{"id":16184,"date":"2011-03-09T14:35:32","date_gmt":"2011-03-09T21:35:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=16184"},"modified":"2021-01-14T17:03:24","modified_gmt":"2021-01-15T00:03:24","slug":"popeye-1980","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=16184","title":{"rendered":"Popeye (1980)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;I yam what I yam and I yam what I yam that I yam.&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Popeye-Poster.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Popeye-Poster-197x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"197\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-16185\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Popeye-Poster-197x300.jpg 197w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Popeye-Poster-84x128.jpg 84w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Popeye-Poster.jpg 497w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 197px) 100vw, 197px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nA squinty sailor (Robin Williams) searching for his long-lost father (Ray Walston) arrives in a seaside town called Sweet Haven, where he falls in love with quirky Olive Oyl (Shelly Duvall) and, with Olive, becomes the father of a foundling named Swee&#8217; Pea (Wesley Ivan Hurt).\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>\n<strong>Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Comedy<\/li>\n<li>Comics and Comic Strips<\/li>\n<li>Kidnapping<\/li>\n<li>Love Triangle<\/li>\n<li>Musicals<\/li>\n<li>Robert Altman Films<\/li>\n<li>Robin Williams Films<\/li>\n<li>Sailors<\/li>\n<li>Shelley Duvall Films<\/li>\n<li>Small Town America<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Review: <\/strong><br \/>\nRobert Altman&#8217;s <em>Popeye<\/em> continues to be viewed by many as merely another ill-conceived failure in the infamously checkered yet estimable career of this iconoclastic director. Altman&#8217;s attempt to bring <a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/E.C._Segar\">E.C. Segar&#8217;s<\/a> beloved comic strip (or, more accurately, Fleischer Studios&#8217; animated shorts from the 1930s-50s) to the big screen as a musical-comedy &#8212; complete with his characteristic ensemble cast and overlapping dialogue &#8212; seems like an odd venture to be sure, and isn&#8217;t entirely successful. But it&#8217;s redeemed at least in part by a casting choice made in heaven: Shelley Duvall as spindly-legged Olive Oyl. Duvall brings Olive&#8217;s comic presence to full-blooded life, craning her neck and stumbling across the sets with a physical dexterity and verisimilitude one can only marvel at; she emerges as the most fully realized character in the film. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Popeye-Duvall2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Popeye-Duvall2-1024x437.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"273\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-63344\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Popeye-Duvall2-1024x437.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Popeye-Duvall2-300x128.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Popeye-Duvall2-128x55.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Popeye-Duvall2-768x328.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Popeye-Duvall2-1536x656.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Popeye-Duvall2-604x258.png 604w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Popeye-Duvall2.png 1819w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, Williams himself is fine and believable (if oddly restrained) in the title role:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Popeye-Williams.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Popeye-Williams-1024x431.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"269\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-63337\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Popeye-Williams-1024x431.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Popeye-Williams-300x126.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Popeye-Williams-128x54.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Popeye-Williams-768x323.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Popeye-Williams-1536x646.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Popeye-Williams-604x254.png 604w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Popeye-Williams.png 1829w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>and other supporting actors &#8212; including Altman&#8217;s own grandson as Swee&#8217; Pea, and Paul Dooley as Wimpy &#8212; are nicely cast as well. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Popeye-Sweetpea3.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Popeye-Sweetpea3-1024x442.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"276\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-63338\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Popeye-Sweetpea3-1024x442.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Popeye-Sweetpea3-300x129.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Popeye-Sweetpea3-128x55.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Popeye-Sweetpea3-768x331.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Popeye-Sweetpea3-1536x663.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Popeye-Sweetpea3-604x261.png 604w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Popeye-Sweetpea3.png 1815w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Wolf Krueger&#8217;s production design is the second primary reason to check this film out. Built on the island of Malta (and apparently still in existence as a significant tourist attraction), the set is a sight to behold, effectively portraying Sweet Haven as a quirky, ramshackle alter-universe. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Popeye-Sets3.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Popeye-Sets3-1024x434.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"271\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-63339\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Popeye-Sets3-1024x434.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Popeye-Sets3-300x127.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Popeye-Sets3-128x54.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Popeye-Sets3-768x326.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Popeye-Sets3-1536x651.