The Big Bounce

[sleekproductions]

http://imagecache2.allposters.com/images/153/502045.jpg

The Big Bounce

Directed by George Armitage (Grosse Pointe Blank, Miami Blues)
Written by Sebastian Gutierrez (Gothika)
Starring: Owen Wilson (Shanghai Knights), Morgan Freeman (Bruce Almighty), Sara Foster, Gary Sinise (The Human Stain), Vinnie Jones (Snatch), and Charlie Sheen (Scary Movie 3)



Surfer/drifter/con man Jack Ryan (Wilson) makes his way to Hawaii and lands a job caring for an Walter Crewes (Freeman), a judge on the island. His new gig leads to an involvement with an beautiful, enterprising woman (Foster), who's really the lover of a real estate tycoon (Sinise) - a shady businessman and longtime rival of Judge Crewes. Ryan, naturally, has to choose between the woman, the money, or the honorable path.



My Thoughts: This film has great potential, but unfortunately I don't think it will be very good. I love Elmore Leonard, and movies based on his books (Get Shorty, Jackie Brown, Out of Sight) tend to be quite good, however this one seems to be lacking in the creativity department, and while the cast is rather good, I am not expecting much. Still, I would be the last person to pass up an Owen Wilson movie, and this new Sara Foster is quite easy on the eyes, so I'll see it.

[Christoph]

This looks great. I love Leonard's books to movies also. I can't wait to be there friday night.

[BorderEevilIII]

I have seen trailers for this flick.
Big YAY for movies taking place in my hometown HAWAII!!! :D

[Mike]

This looks alright, like a rental. I wouldn't see it in theaters.

[HHH123007]

Not expecting too much, but as a Leonard fan I'll check it out....

[Moviefan1234]

Originally posted by Mike
This looks alright, like a rental. I wouldn't see it in theaters.

Same here. It looks fair, but not worth a theatre visit from me.

[paul]

Originally posted by Mike
This looks alright, like a rental. I wouldn't see it in theaters.

Yeah, I agree. I'm very mixed on it...if it has good buzz, I might see it in theaters, if it doesn't, I'll wait till video.

[blankpage]

I think this could be a good movie. It has a GREAT cast, and I'm a sucker for a con/romance/comedy flick.

[Strider]

Indeed, "The Big Bounce" only looks mediocre, at best. However, I may just check it out, simply for the solid cast. You got Owen Wilson, Morgan Freeman, Charlie Sheen, Gary Sinise, and Vinnie Jones.... that actually sounds pretty good to me. I'll see what I decide to do once its released.....

[Scarface98.9]

It looks entertaining, although I'll wait for the reviews to come out before committing to a theatrical visit

[KcMsterpce]

I saw this last Friday, and didn't like it. What realllly sucks is that Freeman was supposedly gonna be at the theater during both showings, but he was at niether one. So I didn't even get the perk of seeing Freeman in person. Bleh.
Morgan Freeman is only in the movie for about ten mintues of screen time. So, what you see in the previews is what you see of him in the movie.
And Gary Sinise is in it for maybe five minutes, too.
It's basically a movie with Owen Wilson on vacation in Hawaii.
Sara Foster can not act her way out of a paper bag.

I'd say stick with the good Elmore Leonard movies, like Out of Sight, Get Shorty, or Jackie Brown (yes, I liked all three of them).

4.5/10

[Rothstein]

Originally posted by KcMsterpce
I saw this last Friday, and didn't like it. What realllly sucks is that Freeman was supposedly gonna be at the theater during both showings, but he was at niether one. So I didn't even get the perk of seeing Freeman in person. Bleh.
Morgan Freeman is only in the movie for about ten mintues of screen time. So, what you see in the previews is what you see of him in the movie.
And Gary Sinise is in it for maybe five minutes, too.
It's basically a movie with Owen Wilson on vacation in Hawaii.
Was afraid that it was gonna be something like that :(. So are there any twist and turns at all? or is it just another cliche love story ?

