Sorry, this movie sucks

A Disappointing Continuation

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

I don't know why this movie has such a low rating. It wasn't the best thing i ever seen but there were worse ones for sure. The game of hot potato made me chuckle a bit but that's about all i can say about this "comedy". I din't laugh for the most part but the intention was there. I never wondered how much is left so i guess that's a good thing. A bit silly, a bit funny and a lot average. 6/10

Do people actually remember this? This must be one of those that people haven't watched since about a year or so after it came out. And TBS doesn't count. I decided to watch it for old times sake, and found it better than when I first saw it. Lucky Numbers is no Ocean's Eleven or The Killing, but it is still very fun. The characters are dumber than the movies I just mentioned, but that works in the respects of the comedy and narrative. Smarter characters would have made the film less exciting, less fun, and over in a few minutes. These dumb characters are actually believable and well drawn, so it doesn't feel like an intelligence insult.Lucky Numbers is a dark comedy based on the real lottery scandal in Pennsylvania in 1980. It stars John Travolta in the career ruining year for him. This was dissed by critics the same year he did Battlefield Earth. But this is much better. He is funny, down to his hair. He plays hotshot weatherman Russ Richards who is loved by everybody. He also owns a snowmobile dealership that is doing bad. Facing bankruptcy, his friend Gig (Tim Roth) suggests for him and his evil girlfriend (Lisa Kudrow) to rig the lottery. Lisa Kudrow plays Crystal, a model at the TV stations who pulls the numbers during the lottery program. Gig will get 20%, and Russ and Crystal will get the rest. It's awesome! A slew of people threaten the scam by demanding a share to keep their mouths shut. Michael Moore makes an appearance as Crystal's dumb cousin, Michael Rapaport plays a hit-man, Ed O'Neill plays the TV boss, and there's others. Will Russ get out in one piece?The flaw that really gave the movie its bad rap was how many characters got introduced and how many times their roles in the scam kept changing. I don't mind there being lots of characters that change, but they should be introduced all at the beginning and have one set of people come about near the end. Sometime after the picks happen, characters are thrown in left right and centre and it becomes unclear where they fit in the puzzle. If this element was fixed, the ratings would be MUCH higher than they are now. But there's other aspects that make this a good movie. The characters are hilarious, and the dark tone is played about perfectly. In terms of the physical directing, Nora Ephron succeeds. As a neo-heist film, it succeeds. As a comedy, it succeeds to some people such as myself. I recommend revisiting this.

Watching "Lucky Numbers" was one of the most confusing cinema experiences I have had in some time. The problem becomes clear not long into watching the movie - it can't decide what kind of movie it is. A comedy? A hard drama? It seems to be trying to be BOTH of those movies, with a number of yuk yuk moments, but also some seriously harsh moments (which include some violent deaths).Had the movie tried to be a 100% comedy OR a 100% drama, I think it would have worked a lot better than it does now. But there would still be some problems with the movie. The Leonard Maltin movie guide got it right when it said the movie had "unpleasant characters". I don't blame the actors for this (even newbie actor Michael Moore), but how they were pushed in their performances by the direction and the script. But you have to wonder what they saw in the script to make them sign up.

This script film is just plain bad and embarrassing for all concerned. The Director, Nora Ephron, notable for putting out a decent script or two (When Harry Met Sally, Sleepless in Seatle et al), surely must have recognised this scrip for the dog it is. I had to wait for the 2nd 30 minutes or so before I could see a laugh coming and when they did they were mediocre at best. However, my optimism was challenged, because by the time the last 30 minutes of the film came to fruition, it looked as though the cast were just keen to see the end of it and so was I. The writer, Adam Resnick, would have been better off developing the plot into a 5 minute skit for "Saturday Night Live", and I am being generous at best here. The end credits should have been all listed as "Alan Smithee" for the production crew. It really had me wondering one thing though.... What decent scripts did Hollywood pass over for this melange to escape the net?If you enjoyed the film, good for you.