There's Gold In Them There Hills! "City Slickers 2: The Legend of Curly's Gold"

City Slickers 2 (1994)

Rated PG-13

Starring Billy Crystal, Daniel Stern, Jon Lovitz, Jack Palance, Patricia Wettig

Directed by Paul Weiland

The Story:

Mitch (Crystal) is paranoid.  He keeps seeing Curly (Palance) ever since he discovered a map hidden in the old cowboy's hat.  Teaming with Phil (Stern) and saddled with his older brother, Glen (Lovitz), the trio head out west to discover the treasure that Curly's ancestors buried.  However, some things buried in the desert are meant to stay buried!

A few years after the now-classic City Slickers was released, the inevitable sequel followed.

While not nearly as beloved as the first, I for one, am a big fan.

The dynamic changed a bit. 

Gone, with no explanation is Ed (Bruno Kirby), but Phil and Mitch are still there.

Now we are introduced to Glen, Mitch's deadbeat brother and played to the hilt by Lovitz.

I have often found movies improved by the Lovitz Factor, and this one is no exception.

Bringing back Jack Palance was a stroke of genius, and he actually gets a bit more screen time this go round.

Again, it's a different feel than the first one, but that's totally fine because it stands on its own merits as a good movie, not just a sequel to a great movie.


Final Grade: A-

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor:  While not quite as great as City Slickers, it's pretty darn close. :)

How The West Was Fun... "City Slickers"

City Slickers (1991)

Rated PG-13

Starring Billy Crystal, Jack Palance, Daniel Stern, Bruno Kirby, Patricia Wettig

Directed by Ron Underwood

The Story:

Mitch (Crystal) is turning 40.  His best friends Ed (Kirby) and Phil (Stern) have plans to take him on a cattle drive to celebrate the big occasion.  Fearing that her husband could face a mid-life crisis, his wife (Wettig) urges him to go.  So they head off to drive a herd of cattle across country and along the way the boys are going to learn a thing or two under the tutelage of trail boss Curly (Palance).

Closing in on the 25th anniversary of this film, and aside from a joke about VCRs, it's really aged well.

This captured the era when Billy Crystal was on fire at the box office as the improbable leading man who could do it all.

The jokes are fast and funny throughout, relying on dialogue and situational comedy to make the audience connect with the characters and howl with laughter.

Naturally, this movie is most remembered for Palance's Academy Award winning turn as Curly, the cow hand with a heart of steel who was actually much nicer than he appeared.

Okay, no he wasn't.

That he didn't kill Mitch was probably due to the fact that he simply ran out of time before he could.

:)

Give it a spin, especially if you've never seen it.

I don't think you'll be disappointed.

If it's been nearly 25 years since you last saw it, dust it off and give it a whirl.

I think you'll find it still holds up really well.

And maybe you'll finally figure out what that "One Thing" that Curly is talking about, really is.

Final Grade: Solid A

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: I can watch this one anytime.  Absolutely love it.

Things Don't Always Turn Out Like You Expect..."When Harry Met Sally"

Would you like to have what she's having?

The Story:

Two college graduates, Sally (Meg Ryan) and Harry (Billy Crystal) carpool to New York together.  Harry is the boyfriend of Sally's best friend, what'sername... and the two share a ride and a conversation across country.  The movie catches up with them a few years later as they bump into each other again, and the seeds of friendship begin to grow.  However, as Harry points out early, a man and a woman cannot be friends because sex will always get in the way.

Let's see if he's right.

Written by the late, great Nora Ephron, this was probably her big break which helped move her out of the writer's seat and into the director's chair.  Her strength was in writing, and while giving her females a great part, she didn't treat the guys as losers or anything.

Conceivably, Meg Ryan owes her career to Ephron, with this plus Sleepless in Seattle and You've Got Mail cementing her as *the* leading lady of romantic comedies from the late eighties/early nineties.  Naturally, this film is remembered mostly for her climactic (pun fully intended) demonstration of Sally showing Harry just how in control of relationships the women really are. 

To credit the movie for that alone though, would seriously undermine the comic relationship that Harry and Sally endure throughout the course of the movie.

But really, for a movie written by a woman, she gives Billy Crystal all of the great lines and wonderful insight into relationships.  Whether he assisted with his lines or it was all Ephron's doing, his delivery is pitch perfect whether he's sending off a verbal zinger or waxing philosophic.

Billy Crystal is not the first actor you think of when you role into a romantic comedy, but between this and Forget Paris, I think he was woefully underused in the genre.

Thankfully, at least he made City Slickers. :)

Then of course there is the sure, steady hand of one of the best,  most underrated directors of all time, Rob Reiner.  As with much of his filmography, he simply crafted another gem that has become a classic.

While not a family friendly film, it is a great blueprint for how to have your romantic comedy characters act, interact, behave and misbehave.

Totally recommended.

I finally caught this film for the first time within the last 5 years.  It was as good as advertised.  If you've never seen it, don't wait for the 25th anniversary...

Final Grade: A

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: Really funny movie, and was picked up after the first viewing and added to the DVD library.

100 Greatest Movies of All Time...That I Own. # 23 ~ City Slickers

I told you Billy Crystal would be back.

The man has been in a bunch of great movies over the years, but I have to give the nod to City Slickers for Crystal's finest starring role.

For those that have never viewed the film, here's a quick run-down:

Mitch (Crystal) and his two best friends (Bruno Kirby, Daniel Stern) go on a cattle drive to celebrate Mitch's birthday.  Along with some other "City Slickers", the boys meet up with trail boss, Curly (Jack Palance) who might just impart some cowboy wisdom to the boys before the end of the cattle drive.

Sounds boring, but it's not.

: )

It's actually quite hilarious from start to finish, and in his long, illustrious career as an actor, it is quite probably Jack Palance's greatest role.  It earned him an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor, and considering the Academy tries to overlook mainstream comedies as often as possible, that's saying something.

The movie is packed with dialogue that gets quoted around the house, especially whenever someone is having difficulty picking up a task, we will often use "even the cows can do it by now!" in honor of the "how to use a VCR" scene.

Geez, how dated is using a VCR now??!!

Naturally, a sequel followed a few years later, and it is very much as fun as the original.

I call it the Jon Lovitz effect, as mentioned on previous reviews! : )

Lovitz takes Kirby's place as Mitch's brother.  More hilarity ensues as they chase after some buried gold.

So give this one a whirl, and maybe if you're old enough, like Mitch was, by the time the movie is over, you too will have figured out what your "One Thing" in life is.

Happy Trails!