The Stupids (1996)

By Greg
Score 2/10

The title says it all, Stupid. It is exactly how I felt as a viewer. The film left  me with a stupid feeling and maybe even a little dumber afterwards. Although I can say director John Landis, yes the same John Landis that directed such classics as "Animal House," "Blues Brothers," "An American Werewolf in London" and "Twilight Zone:The Movie (Prologue and 1st Segment)" along with many other successful films. This was a failure, maybe he made it for sentimental family reasons or he fell beneath a spell of stupidity along with all that were connected with this movie.

The film is about a family called "The Stupids" and is based off of a children's book. Father, Stanley (Tom Arnold), mother, Joan (Jessica Lundy), son, Buster (Bug Hall), and daughter, Petunia (Alex McKenna), make up this family of dim-witted, ignorant, and just plain densely stupid family. Of course, like many cartoon characters or dim-witted live action characters, their stupidity leads them down a direction of enough left turns make a right turn. So enough stupid acts will make a smart, crime solving act. Starts off real slow with father Stanley pusueing the person who is stealing his garbage. Slightly picks up pace, with the family searching for Stanley. Ultimatley there is a weapons deal that gets busted by the Stanleys, its just a stupid train wreck for 88minutes, even at one point Tom Arnold sings "I'm my own grandpa." The film was dense from start to finish and is an epic fail.

It is a family oriented film, that would waste a family night of film viewing from an actual enjoyable film. How many families suffered this piece of cinematic stupidity. I don't mean to be harsh, but it was crap. Why John Landis, I looked up to you? Why? This is a similar feeling I had to Blues Brother 2000, WHY?

Only saving grace of the film and why it didn't get a more deserved 1 out of 10. Cameos, not just film stars, but film directors. David Cronenberg (The Fly and Videodrome), Costa-Gavras (Missing and Z), Robert Wise (Sound of Music, Star Trek:The Motion Picture and The Day the Earth Stood Still[1951] ), and Atom Egoyan (The Sweet Hereafter and Exotica), just to name a few. Noticing Robert Wise, who played the neighbor to the Stupids, is what tipped it off. As the credits rolled, it was name after name of cinematic recognition.
Some standout actor cameos, Christopher Lee (Master of Villainy) and Bob Keeshan(Captain Kangaroo) both play different versions of the character called Mr. Sender, because Stanley Stupid thought he discovered a conspiracy theory when he worked for the U.S. postal service, "Return to Sender." Who is Sender? Why does he get so much mail? Stupid.

Starring: Tom Arnold, Jessica Lundy, Bug Hall and Alex McKenna
Directed by: John Landis
Budget/Gross: $25,000,000 (estimated)/$2,415,593 (USA)
IMDB Rating: 3.8/10
Tomatometer: 21% critics and 34% audience liked it