WillSushyMedia This movie was so-so. It had it's moments, but wasn't the greatest.

Brendon Jones It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

Sarita Rafferty There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

Edwin The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.

bsbulldogs I watched this film more than a fortnight ago and I was very disappointed. As soon as Arthur (Dudley Moore) is introduced on screen and laughing like an idiot, I thought here comes almost two hours of unbearable viewing. It turned out I was right. One big reason that could have led to my disappointment was my grandmother telling me that it was real funny and all that might have lead to over-hype. When it looked like doom and gloom early, I thought it might be left up to John Gielgud as Hobson to save the day. Not even he could unfortunately. It might be hard to say this, but he was the best part of the film. That is, if the film even had a best part. Liza Minelli was miscast and didn't seem interested in being in the film. Having been born in the 1990's, maybe I didn't quite get the humour. But that cant be used as an excuse as I have watched some other 80's comedies and laughed. How this film was nominated for 4 Oscars and won 2 is beyond me. The negative effects of this film are still felt today with the song, "Best That You Can Do" and will probably remain a permanent reminder of how bad this film really was.

Bill Slocum A film about a merry rich drunkard living a consequence-free lifestyle in the Big City may not seem promising entertainment, yet after 20 minutes "Arthur" makes you wish they just left it at that.Instead, you get a long, dreary tale in two parts, one a tragedy of a friendship cut short by death, the other a rom-com between the title character and a perky shoplifter who doesn't mind Arthur's alcoholic foibles given the nine-figure nest egg involved.It all boils down to money. "I wish I had a dime for every dime I have" is how Arthur puts it.As played by Dudley Moore, Arthur alternates between an annoyingly sad drunk and an annoying happy one. Supposedly Moore based his performance on his former comedy partner Peter Cook, a comedy genius who wound up a drunken sot and his own best audience. The first thing we hear in the movie is that braying laugh, which sounds like something which must have drove Moore crazy in a prior life. Now his pain becomes ours.Why was "Arthur" such a big hit? The theme song topped the Billboard pop chart, it took home two Oscars, and there was even a sequel and a remake. God may not love a drunk, but someone apparently did.One Oscar went to John Gielgud as Arthur's butler, Hobson, a font of bitter witticisms. "Usually one must go to a bowling alley to meet a woman of your stature," he tells the new woman in Arthur's life, Linda, played by Liza Minnelli. Yet we are asked to accept Hobson as the voice of human warmth otherwise missing in Arthur's life, mainly by virtue of his getting the big lines.We are supposed to believe Arthur will give up anything and everything to be with Linda. You would think she might be someone who might have something real to pull Arthur from his chemically-induced fog. Instead, Minnelli plays her character way too much like a celebrity cameo, all exaggerated eyeblinks and cutesy asides.Writer-director Steve Gordon seems to have had some darker subtexts he wanted to work in. For example, Arthur expresses a fondness for Soviet communism, and there's a strong sense of evil from the capitalist plutocrats who run Arthur's world. But the most Gordon gins up this way is a contrived situation where Arthur is being pressured to marry a woman whose father is set up as some kind of homicidal tycoon with a criminal reputation. Why would Arthur's ultra-wealthy, hyper-snooty family promote such a union for their fragile son?I guess it's for the same reason Hobson has that chronic cough. We need a story to go with the punchlines. I just wish the punchlines had been better. I enjoy Moore in other roles, and he's a solid-enough improvisational actor that he makes some of Arthur's lighter scenes work here, when he doesn't overplay the tipsiness as he too often does. The main takeaway I got was of him punching well below his weight, and somehow coming up short anyway.People defending "Arthur" say you had to be there. Take it from me, I was there. It wasn't any funnier then than it is today.

atlasmb There are depressed drunks, there are pugnacious drunks, and there are funny drunks. Arthur falls into the last category, and boy does he know it. He is constantly cracking himself up. That could be an annoying trait, but Arthur is just so darn lovable.Arthur is played brilliantly by Dudley Moore. When I read about the other actors who were considered for the role, I nearly cringe, because Moore is the definitive Arthur. And John Gielgud is the definitive Hobson, Arthur's man's man. As the somber Hobson, Gielgud gets to deliver some of the film's best one-liners, lines that I have quoted for years. Hobson is Arthur's dresser, maid, father figure, conscience, day planner and all-around assistant. He is a reminder to Arthur that he should be more responsible. They have developed a relationship that, on the surface, seems to be no more than the scolding parent and the disobedient child. But there is something deeper there.Arthur is a likable guy and he only wants to be happy. Is he willing to trade some of his happiness for financial considerations? It is a question that Arthur must face and when he does, he learns about himself.The film also includes some great songs that were voiced by the then unknown Christopher Cross.Like the film "What About Bob", the comedy in "Arthur" revolves around a character with issues, but he is a lovable character and the film allows us to laugh with him, not just at him.

SusanHampson "Susan you're such an a**hole!" Only someone as hopelessly childlike as Arthur could glean a smile from such a comment but his fiancé seems oblivious to his insults. For this is the best he can do as he sits opposite a woman he is forced to marry or be cut off without a cent (US$750million to be exact). Susan adores everything about him (what woman wouldn't?) and come to think of it, most of the people he meets in the film adore him except his family. I certainly would fall at his feet if Arthur Bach were a real character. He has warmth, style and dare I reveal my shallowness - he has pots and pots and pots of money. So what's not to like? This film is utterly charming and hasn't lost any of its appeal even though it's now more than 30 years old. It is a really romantic film at its heart and it is very satisfying watching the helpless manchild fall in love with a charismatic and striking actress, Linda Marolla (played by a quirky Liza Minnelli). Unfortunately this all happens at the same time as he is being manipulated by his powerful family into marrying the beautiful, elegant and how can I put this - a square cardboard cut out of a woman, Susan Johnson. She is beautiful, no question but Arthur, although from old money, acts like a parvenu; he's always drunk and appears to connect with real people and so the vivacious Linda, who's always got a story at the ready to get herself out of trouble, really appeals to him.Arthur's character is a charming playboy whose life revolves around drinking and laughing, and little else. He likes to live it up, a bit like the hellraisers of the eighties but with none of their artistic bent. Arthur is no Ollie Reed or Peter O'Toole, he is a bored multimillionaire which does make him quite a tragic figure. "Some people drink because they are not poets. This is who I am." He desperately tries to explain to the gloriously vacuous Susan. But boy does he come alive when he's on the sauce! Dudley Moore who plays Arthur is very convincing as a drunk and plays it so beautifully. He is certainly the life and soul of the party and the best one liner for me is when he says to his betrothed's butler "Are you sure you want to be a nightclub comic?" when said butler displays all the personality of a walking corpse. Arthur's own butler, Hobson (Sir John Gielgud) needs no introduction and deserved the Oscar he received for his dry and biting wit. "If you and your undergarment could move two paces backwards, I could enter this dwelling." he snorts to Linda's bewildered father as he enters their humble abode. Hobson is an innate snob and even though every utterance is an insult he's such an original that you readily forgive him.As we see the dilemmas that Arthur faces throughout the film, we do see him develop and mature (just a bit). His slightly deranged and eccentric grandmother, Martha is hilarious and I thought she would be a great match for Hobson as they are both inveterate snobs but that would be a totally wild and unbelievable storyline - what was I thinking! If you are still an old romantic at heart (even though thirty years have passed since you may have seen it) watch it again. Arthur and Martha truly lit up my heart as did all the other characters. RIP Dudley Moore and Sir John Gielgud, unforgettable performances, unforgettable film.