THE ‘BURBS (Theatrical Release USA 1989)

Ben Meyers’ rating: 3.6|5.0 Stars ììì

The ‘Burbs teams Bruce Dern with Tom Hanks, Rick Ducommun, and Carrie Fisher to produce a comical portrayal of  old neighbors versus newcomers. The movie starts well and paces itself to a surprise conclusion. It’s a fair to middling comedy—clean, a nice Sunday afternoon family entertainment piece.

Storyline

Snoopy neighbors entertain initial suspicions about neighborhood newcomers to the point of irrationality.

Additional Thanks

Really Good Work for Director Joe Dante. Thank you to Executive Producer Ron Howard for making the film possible. Additional character/cast include: Carol Peterson (Carrie Fisher), Ricky Butler (Corey Feldman), Bonnie Rumsfield (Wendy Schaal), Dr. Werner Klopek (Henry Gibson), Uncle Reuben Klopek (Brother Theodore), Hans Klopek (Courtney Gains), Art Weingartner (Rick Ducommun), Ray Peterson (Tom Hanks), and Lieutenant (Ret.) Mark Rumsfeld (Bruce Dern).

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?

Yes. While the film does not keep a steady comedic pace, it entertains.

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Ben Meyers