Flubber (1997)

Disney couldn't resist the temptation to remake 1961's popular comedy The Absent Minded Professor, so they cast Robin Williams as Professor Philip Brainard (a role vaguely related to the character originated by Fred MacMurray), and the result is a comedy that, frankly, doesn't fully deserve its modest success. It's admittedly clever to a point, and certainly the digitally "flubberized" special effects provide the kind of movie magic that's entertaining for kids and parents alike. The professor can't even remember his own wedding day (much to the chagrin of his fiancée, played by Marcia Gay Harden), and now his academic rival (Christopher McDonald) is trying to steal his latest and purely accidental invention--flying rubber, or ... flubber. The green goo magnifies energy and can be used as an amazing source of power, but in the hands of screenwriter John Hughes it becomes just another excuse to recycle a lot of Home Alone-style slapstick humor involving a pair of bumbling would-be flubber thieves. There's also a floating robot named Weebo and some catchy music by Danny Elfman to accompany dancing globs of flubber, but the story's too thin to add up to anything special. Lightweight fun, but, given the title, it lacks a certain bounce. Of course, that didn't stop Disney's marketing wizards from turning it into a home-video hit. --Jeff Shannon Amazon.com

Hilarious!

I'm not much for remakes, but really can you go wrong with Robin Williams? There's a scene in here that is perfect for the potty humor lover in every family! Funny family flick! January 9, 2008

Been around awhile but still wonderful!

Flubber has been veiwed so many times I can't remember. It is a wonderful movie that when my older childern grew out of it was quickly passed on the those who were younger and so on and so forth. The VHS version was replaced by the dvd version. Never fear tho the VHS was sent to our friends for their children. Robin Williams is fabulous in this movie and Flubber is full of chuckles, giggles and lots of excitement. August 13, 2007

How Fun!

Oh, my gosh this is a fun movie that will make your family tickled pink. And if you don't have a family, this is a great movie to take a date on, because it is the complete opposite of the usual shoot-em-up garbage that is playing at the local theater. And if you can get that special lady/fella to laugh (as they will most certainly do during Flubber), then you are well on your way to a great, great night of romance.

Flubber is the story of Robin Williams inventing Flubber which makes cars fly.

Flubber stands for flying rubber and it does just that in this movie called Flubber. And Robin Williams was born to play the part of the absent-minded professor whose hijinks are utterly charming from the beginning of the movie until the very end. If Flubber came in flavors I would expect it to taste like lime or patchouli!

Children need to believe in magic again, and Flubber embraces the world post-9/11 in an honest and compassionate manner. Plus, Robin Williams is hilarious as a man in this movie (he was also great as a woman in Mrs. Doubtfire!)

You will love Flubber and so will your grandparents. It's flubbing fantastic! April 19, 2007

disney's flubber

I think it is a great movie. I bought it for my grandson he loved it. November 6, 2006

Funny, but It Is Still a Remake

I am opposed to remakes in general. Rarely are they as good as the original. I have thought, and continue to think, that remakes are a way to admit that filmmakers are not as creative as they once were, and a remake begins with a completed product. Having said all that, I did like this movie. The movie has problems, but I managed to ignore the problems and have a few good laughs.

Professor Philip Brainard (Robin Williams) is a science genius. Professor Brainard has enough inventions in his house to keep a fleet of patent agents and attorneys busy for years. However, the movie ignores such trivialities to focus on Professor Brainard's need to develop a cheap source of power. The story has Brainard focusing on his pursuit of cheap power to the exclusion of his fiancée Dr. Sara Jean Reynolds (Marcia Gay Harden) and his impending marriage to her. Brainard also seems to be oblivious that Wilson Croft is out to steal his girl, his inventions and sink the college at which they are employed, all at the same time.

Robin Williams is in good form, providing laughs throughout the film. While Fred MacMurray had an air of absent-minded innocence that Williams fails to achieve, Williams brings his own style to the role and does a good job. Marcia Gay Harden almost seems unnecessary to the film though I did like her character. Williams's frenetic characterization of Brainard makes everyone else seem mundane in comparison.

Two of the biggest stars in this movie are special effects, the flubber and a flying robot. The flubber sings and dances and squeaks like a mouse. The robot watches too many soap operas and movies and is jealous of Sara Jean. The robot works diligently to keep the wedding from happening.

This movie does ignore a lot of things in order to keep the plot moving along. I kept wondering how Brainard created an intelligent flying robot the size of a football. Brainard also ignores the need for nuclear elements to power his flubber, with the attendant problems associated with nuclear materials. The missing of the wedding seemed an excessive plot detail, and I found that portion of the plot distracting.

I think the original "Absent-Minded Professor" movie remains superior to the remake. However, if you ignore that this movie is a remake and you are able to ignore the inconsistencies, the movie has a number of very funny moments. I would consider this movie for a family library, though some of the action is quite violent and I would probably limit watching to children ages 7 or 8 and above. Good luck!
August 7, 2006

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