True, for a movie with such a simple plot the writing is truly top notch. Despite the fact that they are the POV characters, the brothers are really the antagonists of the mouse's story, but it's the brothers who we've been following and have gotten invested in their character arcs. The writers realised that the audience wouldn't be really rooting against either the brothers or the mouse, so they came up with an ending that foiled the brothers' plans and saved the mouse but also got the brothers what they wanted and tied up their character arcs nicely. Everyone came away happy, which is a rarity in stories like this.
There's a deleted scene where the Exterminator works at the factory at the end as a taste tester, albeit a little brain damaged and still kinda traumatised from the mouse incident (then again he wasn't exactly sane to begin with, lol).
I thought everyone's seen this movie, I saw this dozens of times on repeat when I was a kid. Nathan Lane is amazing in this. I absolutely adore this film
It's too bad he lost his mind over CGI in the Pirates sequels and The Lone Ranger. He has a knack for grotesque imagery, but he goes overboard with a huge budget and no limitations.
Mouse Hunt. Now that’s a film I haven’t heard or seen in a long while. It was definitely one of my favorites growing up so thanks for reminding me of this classic and as always great video dude
@@HatsOffEntertainment This film feels more Tom and Jerry than either of the theatrical Tom and Jerry Films; it even has a literal cat and mouse chase in MouseHunt! PS, the Trailer did show the funeral as a plot point.
It's a shame this movie didn't do too well, it should have been Lee Evan's foot in the door for Hollywood, but he just got bit parts at most afterwards. Reminds me of Drop Dead Fred in that respect.
Don't feel bad for Lee Evans. He had a good career and retired comfortably. Personally, I've only seen him in "There's Something About Mary" and an episode of the David Tennant era of Doctor Who. He made a HUGE impression on me in "Mary" and I still remembered him when I recently saw his episode of Doctor Who. I hadn't seen "Mary" in at least 10 years at that point! He was very popular in the UK and did a lot of DVDs and other things with his comic style that sold well over there, too. It's crass to compare him to other comics, especially internationally with such different acts and national tastes. Just know that "lack of Hollywood success" wasn't a huge setback for him after all. Most people with careers in entertainment don't rely solely on Hollywood. It's very unreliable and cliquish (like high school but 100 times worse at least) and they push the beautiful people and the well-connected before they even consider people who are talented and actually popular with the general public. That's why had the Kardashians for over 10 years and they pushed so many guys with lack of charisma and tried to make the public like them.
The brilliance is in the casting: you have Nathan Lane who is a throw back Vaudeville/Burlesque style loud mouth comic and the criminally underrated Lee Evans who compliments with his lanky rubber man style of physical comedy that harkens not only Buster Keaton but countless other “forgotten” silent comics like Larry Semon and Al St John ( to name a few). I think perhaps the best bit of physical comedy in the last 20 yrs is Evans playing the paraplegic (but really a con-man) in There’s Something About Mary who walks with the aid of hand crutches and drops his keys, refusing to let anyone assist because his has to learn to pick them up himself and struggles vainly because the crutches impedes his reach. Brilliant physicality on display.
I don't agree with Lee Evans being underrated, though in the UK he's more known for his stand-up than his film acting (the former of which is pretty much just him making irritating noises, screaming and gurning for hours at a time without even trying to be witty). Admittedly when he's in films he's not nearly as irritating.
Alan Silvestri is just one of the composers that elevates any project that he's a part of. Up there with the likes of John Williams, James Horner, and Jerry Goldsmith.
Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Predator 1&2, The Mummy Returns, Lilo & Stitch, the “Night at the Museum” trilogy, Stuart Little 1&2, Ready Player One, The Polar Express, The Croods
I never understood why this wasn't a bigger hit. I always loved it and "Terry Gilliam wrote a Laurel & Hardy film" is a brilliant way of describing it.
For some reason critics shat on this movie when it came out especially Roger Elbert. I still don't know how anyone cared about his opinions on movies. He seemed to always shit on good movies and gave some praise to actual shitty movies.
@@eazye088 Siskel and Ebert were vetted. They had a show early and as a result it became an institution... despite the two having very questionable taste. With Ebert being legitimately pretentious and Siskel incredibly tabloid. But they were around early, stuck around, and became a household name unfortunately. They were never good critics, but they were well-known. And being famous was far more important.
I felt like this was quite big here in the UK. I used to watch it all the time as a kid, it's a favourite in my family. Shame it wasn't a huge success.
I watched this movie a ton as a kid, I still remember it fondly to this day. Might have to find a copy and have a movie night with the folks, I remember my whole family liked it a lot.
"HALF a cockroach..." some of the humour in this was brilliant. Really reminded me of Roald Dahl's style, especially compared to the film adaptation of The Witches.