[Christoph]

Originally posted by Rothstein
Was afraid that it was gonna be something like that :(. So are there any twist and turns at all? or is it just another cliche love story ?

I saw it last night. I thought it was very good. And there are twists and turns.

8/10.

[The Delfonics]

I looked in on the screening every now and then, good stuff. I also got a full sized poster and a Big Bouce cup. When you work at the theater, you always get promo stuff.

[MadsenOMC]

Trailer and TV clips do nothing for me. Looks like a waste of a good cast. Leonard already dissed it, saying it strays from his type of dialogue and writing. I have no desire to see it. Looks bad.

[sharkstank]

i agree madsenOMC. loooks blah to me. may see it if i cant find an oscar contender after mystic river.

WWWHHHHHHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

[chans]

http://www.moviepoopshoot.com/elsewhere/index.html
I called everyone I know on the food chain (friends and colleagues of Armitage, mostly) to see if this film was in fact re-cut by the studio. Two well-positioned sources told me they'd heard that "something happened" either during the shoot or in post-production (apart from Armitage having suffered some kind of medical problem during the shoot, which apparently caused a two-week shutdown) that may have usurped or in some way compromised his authority. But no one in a position to know would admit to anything. Circle the wagons!

[Mike]

Wow, all I've heard about this one is pretty much awful. No way would I see it in theaters now. And I doubt I'll even be in a hurry to rent it on video.

[ilovemovies]

The Big Bounce * * *

This was a major pleasant surprise. It shouldn't have been considering the cast and the source material (based on Elmore Leonard novel, the same author that had such great movies as Get Shorty, Jackie Brown and Out of Sight). But the trailer and tv ads made it look boring. Nothing could be further from the truth. I should have trusted this first-rate cast. Everyone shines here. Owen Wilson gives what may be his most enjoyable performance yet. And Morgan Freeman is great fun. Charlie Sheen, Bebe Nueworth and Gary Sinise are severly underused (especially Sinise who has minimal at best screen time) but are still solid. But the real star of the movie is without a doubt the gorgeous and sexy Sarah Foster. I am officially in love with her! This is a star making performance if I've ever seen one. The ending is a bit anticlimatic and doesn't really conclude in a particularly satisfying way but the movie is funny, thoroughly engaging and lots of fun. Definately the best and most entertainging movie I've seen so far in 2004.

[Christoph]

Originally posted by ilovemovies
The Big Bounce * * *

This was a major pleasant surprise. It shouldn't have been considering the cast and the source material (based on Elmore Leonard novel, the same author that had such great movies as Get Shorty, Jackie Brown and Out of Sight). But the trailer and tv ads made it look boring. Nothing could be further from the truth. I should have trusted this first-rate cast. Everyone shines here. Owen Wilson gives what may be his most enjoyable performance yet. And Morgan Freeman is great fun. Charlie Sheen, Bebe Nueworth and Gary Sinise are severly underused (especially Sinise who has minimal at best screen time) but are still solid. But the real star of the movie is without a doubt the gorgeous and sexy Sarah Foster. I am officially in love with her! This is a star making performance if I've ever seen one. The ending is a bit anticlimatic and doesn't really conclude in a particularly satisfying way but the movie is funny, thoroughly engaging and lots of fun. Definately the best and most entertainging movie I've seen so far in 2004. I couldn't agree with you more. It was hilarious, fun and satisfying! Go see it guys! 8./10.

[chasingbanky]

How much is Vinnie in it?

[Christoph]

Originally posted by chasingbanky
How much is Vinnie in it? Not much. He has 2 hilarious scenes in it though.

[Joemovie]

I posted my review over in the "your thoughts" section, so I won't bother re-posting it here...

I will say this though, going into The Big Bounce, I was at least expecting something entertaining...But the story moves so slowly, the twists and turns come pretty much out of nowhere with no real foreshadowed rhyme or reason to them, and the ending is so very anti-climatic, you have to think "that's it?"...

