to rescue art masterpieces from Nazi thieves and return them to their owners.

An otherwise highly interesting episode of  WWII is (intentionally) treated like a Dirty Dozen-style war adventure complete with a good-humoured cast, light action and some sombre moments; mildy entertaining, though, it is.

Maltin**: "A great true-life story...gets surface treatment and the identities of its heroes is fictionalized, making it difficult to fully invest in their characters. Deliberately old-fashioned, the movie has its moments, and the charisma of its formidable cast carries it a long way."

Rushmore (1998)

A homely 10th-grade scholarship boy at Rushmore, a private school where he fails classes but constantly organizes clubs and plays, befriends a depressed local factory magnate and falls for a recently widowed teacher.

Nerdy and off-kilter, but likable comedy-drama; the plot is patchy, but it's all nicely staged and the performances of the motley cast are enjoyable as well.

Halliwell*: "Quirky comedy of adolescent ambition and adult resignation that has its moments, but loses its way long before the end."

Maltin***1/2: "A genuine original, full of keen observational humor and detail, with characters that always ring true. Remarkable debut by Schwartzman..., and a perfect showcase for Murray."

Passion Play (2010)

An angel under the thumb of a ruthless gangster is saved by a trumpet player down on his luck.

A silly phantasmagoria with a Noir touch has Rourke and Murray in good form, but you'll need to be in the mood for a slow-paced, brooding fairy tale; the 'twist ending', however, was obvious from the beginning on.

Maltin*1/2: "Jumbled noir-ish fantasy...Murray is game, playing a hood named Happy, but even he can't add much to this barely watchable, instantly forgettable mess. A less than auspicious directorial debut..."

Tootsie (1982)

An unsuccessful actor, disguises himself as a woman in order to get a role on a trashy hospital soap.

Highly entertaining gender comedy with a great cast (Dustin Hoffman in the title role is spectacular), intelligent direction and an excellent script.

Halliwell****: "As with Genevieve and Whisky Galore, an unlikely comedy subject makes an instant classic. It's all in the handling."

Maltin****: "Smashing comedy...Farcical premise becomes totally credible thanks to razor-sharp script..., fine direction, and superlative performances all around..."

The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)

An estranged family of former child prodigies reunites when their father announces he is terminally ill.

Elaborately produced and obsessed with details, the story itself hardly goes anywhere, and the star cast is treated like pawns in a game of chess.

Halliwell*: "The fun here lies in the details - dalmatian-spotted mice, battered taxicabs, the elegant pages of an imaginary book - rather in the disjointed narrative, which sets the scene deftly and then collapses."

Maltin**1/2: "Rambling comedy has the same likable, eccentric qualities as the filmmakers' BOTTLE ROCKET and RUSHMORE and benefits from Hackman's savvy performance, but strains for effect and essentially has no story."

Lost in Translation (2003)

Ghostbusters (1984)

Three former parapsychology professors set up shop as a unique ghost removal service.

An otherwise silly premise (and plot) is turned into a successful comedy thanks to tongue-in-cheek direction and a valiant, good-humored cast of characters.

Halliwell*: "Crude farce with expensive special effects. It took more money - millions more - than Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, which must say something about the age we live in."

Maltin***: "The first multimillion-dollar scare comedy...Engagingly offbeat, even subdued at times, with Murray's flippant personality nicely contrasting Richard Edlund's eye-popping special effects. Great fun all the way..."

The Jungle Book (2016)

The man-cub Mowgli flees the jungle after a threat from the tiger Shere Khan and, guided by Bagheera the panther and the bear Baloo, he embarks on a journey of self-discovery, though he also meets creatures who don't have his best interests at heart.

Highly entertaining updated version of Kipling's classic, mixing excellent CGI animation with a real  (good) actor playing Mowgli, resulting in more realistic and in parts dark and upsetting sequences for a child audience.

Moonrise Kingdom (2012)

A pair of young lovers flee their New England town, which causes a local search party to fan out to find them.

An endearing tale which does have its moments, but is made in the director's usual overladen and stilted style; the strings fiddling the star cast are almost invisible.

Maltin**1/2: "Arch and precious, even by Wes Anderson standards, this period fable threatens to suffocate from self-awareness and visual detail. Rescued somewhat by its sheer originality and a game cast."