Dude get out of my head 3 stooges, ernest, mouse hunt everytime I think of something lately you've just dropped a video on it lol keep up the good work man
I always thought, visually, this movie is what it would look like if either Tim Burton tried to make a Wes Anderson movie, or Wes Anderson tried to make a Tim Burton Movie. But your Terry Gilliam observation is probably more accurate.
When I was a kid I stayed at the ranch the exterior shots of the tub scene were filmed at. It was a nice place, and even in 1999 there were still traces of the set by the small lake on the property. Just a few wooden panels left over after production, but still was kind of neat.
I love this movie! I see comments saying "when I was a kid" and "growing up" I was 31 when this movie came out and It's one of my favorite movies. I have never been a fan of slapstick but this movie did it just right. I laugh every time I see it. Love the part where Lars knocks the bucket of shingles off on Ernie and is instantly making like he was cleaning the window the whole time.
Great video. I'm 33 and I remember this film incredibly fondly. I couldn't tell you the number of times I watched it as a kid. Brilliant. I will definitely re-watch soon.
@ryan jones I also like when he tells one of the buyers (who looks like he's from the middle-east/North Africa) "Hakuna Matata" to not worry. Funny as it's coming from the guy who voiced Timon, haha.
Exactly, this was made years after Tom and Jerry got their animated feature and before getting their own live action/animated hybrid this year which many hated a lot, even though in my opinion it’s not the worst Tom and Jerry film I’ve seen. That honor goes to their first movie and some of the modern ones in the 2010’s like Tom and Jerry meet Willy Wonka (not calling it by its full name, too many “ands” in the title), but honestly this film looks a lot funnier than the recent Tom and Jerry movie, I’ll watch it tonight since HBO Max just added it this month.
Same here. It's been years since I've last seen the flick. It's past 3 AM right now and I had to stifle my laughter in order to keep from walking my wife and our 2 year old. That scene is classic. 😂😂😂
One of the few movies I know that doesn't explicitly tell you when it takes place but you know it's not modern day. The scenery looks like 30s or 40s but the technology used would date it maybe around 70s or later. It's just so surreal.
This is one of those films that were shown on TV on a regular basis even in Finland, for some weird reason. I remember seeing it multiple times when I was a kid. I had never realized it's actually so dark, I just remembered it's one of those light-hearted wacky comedies.
This film is very regularly rerun here in Britain, leaving me to think it got more respect it deserved here. I have to agree it feels like a very 'classic' comedy despite updating some of the gags to be more risqué. Stuff like the gas explosion and pretty much the whole auction scene are wonderfully done and leave me laughing no matter how many times I watch them. I also love that scene where the brothers' feud over their past resentments, it's so earnest and pathos inducing without blowing the comedic pace at all.
This is one of those rare times in which I regret not seeing a movie sooner. I remember my mom renting this for me as a kid but never watched it because I thought it looked stupid. Years later a friend of mine let me borrow it because we were discussing Christopher Walken and he said check this out. I love this movie.
Hah. I grew up to be a chef, & the scene where the mouse sets a sandwich as bait in a trap always stuck with me. "He toasted the cheese side, but not the other... So the arugula wouldn't wilt." 😆😂
Everything from the gas leak explosion to the bug bomb explosion is absolute genius. The closest thing to live action Tom & Jerry we'll get. I love this film: the leads, the supporting cast, the setting, the dark comedy, the stunts and slapstick, and the GLORIOUS soundtrack by Alan Silvestri.
My daughter and I saw this in the theater, and we bother own dvd copies of this very entertaining film. Lane and Evans are a dynamite comedy duo, giving their all. The writing often clever, the performances often hilarious; there's even a trademark Christopher Walken "cameo", a hoot. This movie is a treat.
Happy to say I owe a copy of this on DVD. The movie's physical comedy elements definitely have roots in the slapstick movies and shorts of the first half of the 20th century,. Personally I am reminded of many of the cartoons from that same era, especially "Tom and Jerry".
This film is genuine comedy gold. Vastly underrated. It has the feel of a Coen Brothers/Tim Burton collaboration that never was. Christopher Walken as the exterminator is priceless.
It never really occurred to me that this was an obscure film, it was a classic of my childhood. I also never noticed how much it really is a Laurel and Hardy tribute. It's not a slavish copy by any means, but the two characters have striking similarities to their forebears. The bit where Nathan Lane waves his tie at the ladies he's flirting with is very Oliver Hardy.
I like your opening statement. I enjoy gags and physical comedy, but that should be the icing on the cake. The writing and chemistry needs to be the foundation of the movie to highlight these coup de gras.
We used to watch this movie at my german school every time a teacher was sick. I watched the film at least 5-10 times in school, all classmates were repeatedly captivated by this film, including me.
Man, I'm glad you made this. I remember watching the crap out of this on VHS. I recently went back and re-watched it and it was so crazy going back and seeing the bad/good cgi and practical mousework. And oh yeah, I had totally forgotten that Christopher Walken was in this!