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Popeye-Sets3-604x256.png 604w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Popeye-Sets3.png 1809w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Where the film stumbles, ironically, is in its faithfulness to its comic origins. While there&#8217;s something undeniably tickling about seeing these 2-D characters made manifest (at least for fans of the original Fleischer shorts, like myself), the storyline &#8212; including a kidnapping of Swee&#8217; Pea by Bluto (Paul L. Smith), and Popeye&#8217;s weird reconciliation with his absentee father: <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Popeye-Reconciliation.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Popeye-Reconciliation-1024x435.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"272\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-63343\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Popeye-Reconciliation-1024x435.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Popeye-Reconciliation-300x127.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Popeye-Reconciliation-128x54.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Popeye-Reconciliation-768x326.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Popeye-Reconciliation-1536x652.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Popeye-Reconciliation-604x256.png 604w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Popeye-Reconciliation.png 1817w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&#8212; eventually devolves into too much slapstick for its own good. Meanwhile, the songs (all written by <a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Harry_Nilsson\">Harry Nilsson<\/a>) are decidedly hit-or-miss, with a number of them instantly forgettable. However, when Olive sings one of the more memorable tunes &#8212; &#8220;He&#8217;s Large&#8221; &#8212; in defense of her choice in beaus, and repeatedly states, &#8220;He may not be the best\/But he&#8217;s large\/And he&#8217;s mine&#8221;, one simply can&#8217;t help giggling. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Popeye-Hes-Large.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Popeye-Hes-Large-1024x428.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"268\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-63335\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Popeye-Hes-Large-1024x428.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Popeye-Hes-Large-300x125.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Popeye-Hes-Large-128x54.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Popeye-Hes-Large-768x321.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Popeye-Hes-Large-1536x642.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Popeye-Hes-Large-604x252.png 604w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Popeye-Hes-Large.png 1835w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Redeeming Qualities and Moments: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Shelley Duvall as Olive Oyl<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Popeye-Duvall.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Popeye-Duvall-1024x447.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"279\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-63340\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Popeye-Duvall-1024x447.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Popeye-Duvall-300x131.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Popeye-Duvall-128x56.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Popeye-Duvall-768x335.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Popeye-Duvall-1536x670.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Popeye-Duvall-604x264.png 604w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Popeye-Duvall.png 1781w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Wolf Kroeger&#8217;s production design<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Popeye-Sets-1.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Popeye-Sets-1-1024x429.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"268\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-63341\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Popeye-Sets-1-1024x429.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Popeye-Sets-1-300x126.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Popeye-Sets-1-128x54.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Popeye-Sets-1-768x322.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Popeye-Sets-1-1536x643.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Popeye-Sets-1-604x253.png 604w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Popeye-Sets-1.png 1827w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nNo, but I think most Altman fans will be curious to check it out. Listed as a Sleeper in the back of Peary&#8217;s book. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Links: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0081353\/\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/1980\/12\/12\/archives\/a-singing-dancing-feifferish-kind-of-popeye.html\">NY Times Original Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rogerebert.com\/reviews\/popeye-1980\">Roger Ebert&#8217;s Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.moria.co.nz\/fantasy\/popeye.htm\">Moria Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.timeout.com\/film\/reviews\/71277\/popeye.html\">Time Out Capsule Review<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;I yam what I yam and I yam what I yam that I yam.&#8221; Synopsis: A squinty sailor (Robin Williams) searching for his long-lost father (Ray Walston) arrives in a seaside town called Sweet Haven, where he falls in love with quirky Olive Oyl (Shelly Duvall) and, with Olive, becomes the father of a foundling named Swee&#8217; Pea (Wesley Ivan Hurt). Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors: Comedy Comics and Comic Strips Kidnapping Love Triangle Musicals Robert Altman Films Robin Williams&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=16184\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16184","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-reviews"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16184","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=16184"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16184\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":63345,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16184\/revisions\/63345"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=16184"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=16184"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=16184"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}