Howard the Duck (1986) - So Bad It's... Something?
Okay, so I finally watched 'Howard the Duck' (1986). I went in knowing… things. Mostly bad things. And yeah, it's pretty weird. The plot is basically what happens when you let a toddler write a sci-fi movie – duck from space lands in Cleveland, hangs out with a wannabe rocker, fights an evil scientist who turns into a giant CGI duck monster. I swear, I'm not making this up. Honestly, Lea Thompson (Lorraine from Back to the Future!) is really trying to make it work as Beverly, the rocker girl. And Jeffrey Jones, when he's not the Dark Overlord, is actually kinda funny in a manic, mad scientist way. But the real problem is... Howard himself. The animatronics are just…distracting. Like, I appreciate the effort, but the mouth movements never quite sync, and it's hard to get past. He looks like he belongs in a Chuck E. Cheese. And the jokes? Woof. Some of them land (the Reaganomics bit got a chuckle outta me), but most feel so dated. I guess what I'm saying is, it's not good. Like, objectively, it's a mess. But it's a fascinating mess? If you're into bad movies that are so bizarre they come back around to being entertaining, then maybe give it a shot. Just don't expect, you know, actual quality. It's a true example of 80s excess, for better or worse. Anyone else seen this fever dream? Thoughts?
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