[Narst]

Call me crazy but I enjoyed it. I didn't find it as disjointed or confusing or boring as many people are labeling it as. Sure as a pure comedy, it's not that funny, but it worked as a nice, leisurly, laid-back entertaining, beautifully set hawaiian caper. Owen Wilson is just as charismatic as ever, carrying the whole film on his reluctant shoulders. I was also extremely impressed by Sara Foster's breathrough performance who played her roll with intelligence and class creating an interesting and unusual character out of what could have easily turned into a stereotypical ditsy blond role in the wrong hands. Ultimately, it felt a bit like a Hawaiian Whole Nine Yards, without as many of the big laughs or as interesting a story, yet comparable nonetheless.

[Basco]

Elmore Leonard? Con/Heist movie? Owen Wilson? Morgan Freeman? Hot Girl? Charlie Sheen? Mustache??

Yes, I had high expectations for this movie, and it was a complete letdown in all respects. If this movie is a comedy, why isn't it very funny? If it's a thriller, why isn't it serious. I thought that there was not enough character development, especially of the Morgan Freeman character. The ending is predictable, yet confusing. And finally, the PG-13 rating ensures that there is barely any swearing, no good nude shots of said hot girl, and no blood. I'm glad I saw it for free...

3/10

[XCoRyX]

this was a big flop...and yes,pun intended...

[Christoph]

Yeah this thing bombed. *tear*

[BarryEgan]

Saw this after the latest in a long string of complete and total frusterations imparted by the female race upon an undeserving, amazing piece of ass like myself (note to others, leaving threats involving putting face of said girl over Janet Jackson's body from the still from the Super Bowl's halftime show should be done AFTER, not BEFORE the rejection), so I was solely looking for something to pass the time. I am sure under other conditions it would be rendered out and out ASS, but I found it neither here nor there, one or two scenes gave me a smile, and there was a decent climax in there somewhere. Wouldn't recommend it for a theatrical viewing (but the public didn't need to hear that from me, looking at this weekend's box office), more of a random viewing on cable would be more approrpriate.

BarryEgan's Rating : 5/10

[bowieee]

This movie bored the crap out of me. It was everything I was expecting it to be: boring, shallow, but decent performances all around. The only reason I went is because my friend really wanted to see it and he usually lets me drag him to a movie he doesn't want to see as well. Boring as hell, Except for Owen Wilson which made the movie somewhat tolerable for me.

4/10

[blankpage]

The Big Bounce (4/10)


Starring: Owen Wilson, Morgan Freeman, Sara Foster, Charlie Sheen, Gary Sinese
Directed by: George Armitage
Rated: PG-13 (Violence, discreet nudity, sexual situations, profanity)



Story: A surfer/thief falls for a beautiful Hawaiian girl who wants to steal $200 000 from her lover who she is having an affair with.


Review: I’ve never read a book written by Elmore Leonard. I don’t know why. All of the film adaptations (that I’ve seen) have been very well done and include a handful of cool characters. It doesn’t really matter who directs it, the characters are always smooth and cool, as is the film. I’m a big fan of the Elmore Leonard adaptations, but just never read one of this books. So, obviously when I heard about this film I was no doubt intrigued. Looking at the cast, I figured it could be very interesting. The sheer fact that Owen Wilson stars in it had me sold. But, the added casting of Morgan Freeman, Charlie Sheen, and Gary Sinese, all who are very cool, had me very interested. I didn’t know much about Sara Foster...other than she is very gorgeous. Her beauty shines throughout the film. However, despite all of the stuff that I mentioned, I was never excited for this film. Why? The reviews weren’t all that positive, and the T.V. spots had me at 50/50. Plus, with an 88 minute running time, I just didn’t know what to think. So, when I walked out, this was my basic opinion: Could this film been good? Definitely. Was it? I wish. What was filled with awesome actors -who tried to class the film up- came out a pile of wasted time. This film could’ve been good if it weren’t for an awful script, and bad direction. I have pity for these actors, I really do.

