Bubble Boy (2001) Reviews

• Not as Dumb as it Looks

  dr_mookie2004-11-24

  When I rented it, I was expecting to be disappointed. What a shock! An awesome film with a delightfully goofy plot. I did not find it offensive in any reagrd. In fact, I disagree with those who have called the film "stupid" or "dumb" or void of any real social commentary. In a nutshell, Almost everyone Jimmy encounters on his adventure is trapped in their own self imposed bubble. Truth is, we all find ways to insulate ourselves from the world, and impose "Bubbles" to convince ourselves of non-existent limitations that prevent us from being and doing what we want. The film's irony and beauty lies in the fact that while Jimmy's bubble is the most obvious, he is the free-est character in the film. He refuses to accept the limitations of his bubble, and will follow his heart no matter what the cost. How many of us can look in the mirror and say the same about ourselves? Well worth the cost of rental. One of the least recognized film jewels of the century so far.

• What A Bloody GREAT Movie

  jarnartharn2005-12-05

  I caught this movie by mistake after it was broadcast on BBC1 at midnight last night, I just had to go straight out and get the DVD. It only had a one star rating in my television magazine which I think is terrible. It was a highly entertaining film which myself at 26, my 24 year old girlfriend, my 53 year old mother and even my very young daughter highly enjoyed - A really entertaining, pleasant family movie and obviously VERY under-rated in the UK. It was just one laugh after another, a really uplifting, funny story with a not-too over the top ending (although it was a little predictable). I would, however, like to send my respect to the family & friends of Matthew McGrory, as he always played great characters in all of his movies - I was very shocked and upset to hear that he passed away earlier this year, he will be immortalised by all of the great roles that he entertained the world with.

• Perfect Modern Day Farce

  tulsastorm2005-09-22

  OK, I admit it. I was a child of the 80's. I distinctly remember sitting in elementary school and reading about the boy who lived in a bubble in my Weekly Reader. Naturally, when I saw the trailer for this movie, I asked myself, "Hey, whatever happened to that boy that lived in a bubble?" I knew I had to watch this to satisfy my curiosity. You've got the perfect character...an odd teenage boy that lives in a bubble. Write up an adventurous plot and throw in a cameo by Fabio and some M. C. Hammer on the soundtrack, and you've got yourself a movie that no Gen-X'er can resist. I was fully expecting this film to be along the lines of "Wayne's World" or "A Night at the Roxbury." The characters are hilarious and exaggerated, but the non-existent plot drags on like a 10 minute skit that has gone 80 minutes too long. To my surprise, Bubble Boy has a fast-moving plot. OK, it is somewhat of an overused plot: Boy falls in love with girl; Girl gets engaged to someone else; Boy interrupts the wedding to get the girl back. You've watched enough movies like this to know how it is going to end, but, as always, it's the journey that Bubble Boy takes to get there that makes this movie interesting and redeeming. Just when you think Jimmy is finally on his way to Niagara Falls, and the movie is going to start dragging, BAM! The ice cream truck hits a cow! After mud wrestling two women while Japanese male spectators cheer him on, Jimmy is back on his way. Just when you think it can't get any more crazy, it does. That bubble plastic must be some tough stuff. There is an important lesson can be learned from this movie. It is best expressed by Jimmy's dad who is really the only normal character, and only speaks once in the entire movie. He asks, "What if Neil Armstrong flew to the moon, but never set foot on it?" This movie is about taking chances...breaking out of our so-called bubbles, and experiencing life...not just sitting around watching it pass us by. The dialogue and the jokes can be lame sometimes, but the humor really comes from the absurdity of the characters and the improbable situations the main character runs into. I have to give the writers an A+ for imagination. The movie is sanitized for younger viewers, but gives a wink and a nod to more mature viewers. This is a perfect modern day farce if you are looking for a light and uplifting comedy at the rental store. FYI, in case you wondered, the original bubble boy, David, died at the age of 13 back in 1984 after an unsuccessful bone marrow transplant. Today, infants born without immunity to disease undergo the transplant procedure at a young age, so they don't have to live the rest of their lives in a bubble.

• Roller-coaster freakshow of John Waters-ish fun

  TelevisionJunkie2003-01-28

  It's obvious reading the comments here that the people who got this film completely got it and those who didn't did not understand it at all. I griped about how dumb this looked when it was released (the ad campaign was a joke) and never had any intention of seeing it. But Gylenhaal bowled me over in `The Good Girl,' so I decided I had to see his other films. The film's certainly not for all tastes, but will appeal to people who've liked John Waters' films from the past decade. Yes, it's politically incorrect. But that's a big part of the fun! Most of the jokes are delivered with a dry sense of irony (case in point, the guy in the ticket booth). The entire cast gives hilarious performances from Swoosie Kurtz in an outrageous psycho-mother performance to `Working's Arden Myrin as head-Lorraine, the psycho cult-follower. A big part of the fun is that all of the characters ARE psycho and off-kilter. Much like the TV-series `The Oblongs,' the psychos in this film aren't scarred by their shortcomings, they revel in them... Which is why it isn't offensive unless you're politically correct and easily offended. It feels like this movie should have been made 20 years ago. It has a real '80s feel to it, and the multiple `Land of the Lost' references (the spoof scene is hysterical) feel about 15 years out of place. There's no gross-out sexual humor, which is both refreshing and unusual in this post-`There's Something About Mary' age of films. It just has a twisted-wholesome 80s sense about it. My one and only complaint is the running time. At 83 mins, it left me wanting more. Many of the scenes seem choppy, as if big parts of the scenes are missing (Bubble Boy's confrontation with Dr. Phreak for one). The entire opening sequence seems as if it should have gone on longer, and instead they compensated with voice-overs and musical overdubs to push it forward faster. It wouldn't bother me if there were a `deleted scenes' section on the DVD, but like most of Touchstone's DVD releases, there's little for extras. All in all, a great little underrated film!

• Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda been a hit.

  gatchaman2004-11-06

  I've just discovered BUBBLE BOY and didn't realize what I'd been missing all these years. One of the few real laugh out loud films. It started off amusingly, then about a quarter of an hour into the film I was creased up on the floor, and stayed that way till the credits rolled. And as for all the critics who apparently complained about the film being cruel and tasteless - don't they understand the concept of humour. Comedy has always been about laughing at other peoples misfortune - whether it's Oliver Hardy accidentally hitting Stan Laurel around the head with a plank of wood, or Frasier Crane trying to hook up with the beautiful woman down the hall and striking out yet again - that's just how it works. However, anyone who has actually watched the film would surely also see that besides being riotously funny, it has a great message. The eponymous character is adventurous and heroic, and Jake Gyllenhaal plays the wide-eyed innocence and enthusiasm with such passion that you can't help but admire both the actor and the character as he makes his journey through life. The underlying message of the film is to not give up on your dreams. To live life to the full. It's about facing the world, and overcoming the obstacles to achieve true happiness. The fact that it has you crying with laughter whilst communicating that message is a bonus. It's now in my top ten of comedy and feel-good movies and I'd recommend this film to anyone.