Disney's Flubber [1998] (REGION 1) (NTSC)

Amazon.co.uk Review

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 flubberised special effects provide the kind of movie magic that's entertaining for children and adults 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 humour 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.co.uk Review

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.

Customer Reviews:

Flubber.......2005-11-07

“Flubber” is the 1900 Disney remake of the film “The Absent-Minded Professor” and falls quite nicely into what Disney would designate as a “family film”. I would suggest that it’ll delight certain members of the family much more than others but over all it’s a pretty harmless way to spend an hour or two on a Sunday afternoon.

Professor Philip Brainard is the absent minded brain who whilst being able to create a talking hovering personal assistant cannot remember his own wedding day. His supposed bride to be is Dr. Sara Jean Reynolds, the dean of the local college which is facing financial ruin.
One night Professor invents flubber (flying rubber) a luminous green slimy substance which boosts out hundreds of times for energy than is transferred to it.

And then begins the usual round of madcap capers which litter this type of film. Two henchmen are sent to steal the flubber only to have themselves concussed by a flying golf ball and flying bowling ball, the school basketball team find themselves able to almost fly as Prof Brianard sticks tabs of flubber to their training shoes and then there’s the invention of the flying car which is to prove the solution to the school’s financial problems.

Robin Williams is fine in this type of film although his sometimes-annoying antics will appeal to the children more than the adults. The rest of the cast just are worthy of any note at all, they all smile, grimace, shriek, laugh, fall over and kiss when required to but none of them are anymore than pantomime cardboard cut-outs. The only thing that is interesting is that the two henchmen sent to steal flubber which be noted by film fans as the Kurgan (from Highlander) and Jame Gumb (from Silence of the Lambs)! Quite a gruesome twosome!

It says something for the film when I think the best character was the flying mini space saucer, Weebo, the sexily voiced personal assistant that plays short movie snippets to emphasis its feelings. Perhaps the Professor and school shouldn’t bother with some new invention like flubber the next time the need to raise a few hundred quid, but just invent several thousand Weebos!

sense of humour.......2003-09-25

if you've got a good sense of humour and you love feel good films then this is for you. My family thought that it was brilliant. The bouncy scenes on the basketball court had us all laughing. If your buying a feelgood fun film with a view to analyse performances of your fave actor then don't buy it. If you like a really good laugh then do!

Enjoyable childrens movie about a mischevious, bouncy blob!.......2002-01-30

Robin Williams plays a good "mad professor" in this easy-to-watch childrens movie. Williams is trying to create a new substance that will power things without the need for electricity, all the while his university is struggling to stay open due to lack of money. Needless to say, Williams succeeds and the following antics cause untold problems and chaos ensues.

This is a good film and enjoyable by all ages. Highly reccommended

Robin Williams goes to a new low??.......2001-06-22

robin williams career started off brilliantly.Dead Poets society, Good Morning Vietnam, Good will hunting, Aladdin and then flubber...oh dear.A scientist that creates something like rubber...but its alive,green and dances..ummm.so he names it flubber.then arises some attempted comical pieces involving him putting the flubber on the bottom of his shoes to bounce high and putting it in his car to make it fly...good god robin what have we created.There is terible acting all the way through though robin tries his best it isnt good enough to save this atrocisty.bad scripting, a terrible plot and a pooor and predictable film which will make you want to go insane.dont bother with it.just run.get aladdin instead.get a book instead.better still watch paint dry.just dont get it!!!

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