Popeye (1980)

First off let me say that when I first put this on I didn't realize it was a musical. However I enjoyed it. The singing was odd, especially Shelley Duvall's songs, but the oddness of her voice added such an intriguing aspect to the music that you can't help but get caught up in it. You'd think Robin Williams would forever be a character actor after playing Mork and now Popeye, but he sure proved everyone wrong. This is just a fun watch for the whole family and I myself had fun watching.

I didn't see Popeye the movie for the first time until it came out on video. But I remember how my dad told me he saw it in the movie theater. He told me afterwards "Popeye hads its moments, sos I, halfway throughs the movie, I wents out to me car to gets me cigarettes, hads me a puffs or two, then wents back inside to wartch the rest of me movie, geh geh geh geh geh." A couple of years later, we rented Popeye on video and I saw it, and I'd seen it several times since. Its not too bad. Robin Williams is fairly convincing as Pop-eye. Paul Smith as Bluto, looking large and menacing like his cartoon version. Paul Dooley isn't too bad as Wimpy. And Ray Waltson as Poopdeck pappy. And Shelly Devaul as Olive fits her role pretty good. She does sort of seem like Olive Ole come to life, with the looks and mannerisms. However, the late Zasu Pitts who starred in several different 1930s films such as "Meet the baron" and "Dames" would've been an even better Olive with her looks and the very Olive Ole like way she went "oh my" in her films. I read somewhere that they took some of Zasu's mannerisms and appearance when creating Olive's character when the Popeye cartoon was first made. I always watched Popeye as a kid growing up even before seeing this movie. I liked the neat special effects, too such as steam really coming from Bluto's ears when he got mad, just like the cartoon. They also had Popeye's (Robin's) forearms really bulging out and him doing the squint with his eye just the right way, and his pipe. They made the seaport town Sweethaven look quite convincing. It always had an English seaside town feel. Anyways, this movie overall had some good, funny, and interesting moments. A few other moments were a little less below par. And I personally don't think the songs in the film were that good, or necessary. Popeye the cartoon was not a musical. Overall though, this is always a pretty good film for a mom or dad to watch with their kids.Note; I wrote this review about a year and a half ago, and no one has clicked on either 'useful' or 'not useful' yet. Can someone reading this please click on one? I won't be offended either way on which you click on, I'm just curious on what others may think of this review. Thanks

Popeye (Robin Williams) lands in Sweet Haven by the Sea, looking for his longlost papa. But, oh, this town is not friendly. There's a tax for almost everything, including setting foot in the village limits. Nevertheless, Popeye stays and gets a room in a boarding house run by Mrs. Oyl. The room is nothing to write home about yet there is an added attraction. Mrs. O has a daughter, Olive (Shelly Duvall) who is a skinny lass but pleasing to Popeye. Yet, horrors, she is to marry the town's bully, er, commissioner, Bluto. The only thing positive that Olive can sing about Bluto is he is large. Before long, Popeye wins her over, especially when they rescue a baby in a basket, Sweet Pea, and try to stay out of Bluto's way. At this point, Popeye REFUSES SPINACH so, despite his large arms, he can't best Bluto. After finding his wayfaring papa (Ray Walston) he learns some secrets that may help win Olive for himself. Even if there are octopuses circling in the waters! This unique movie may not be for all but its quirky delights and rapid-fire lines will entertain those who like it original. Watch Popeye mutter Au reservoir and you can double over with laughs. Yes, Williams is great and captures Popeye's essence well. Duvall is even better, she was made to play Olive and her voice resemblance to the cartoon character is uncanny. Walston, Paul Dooley and all the rest are fine support. Then, too, the scenery, which was captured on Malta, is wonderfully offbeat while costumes, songs from Niellson, a clever script by Jules Ffiefer and a one-of-a-kind direction by Robert Altman add up to something wacky and fun. If you want to walk to a different beat for a couple of hours, this one is for you.

Every time I watch this movie, I'm reminded that Fate decides. And Fate decided here to morph the classic cartoon into a cute little stage version of itself, so benign, so dull, so non threatening and so lifeless as a movie that it manages to be fascinating. And this, mostly due to the fame of its director, I suppose, but to tell you the truth, its mostly because Shelly Duvall and Robin Williams hit the cartoon nails on the head, and gave inspired, ingeniously perfect interpretations of Popeye and Olive Oyl. They are the reasons that even while you're cringing through this strange dud of a film, you can't stop watching it until its over. Ray Walston as Popeye's father captured it too. Whatever it is. Study the Kubrikian opening, when Popeye the Sailor braves a raging storm at sea in a rowboat, in end of the world gloom and doom, only to have the scene lighten into a sunny piece of fluff when he lands in Sweet Haven. Study this, and you'll see that a spirit of childlike wonder touched Altman and literally forced him to go in an aggressively silly, lighthearted direction.The problem with this movie was that the well written music was so poorly arranged and orchestrated that it did little more than hold the movie hostage as stiff and stagey, which we dismiss as "quirky" thanks to the genius of Williams and Duvall. I could listen to them talk to each other all day long doing those voices. Remember what John Williams did for Stephen Spielberg in Hook? If that had happened here, we would be having a different conversation about this classically strange and curiously compelling movie. It maintains a powerful innocence, an almost tragic naivite, that could help explain why Fate decided to release these classic cartoon characters in humility, instead of grandeur. This movie is for the pure in heart. The innocent, naïve child in all of us.