I saw this in the theater with my mom when I was 10, and I can confirm that this movie was not what we were expecting based on the marketing. I saw it later as an adult and appreciated it much more. Nice video.
Used to love this movie as a kid. I saw it again with my niece as an adult. And I got to tell you it still holds up. There are jokes that are not only made for kids but also adults. People call It home alone with the mouse but i feel I agree with you it has an homage to laurel and hardy and the looney tunes for that matter. Highly recommend this movie especially in the holidays. The movie takes place in Christmas holidays and give it a warm feeling after when watching it
I absolutely love this movie. Nathan Lane was excellent in the movie. It has one, or two Christmas scenes, so i have added it to my Christmas movies collection and i watch it every year.
My sister had this on VHS growing up and to this day have never seen it on any streaming service or a DVD. Funnily enough I actually started watching lee evans' stand up routines and thought his face looked familiar.
You nailed that comment about the setting, it was unique for the type of movie it was, one of the reasons it aged well, is because the sets are somewhat distopian and gothic, but also in the 90s but not really in the 90s Anyway i love this movie, and the ending is great
I loved this movie as a kid! The soundtrack is wonderful too. edit. went ahead and rewatched it for the first time in probably 10 years. Laughed out loud on several occasions, this film is amazing!
I would watch Mouse Hunt on repeat when I was at my grandma’s house as a kid. It is definitely severely underrated! I loved watching it just as much even as I got older
I remember seeing this one in theaters on release. One of precious few good childhood memories, lol. Always loved Nathan Lane, possibly from that alone
I've always loved this film, a few years back i showed thus film to a friend, and we laughed ourselves hoarse, and he got so mad at himself for not seeing the very end of the film coming
When I was a kid, this was one of those VHS tapes me and my brother watched tons of times with our dad. Always surprised me more people hadn't seen it.
Wew lad, I remember seeing this a guerillion times as a kid around when my dad was dying. Good movie. Im 26 now and its gotta be one of the most rented VHS I had, Im sure.
I just watched this with my 2 1/2 year old. She watched the entire thing rooting for the mouse. I remember first seeing this in theaters with a friend. It was completely empty except for the two of us. A truly underrated gem.
Always dug this film. Showed it to friends and they didn't get it for the first act, until I told em the Mouse is the hero and you're supposed to be rooting against the main characters. After that everyone loved it
Thbak you so much for reminding me of this movie! We used to watch this with my entire extended family during the holidays together. Such a fond memory. I love your channel. Keep up the great content!
This is the first movie I remember watching. I must have been a toddler, I probably barely knew how to speak but I would always ask my mom to put on our tape of this. I haven’t seen this movie in a very long time but rewatching this video I realize just how much of it is burned into my subconscious memories.
I never got to see this movie as a kid, but do remember the promos where the mouse is in the fridge eating olives and uses them to create a Mickey Mouse shadow on the wall. All this time I had thought that was just one of those weird kid memories that feel like a fever dream
I saw this movie for the first time as an adult and it was quite a strange watch. It’s like t couldn’t decide whether it was set in the 30’s/40’s or or the 80’s/90’s. It was definitely a fun movie. I really liked Christopher Walken’s character; he’s just so absurd.
I remember this being the first film I begged my parents to take me to when I was like 4 or 5. I can still remember loving it in the theater. I'm glad to hear the movie totally holds up, feel like I should give it another watch sometime.
I’ve owned this on VHS since I was a kid and always loved it for the practical effects alone, I wish it got more love but maybe one day it’ll get a revival.
I have always been a massive fan of Mousehunt. I saw it in the theater when I was a kid, and over the years rewatched it numerous times and it still holds up very well. It's hilarious, heart warming, and incredibly well put together. A really underrated gem for sure that to me isn't an almost cult classic. It's a classic period.
The movie's score had quite a hook! So glad to hear it so often throughout the film! EDIT: I now know that Alan Silvestri (Back to the Future, The Avengers, Predator) is behind it.
I watched this movie religiously as a kid but watching this I gotta say it still has the power to make me bawl out laughing like a maniac. Btw never noticed the shop the homeless guy was sleeping outside of was called “Home Improvement”
I watched it as a kid, first time was at a house of a family my family was friends with. My brother, friend, and I would watch it after a Thanksgiving or passover dinner
I haven't seen this film and years and only now do I realize that seeing this as a child might be the reason why I have such a bizarre sense of humor. I think that I'll appreciate it a lot more now that I'm well in my 20s.
I watched this movie so many times growing up. Definitely a classic in my opinion. Both main actors are hilarious and you gotta love Christopher Walken's cameo.
I owned it on VHS after its theatrical run. I love this movie, the acting is fantastic and Gore Verbinski's direction and scene setups and filming style show why he's such a great director (and perfect for what, at the time, would be the "Pirates of the Caribean" series). It's on Hulu right now, FYI...
