"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.

"Ishtar" - Zach's Take

Ishtar's reputation is that of one of the worst films ever made. A colossal failure. A staggering display of ineptitude.

I can't say that I necessarily agree with that sentiment, but it is mostly terrible. The acting is fine. But that's about it.

Really, the fault of the film comes down squarely to Writer/Director Elaine May. Basically, the script is atrociously structured. The first act mostly consists Dustin Hoffman and Warren Beatty singing terrible songs in a desperate attempt to get laughs from the audience. Those laughs never come. We get it, they're terrible singers. Can we learn something about their characters so that we care about them? No? Why Not? Because Elaine May couldn't be bothered to flesh out their characters beyond the fact that they're bad singers? Oh, okay. Let's just have another insufferable scene of the two guys singing terribly until suddenly we are thrown into the Middle East and introduced to a stupid plot revolving around an ancient map and a power struggle between the CIA and communists.

Ugh.

The only time this movie even slightly amused me was when a blind camel comes into play. Even then, I was laughing at how ridiculously derpy camels are, not the scene itself. Seriously, look:

"HURF DURF I'M A CAMEL!! ISHTAR IS AN UNDERRATED CLASSIC!"

Okay, where was I? Oh yeah, this movie isn't the worst picture ever made, not by a long shot. But it is a pretty terrible Hollywood movie, with very few redeeming qualities. It's also one of the laziest big budget movies I've ever seen. There was clearly very little thought put into any aspect of it. Considering the talent involved, I guess I understand why it's been so mercilessly eviscerated by critics and the public. After seeing it, I can't really be bothered to defend it.

As always, leave your thoughts in the comments below or email us with suggestions at cinematicfacepalm@blogspot.com

Coming Soon - Ishtar

Continuing on in our "Box Office Blunders" series, we have the notorious Ishtar. This is probably the only one in our list that I've consistently seen a small few actually defend.

Judging from the trailer, I can see why. I mean, Dustin Hoffman has never been in a bad movie!

And every single Warren Beatty movie is a classic. Charles Grodin's filmography is simply flawless.