Popeye
1980, Paramount et al
While it was universally panned at the time of its release (the press was so bad that director Robert Altman was unemployable for a decade, and moved to Paris), Popeye has garnered increasingly favorable reviews over time. For myself, I can plainly see its patent flaws—insipid story, wildly uneven direction—but its creative brilliance shines through. In particular, Shelly Duval was born to play Olive Oyl. Some of the film' unevenness could be due to the fact that, when Altman ran over budget, Paramount told him to end production and use what he had. Incidentally, the set built in Malta for the film still exists, and is a popular tourist attraction.
DKS 4/2/22
GRUMPY OLD FART-O-METER® Rating:
