Levinson directed some terrible Hollywood cheese, in between he also found the time to make a handful of entertaining genre films. He's not one of the greats, still, worth checking out if you're looking for fun and easy filler.
Movies
It's at least 20 years since I last saw this one, way before I started tracking films I watched. I remembered it as a solid flick, but was in no real hurry to see it again, as I've since lost my interest in these types of elongated crime stories. It's certainly not as bad as some others, but it's not all that special either. Four kids grow up in Hell's Kitchen, a notorious neighborhood in New York. They're rascals who scour the edge of the law, until one fated day they steal a hot dog cart and nearly kill a man doing so. They're all sent to a correctional facility, where they are severely mistreated by the guards. 2.5 hours is a lot, then again the film covers a lot of ground. Performances are decent, and somehow I do like Levinson a tad more than most of his Hollywood contemporaries, even though his directorial style isn't all that defined. The plot is pretty standard though and the film has few surprises, nor does it dare to get very graphic. Just decent.Read all
A 90s Douglas/Moore thriller directed by chameleon Barry Levinson. This means a rather basic plot, some twists and turns, bland styling, and a runtime that far exceeds its welcome. The film is set in the tech industry, so clearly it didn't age too well, but at the same time, it gave the film a bit of goofy charm. When Tom hears his promotion is given to an old flame of his, he starts to lose grip. Things get exponentially worse when she sues him for sexual harassment. Tom won't back down that easily though, especially when he begins to understand this entire situation is a setup to get him fired. Douglas is a perfect villain, but for some reason, he was often given the role of the hero. It's hard to root for him here, which sucks as the entire film revolves around him proving his innocence. The VR stuff was pretty hilarious and the film isn't exactly boring, but it's a pretty mediocre thriller that fails to stand out.Read all
There's this niche of 80s comedies, about angry middle-aged folk who are downright assholes and have the most fun trying to make each other's lives as miserable as possible. I can't say it's really my kind of comedy, but as they come, Tin Men certainly isn't the worst of the bunch. When Bill and Ernest get into a little bender fender, a feud of epic proportions begins. Both men are grumpy loudmouths and neither is going to admit he was at fault. And so they start scheming, coming up with plans to make the other party admit his mistake. Neither one is willing to back down though. Danny DeVito seems to be popping up in many of these comedies, in Richard Dreyfuss he finds a worthy opponent. The bickering often goes on too long and the film never becomes hilarious, but the pacing is decent enough and there are some minor laughs spread throughout. Wouldn't really recommend it, unless you really like this type of thing.Read all
I think I've seen this film before as a kid, but that was so long ago that I can't remember for sure. I'm not a big Robin Williams fan though, which explains why it took me so long to give this another go. And sure enough, Williams' performance here is exactly why I can't really stand his work. When Leland, an army general, inherits the toy factory of the Presswells, his cousin Leslie fears that he has different plans for the factory. When Leslie discovers Leland is using factory resources for military R&D, he bands together with the factory employees to brings Leland's plans to the surface. Levinson has some fun bringing the factory to life, but he's no Burton. Still, the creative sets are the sole reason Toys isn't a complete failure. Williams' performance is irritating, the soundtrack is overly bombastic, and the comedy is simply horrendous. At just over two hours, it's also ridiculously long. Not great.Read all
An early Levinson, which got me to lower my expectations. And deservedly so. The film is marketed as a comedy, but it's really just a light-hearted coming-to-age drama about an era long gone. If you're into 50s (or 80s) nostalgia then this film may hold some appeal, but sadly, I have neither. Five kids are on the verge of adulthood. Some are already married, the others are still goofing around and enjoying the last moments of their youth. They still hang out together from time to time, but priorities start to shift and life starts to change for all of them. Even so, their bond is for life. A pretty familiar setup, the film itself doesn't have anything truly interesting to say either. It's about revisiting that 50s vibe, getting together in oldskool American diners and talking about galls and records, while starting to take on adult responsibilities. There are some familiar faces here, but it was too long and too pedestrian for me to truly care about any of it.Read all