Owen Wilson has always been a funny guy, in my opinion. I remember seeing him about 6 years ago in ‘Anaconda’. I can still remember him well from that, and is pretty much the highlight to that razzie. But what really made him cool in my book was in ‘The Haunting’. Hey, it was a big thing for me back them. I remember I thought he was also the highlight of that film. So, ever since I started watching films seriously, he’s always been there with me. I’ve always enjoyed him, and he of course has that “Ah gee, shucks” look and attitude towards him; something many women like. Watching him in this film almost made me cry. Not for the fact that he was made, oh no he was good, but why he went along with all this. I could tell at times that he just didn’t even care anymore. His acting and comedic flare were sometimes a miss, and I think he wasn’t too enthusiastic about it, either. Luckily, I have ‘Starsky and Hutch’ to look forward to. Really, he made this film. Above all actors, he was the shining star. The ray of hope. Unfortunately, even he couldn’t save the film completely.

The supporting cast was also wasted. Morgan Freeman, who is one of my all-time favourite actors, hardly lights anything up. I don’t know whether he was supposed to be a quirky character in the film or not. If he was, then I must’ve been somewhere else...because he was far from it. Charlie Sheen, he just was embarrassing. He was another character in the film that tried to be quirky, interesting and fun. Instead, he was pointless, odd, and rather bland. His craving for sex really had me a bit freaked out, and too much of a pervert. I doubt that this was the kind of cool character Leonard created. Gary Sinese? He was in the film for about 5 minutes, 4 even. And even then, I wanted him to leave. Sara Foster, my newest crush at least brought a bit of energy to the screen. While she wasn’t cool or anything, and more of a flaky kind of gal, she, with Owen Wilson, brought me hope. It didn’t come. Foster is really a beautiful new actress, and can’t wait to see her in more films. Hopefully, the won’t be pointless tripe-along-s like this one.


Was there anything good about this movie? Nope. Not really. The two main leads, Owen Wilson and Sara Foster score two big points for the mere fact that I love them. They were both great, and even shined, but it was hard to see the sunlight will all that nonsense. So, now that I’ve covered the good things, on to the bad.

The script, for one, is horrible. It’s lazy and hoky approach was more a pain than anything else. The dialogue was crude, and even when Wilson and Foster were trying to make it fit, it still doesn’t work. The direction was crude as well. Awkward camera angles, and some very fake looking shots really turned me off. Hawaii is never glorified in a way that impressed me. It’s more of a background to what is an awful story. Obviously, no one making this film was notified. Personally, I would’ve rather had seen a 88 minute film that has a bunch of shots of Hawaii, than rather have it serve as a mere backdrop to something like this. There were a few surf board scenes just to make things even more worse.

Though I have never read the original book, I don’t doubt that it is pretty good. I also think that it is a lot different than this. Judging from what I’ve seen, Leonard’s characters are smart, smooth, and cool. Something that was the complete opposite in this film. I wouldn’t mind to even read the book someday. Sadly, this film is awful. It could’ve worked if it stuck to the excellent Leonard formula. But, the filmmakers decided to take a different path. One I regret visiting. The only reason why my grade is so high is because of Owen Wilson and Sara Foster. The ending is also something else that made me pull my hair out to no end. I won’t discuss it, as it will probably be a spoiler, but then again...what is there to spoil?

[mikeyD]

I wanted to see this because I usually like Leonard's movies but after reading your review I don't think I'll waste my money. Thanks.

