Arthur : Movie Review


Arthur is the kind of movie you have to see twice. Not because it is so jam packed with jokes or memorable moments that you'll miss a few the first time around. No, the problem here is one of spirit -- or more specifically, the legacy of the Dudley Moore original from 1981. The ghost of that comedy hovers over this remake like a drunk's sour breath, threatening to never allow the update to function without it. While it takes about an hour or so, the specter does finally disappear, opening this halfway decent redux to finding its own funky rhythms. While perhaps a bit too PC considering its source, this is still a funny, if flawed reinvention.

This time around, Arthur Bach (Russell Brand) is more tabloid darling than liquored up social pariah. Yes, he is immensely wealthy and drinks too much, but his alcoholism is downplayed to instead amplify his giddy, free-spirited ways. When his latest antics cost the family business some big bucks, his mother (Geraldine James) decides he needs to settle down. So she gives Arthur a fierce ultimatum -- marry well placed corporate executive Susan Johnson (Jennifer Garner) or face being disinherited and financially cut off completely.


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Author : Bill Gibron