The original post: /r/movies by /u/neuro_space_explorer on 2024-12-18 07:18:45.

I grew up knowing Tom hanks from Forrest Gump, Apollo 13, Toy Story, You’ve got mail, saving private Ryan. He was a staple in my household and one of the first movie stars I admired. But for some reason my early mind couldn’t come to accept his early films.

I saw numerous times the vhs boxes for The Burbs and Joe vs the Volcano at the rental store and always created in my head the reasons these weren’t movies for me. I think it was chaos on the covers. I just got a sense they weren’t made for me at that age and I wouldn’t appreciate them. And in a way I was right and in a way I’m beyond glad I waited to age up before I watched them for the first time.

You are never surprised watching early hanks movies that he became what he did but at times your disappointed that beyond snl appearances that he focused on dramas. There is a rare blend of grounded humanism and over the top performances in these two films that I feel was lightning in a bottle.

As a Joe Dante fan I have to say other than gremlins 2 and perhaps beyond it felt like the movie most representing the distillation of his spirit as a filmmaker. The cast is top to bottom perfect. It felt like both a love letter to late 50s early 60s tv like Ozzie and Harriett, leave it to beaver, the munsters and 80s hijinks comedies while altogether becoming its own thing.

Tom Hanks masters over the top comedy in this movie. I’ve never seen anything like it, his outbursts, monologues, and physical comedy are unmatched in their ability to play to the levels of gonzo Joe Dante asks of him while simultaneously feeling endearing and believable. Which leads to the reason the ending was changed from a twilight zone like twist to a double twist where he HAS to win in the end. But albeit in the wrong way.

Also props to Bruce Dern, I don’t know how he ended up in this movie but I’m damn glad he did. What a driving force and “straight man” if this movie could even have one.