[thatissofranco]

So I saw the trailer for the movie, and I thought to myself, this looks like a greatly entertaining movie. I had low expectations, but i thought I'd laugh a bit. I went to the movie theater, paid eight bucks, and sat down. The movie started, and during the first ten or fifteen minutes, I laughed a substantial amount. It was stupid, no doubt, but humorous all the same. Then the girl came on, and I was like, wow, what a fox. But then, she opened her mouth. Now, why do such attractive people have to talk. If she just stood there the whole movie, without saying a word, I would have been thouroughly satisfied. But no, she had to say something, and in doing so ruined my fun. Not to mention the fact that the movie had the worst plot, and the worst ending I have ever seen in my entire life. AND HOW THE FUCK DOES OWEN WILSON GET SO MANY NICE CARS? EVERY SCENE HE'S DRIVING A DIFFERENT VEHICLE, EACH ONE NICER THAN THE NEXT. Owen Wilson-funny guy. Morgan Freeman-talented actor. The Big Bounce- Lousy piece of shit that never should have been allowed to go on the silver screen.

[Duke Nukem]

I have no time to see this movie. I think I already know how it ends (with a "twist" at the end), and I want to see if I'm right. Could some please spoil to me how "The Big Bounce" ends? You can PM me.

[Duke Nukem]

Originally posted by Duke Nukem
I have no time to see this movie. I think I already know how it ends (with a "twist" at the end), and I want to see if I'm right. Could someone, who saw it, please spoil to me how "The Big Bounce" ends? You can PM me.

Please.

[The Engraved]

Did you know that this movie is a big bomb. The movie looks stupid. Not interested in seeing it. No offense.

[Duke Nukem]

Originally posted by The Engraved
Did you know that this movie is a big bomb. The movie looks stupid. Not interested in seeing it. No offense.

Is that directed at me?

If so, yes I am aware that it is a box-office bomb. I'm surprised that this is that one once-in-a-while movie that 98% percent of the U.S. population chose to ignore, but it is. There are much worse-looking movies out there though.

CoughCoughYouGotServedCoughCough

I just wanted to know what the ending is. I know what the movie is about, and I have a strong feeling of what happens at the end. And, there are people who replied to this thread who have reportedly seen it. That's why I seconded that post. No offense either.

[Strider]

The Big Bounce (2004)

Rated PG-13 for Sexual Content, Nudity, Violence and Language

Director: George Armitage

Starring Owen Wilson, Morgan Freeman, Gary Sinise, Sara Foster, Vinnie Jones, and Charlie Sheen.

http://us.ent4.yimg.com/movies.yahoo.com/images/hv/photo/movie_pix/warner_brothers/the_big_bounce/_group_photos/owen_wilson7.jpg

Synopsis: "Surfer/drifter/con man Jack Ryan (Owen Wilson) makes his way to Hawaii and lands a job caring for Walter Crewes (Morgan Freeman), a judge on the island. His new gig leads to an involvement with a beautiful, enterprising woman (Sara Foster), who's really the lover of a real estate tycoon (Gary Sinise) - a shady businessman and longtime rival of Judge Crewes. Ryan, naturally, has to choose between the woman, the money, or the honorable path."

With a great ensemble cast which include the likes of Owen Wilson, Morgan Freeman, Vinnie Jones, Gary Sinise, and Charlie Sheen, as well as the fact that the film is based on a novel by Elmore Leonard - one would expect that "The Big Bounce" would actually be a fun and entertaining film. Well, that's not the case with the film, and its unfortunate. "The Big Bounce" is a laidback type of film which is somewhat entertaining to watch, but its really a "hit and miss" in terms of laughs, and it never bothers to take advantage of its great and talented cast.

One problem I had with this film is the way its marketing itself. If you've seen the television spots, it tries to market itself as a "complex crime thriller" - that simply is not true. The film is not at all complex, as a matter of fact, it's pretty simple to figure out, and it doesn't contain any surprises whatsoever.

"The Big Bounce" is not necessarily a bad film, but it isn't a film I'd recommend seeing in theaters. It would be smarter to wait for the video or DVD instead, the film may just be more enjoyable that way. Whatever you do though, don't expect "The Big Bounce" to be another great Elmore Leonard film adaptation such as "Get Shorty" or "Out of Sight", because it clearly isn't.

Running Time: 1 hour 28 minutes

Grade: 5/10 or **1/2/***** stars

Strider