"Ishtar" - Maria's Take

Okay, so it wasn't that bad.

Granted, it wasn't very good either. I went into this movie expecting absolute garbage. For years, I have been told this movie is pretty much unwatchable. And, after about 20 minutes of Dustin Hoffman and Warren Beatty proving that they cannot sing and have no chemistry as a comedic duo, I would agree. However, about halfway through the film there are some entertaining scenes. I think those individuals who say this film is awful have probably never suffered through the likes of "Cutthroat Island" or "Miss Conception."

Usually I complain about how bored I was throughout the duration of these movies, however, this one kept my attention and actually had me laughing. I think both Warren Beatty and Dustin Hoffman are wonderful actors, but I don't think this was the proper genre for the two. Attempting to homage the Bing Crosby and Bob Hope "Road to..." movies of the 40s and 50s, "Ishtar" places two painfully ordinary individuals in the middle of an African land war (hilarious!). The difference is, in the famous "Road to..." films, audiences knew what they were getting into from the get-go. Hope and Crosby were famous personalities, not Oscar friendly actors more suited for high drama or artful comedies (you know, like "Tootsie). Also, in the "Road to..." films, there was a very specific straight character and a well defined clown. In "Ishtar" the roles get muddled, and it sometimes feels like Beatty and Hoffman are both trying too hard to show off their comedic panache.

However, I did actually enjoy some of this film. The auctioneer scene with Hoffman pretending to know every dialect was fun and I enjoyed the whole "blind camel" bit. Unfortunately, the writers and director of the film focused on the wrong aspects of the plot. Setting them up as terrible though ambitious musicians is fine, and I think the ending, although absolutely ridiculous, could work more effectively if it was not drawn out for a lengthy and unnecessary bit of time. The first 20 or so minutes of this movie felt disconnected and irrelevant to the rest of the film. I understand that the filmmakers were attempting to create the exposition for their ultimate punchline, but it was the part of the film that dragged rather mercilessly and, I'm certain, lost a large percentage of their potential audience.

Overall, of all the films reviewed thus far, I have to admit (much to my own chagrin) that I enjoyed this one the most. Perhaps it is my love for Dustin Hoffman, but I really didn't hate this movie. I agree that it does, many times, try way too hard, but compared to some of the awful things that get released today (how many "Resident Evil" movies does Paul W.S. Anderson really need to make?) "Ishtar" is simply a mediocre Hollywood film with surprisingly good actors.