Popeye

Popeye (1980)

Runtime: 114 long minutes

Directed by: Robert Altman

Starring: Robin Williams, Shelley Duvall (RIP), Paul L. Smith, Paul Dooley, Ray Walston

From: Paramount/Disney

RIP Shelley Duvall. My strong dislike of the film as a whole has nothing to do with her or per performance as Olive Oyl. Robin Williams as the titular character was also spot-on casting. I'll explain my rating after mentioning that Duvall was someone I knew as a kid from such entertainment as Faerie Tale Theatre and it wasn't until as an adult that I saw her in various Altman productions and of course her all-timer performance as Wendy in The Shining. Before last night, Popeye was watched years before I even joined Letterboxd in 2013 but my dominant memory was that it was weird & not that enjoyable. As it is one of her most famous films and she starred in it, a second chance was in order.

Unfortunately, ROBERT ALTMAN directing a movie produced by Robert Evans where one of the studios involved was DISNEY which brought a famous cartoon character to the big screen but was a musical because Paramount wasn't able to make Annie (true story) & it's set in a bizarre unpleasant town where Popeye rolls into town, discovers it's taxed to death and everyone fears him just because he's an outsider—it's weird, isn't it? Even worse, “bizarre” & “unpleasant” are the two adjectives that best describe my opinion of Popeye.

Despite an expansive practical set which was a marvel that brought the town of Sweethaven to life, I was mostly not entertained by this migraine-inducing mess which believes that yelling and everyone talking over one another is hee-larious, doesn't have a coherent plot whatsoever, features other “jokes” that mostly flop-laughter was rare during this home viewing experience-featured (usually; He Needs Me is worth hearing) off-putting songs from Harry Nilsson, shoehorned in a gambling subplot (!) & in general did a giant disservice to the cast: Duvall, Williams, and Paul L. Smith as Bluto chiefly. It's them and the set (which is still on the isle of Malta today as a tourist attraction known as Popeye's Village) which made me not rate this even lower.

I do get why some would love the film due to how off-kilter it is. However, I'll never be one of those; Popeye cartoons were something I saw as a kid, and those were much more fun and enjoyable than what had to ostensibly be a family comedy-musical but definitely did NOT feel like something suited for everyone in the family. As for Shelley, at least there's always The Shining and an actual good (in fact, great) musical-comedy from Altman in Nashville. I'm glad that after those years of mental illness and rumored behavior from her-BTW, a giant middle finger to Dr. Phil for exploiting her in 2016-she seemed to be doing better; it was a relief that she did not pass away at her lowest and most vulnerable.

Judging by online reactions, a LOT of people felt sadness upon hearing of her death. At least a talented, unique quirky performer will never be forgotten.