ScoobyWell Great visuals, story delivers no surprises

MonsterPerfect Good idea lost in the noise

Matialth Good concept, poorly executed.

Peereddi I was totally surprised at how great this film.You could feel your paranoia rise as the film went on and as you gradually learned the details of the real situation.

mr-scheps Wow. What an interesting film. It's both a sports flick and a morality play...and it fits both those categories quite perfectly. It's elevated by the use of ambiguity and metaphor into a story that truly transcends and speaks to the soul. We root for the lost sparks of glory that is ever present and yet beyond the reach of a fallen man. And we question what our first life is really worth - what we can find meaning and glory in. And all this is set in the completely entertaining sports genre.Honestly some of the best use of slow-motion I've ever seen. And a great musical score by Randy Newman. This should be a classic. It's deep. It's dynamite.

phasetrek This movie reminded me a lot about the movie "Cujo" in one way. I'd read the book ("Cujo") before seeing the film. And the film's upbeat ending was a far cry better than the dreary end of the book. Likewise with this film ("The Natural") - except that I saw the movie first.A few minutes ago (and for the first time), I just finished reading the novel by Bernard Malamud. The novel, for the most part, was a pretty good read. But I absolutely hated the ending - totally different than the way the movie ended. In fact, I hated its ending so much that, tomorrow, I'm going to donate the book to my library (fighting my first urge to burn it or toss it out with my weekly trash pickup). I will *never* want to read it again.But the movie? I've watched it several times. And I will no doubt watch it time and time again ... especially now, to take the bad taste out of my mouth left by the novel. Screenplay writers Roger Towne & Phil Dusenberry did a splendid job of transforming Malamud's novel into a hopeful saga of courage & honor with an exceptionally satisfying climax. And Robert Redford, et al, made the Oscar-nominated saga believable and palatable at the same time.So, watch the movie ... but avoid the novel like the plague.

edwagreen A wonderful film depicting a baseball player headed towards fame when a chance meeting with some deranged woman gets him shot by her and his career destroyed until he emerges 16 years later to play ball.The manager of the team is hesitant to try the Redford character out, but he does and at once sees his power and potential.The film deals with his successes, his slumps, mainly which are brought about by his relationship with a Lola type vamp, played well by Kim Basinger.Naturally, we also have to face baseball fixing and how Redford worked above that.Still trying to comprehend why Glenn Close received a supporting actress nomination for this film. There was absolutely nothing to her part as the woman who had a child with Redford years before and finally reunites with him. If anything, Basinger should have received an Oscar nod.

adams79 Not just a great film about baseball, but a fable about overcoming demons, rising from nothing to greatness and good old fashioned love.Robert Redford plays Roy Hobbs, a prodigious baseball player who showed incredible promise as a young man, but was shot by a serial killer who hunted star athletes. Although he didn't die, he was badly wounded and missed his opportunity to join Major League baseball. The story revolves around his comeback (16 years later), overcoming his weakness for women, reuniting with the love of his life Iris (Glen Close) and saving his ball club and their head coach Pop Fisher (Wilford Brimley) from being sold. In the end, Hobbs must confront his younger self in a final showdown for glory, but ultimately his own happiness.This is not a story about real life or "the real world". This movie is metaphoric. Although the theme is around baseball, it is actually a story of a cursed knight with a magical sword who saves a Kingdom from a tyrannical ruler.There have been many reviews about the great performances by all of the cast, but the one thing that I have not heard much about is the INCREDIBLE score for this film. Written by Randy Newman...yes the Toy Story guy. He composed what is in my opinion, possibly the most iconic and memorable fanfare ever written for a movie. Absolutely, beautiful and uplifting. I can't for the life of me understand why he didn't win an Oscar for his work on this film. In the style of Aaron Copland, the perfect sixth that soars above as the baseball smashes the lights in the end scene will make even the hardest of men think about their childhood. Iris' leitmotif is very charming and makes you fall in love with her as much as she and Roy truly love each other.It is important to remember that this movie is only based on the book. That is to say, the characters start off the same, but they do not arc the same as the book and that ultimately effects the story's outcome. Roy Hobbs' character is much purer in the movie than in the book. If you've read the book and expect to see the same story in the movie, you'll be surprised. Perhaps, unpleasantly surprised. I prefer the movie to the book, but I saw this movie when I was a kid and I am so biased that Roger Ebert himself (who didn't really like the movie) could come back from the dead and draft a 50 page critique of this movie and I still would love it just as much. That's how powerful and impressionable this movie is.Watch this movie. People have compared it to the Fisher King, (hello? Pop Fisher?) and the Lancelot, King Arthur story (the team name is the New York "Knights").. all of that may be true, but I find that the most important theme that stems from this movie is Aristotalian... that is one's pursuit of happiness."Pick me out a winner Bobby." ... What a great film...