The Big Bounce Movie
Storyline
TAGLINES
Who's scamming who? A comedy about taking a chance on paradise.
Another crime wave from the author of Get Shorty and Out of Sight.
Surfer/drifter/con man Jack Ryan (Wilson) makes his way to Hawaii and lands a job caring for an Walter Crewes (Freeman), a judge on the island. His new gig leads to an involvement with an beautiful, enterprising woman (Foster), who's really the lover of a real estate tycoon (Sinise) - a shady businessman and longtime rival of Judge Crewes. Ryan, naturally, has to choose between the woman, the money, or the honorable path.
| Owen Wilson | Jack Ryan |
| Charlie Sheen | Bob Rogers, Jr. |
| Morgan Freeman | Walter Crewes |
| Vinnie Jones | Lou Harris |
| Gregory Sporleder | Frank Pizzarro |
| Butch Helemano | Hawaiian Priest |
| Terry Ahue | Jimmy Opono |
| Pete Johnson | Con Nuuiwa |
| Mike Renfro | Worker #1 |
| Tony Dorsett | Worker #2 |
| Brian L. Keaulana | Barry Salu |
| Willie Nelson | Joe Lurie |
| Andrew Wilson | Ned Coleman |
| Sara Foster | Nancy Hayes |
| Gary Sinise | Ray Ritchie |
| George Armitage |
4.80 out of 10 (4943 votes)
Visitor Reviews
A real thinker
posted on 09 Jun 2009If you ever want to see this movie, don't watch it unless your head is clear, it's a thinker. After walking out of the theater I finally figured out what happened in the planning process for the heist but I won't spoil it for you. This movie is worth it though, Owen Wilson plays a good role as Jack Ryan so I give it 10 out of 10.
This film did what it was supposed to do... make you laugh and wish that Sara Foster tried to scam you!
posted on 26 May 2009The previous comment, I think, is a little harsh. This was a playful movie.It wasn't meant to make you ponder life's meaning or learn some valuable lesson. It was a comedy, whodunnit, love story all in one. Sara Foster is the hottest girl in any movie I've ever seen - and Owen Wilson is always funny.This film did what it was supposed to do... make you laugh and wish that Sara Foster tried to scam you, too! (anything to get that close to her.)Overall, I give this movie a 4 if you're looking for something stimulating... but an 8 if you just want to have fun with a light, funny movie.
Tastless and Not Worthy Of The Actor Owen Wilson
posted on 04 May 2009Owen Wilson Is The Man, but when it comes to this movie, I don't know what he was thinking even starring in it. I rented it expecting to have a good time but it is hardly a comedy. Nothing is really funny and it seems like a film that was thought up in about a week and filmed in two. Owen should of thought of a better movie to star in, He is a great actor but when it comes to something so boring and awful, I would say stick with ACTUAL COMEDIES. This movies plot was weak, I mean the whole time during the movie I was waiting for that certain point were all of a sudden something happens and I start giggling in my seat, That certain part never came, In fact the best part of the movie was the end. I don't mean to put down this movie but it was actually not worth the renting fee I paid. You know when in the beginning movies tend to be boring and then they get interesting, well this one just went boring all through the picture, and Charlie sheen is a horrible actor. I would not recommend paying to see this movie, If you are bored one night and all you have on is this movie, then I understand, OTHERWISE, Don't WATCH IT. My Opinion off course.
The Big Snooze
posted on 14 Apr 2009Considering the cast and the fact that it was an Elmore Leonard adaptation, I wanted to see this flick. However, it was disappointing. The film (though very small) moved at an extremely lethargic pace with hardly anything happening (except in the last 5 minutes or something). I haven't read Leonard's book so I can't comment on how fair it was to the script. There isn't much of a story as pretty much nothing happens in more than half the movie. The non-compelling ending is very badly written and we are left to figure out the plot holes. Why just the ending, the whole film is boring. The dialogues are, now I don't use this word often but, lame. A few funny moments include the breaking in the cops house, the fight between Sheen and Wilson while the girl watches.Sadly, the cast has been wasted. Wilson and Foster have no chemistry. Being a talented actor, Wilson deserves a better movie. Poor Morgan Freeman hardly has anything to do except utter a few wise (not really) words. Sheen and Sinise have insignificant roles. Newarth springs a surprise but is hardly there. Foster is alright.On the flip side, the cinematography gives us a wonderful tour through exotic Hawaii. It makes me want to go there and at times, I thought maybe the director and cast just happened to be there on holiday and decided to make a film. The soundtracks quite okay too. Thankfully it's a short film too so one not need to suffer too much. Even to fans of the cast and Leonard, this will be a disappointment.
Great Cast...
posted on 04 Apr 2009...average movie.I'm a big fan of Get Shorty and Out Of Sight, and have read most of Leonards books. Haven't read this one though...What really is an average movie, gets a great helping hand from such an amazing cast. Wilson, Freeman, Sheen Senise, Jones and more that I can't remember.Not much slick dialogue or many sneaky plot twists. Not sure if this is the screenwriter or the authors doing, but it just seems to lack the spark.8/10 (get's two xtra marks for the cast!!!)
This movie is a huge, messy abortion
posted on 15 Feb 2009I don't think i've ever hated a movie more than this one. I don't know why i saw it because i knew it would suck from the previews. Basically, the movie appears as though someone thought 'Owen Wilson is funny, i bet we could make a whole movie out of that.' And so they tried and failed... the worst part of the movie is that the main girl is just not that hot. The whole point of the movie was how hot she was and she really wansn't very hot. so i felt bad for her for being in a part that she didn't really fit, and that distracted me from the movie (which was horribly written anyway). The jokes were not funny and depended too much upon Owen Wilson's delivery, which really isn't that good. The whole movie seems like an afterthought. Like some guy was talking to Owen Wilson in a bar and they thought 'hey i bet we could make a movie' and so they got together the next day and made it. ugh. What an abortion of a movie. What was Morgan Freeman thinking?? Or Owen Wilson??????? God!!!!!!!
The Small Fizzle
posted on 11 Feb 2009Con man Owen Wilson takes a job with D.A.Morgan Freeman after braining his former employer's foreman with a baseball bat. And starts an affair with the mistress of a well known businessman. I read Elmore Leonard avidly and I've seen most of the movies that were based on his stories, however I've never seen the original version of "The Big Bounce". That being said, this is in the running for the worst of them. It's neck and neck with "Touch". Do yourself a favor and watch the great "Out of Sight", "Jackie Brown", "Get Shorty", "52 Pick-up" or "3:10 to Yuma" and steer clear of this failed attempt. Failed because it's not fun in the least and predictable.My Grade: D- Where I saw it: Starz on Demand Eye Candy: the stunning Sara Foster shows fleeting breast and buns
No point of existence & sends disgrace along the cast who chosed to be in this
posted on 11 Feb 2009The Big Bounce definently has a wide and fun cast including Morgan Freeman, Owen Wilson, Gary Sinise, Charlie Sheen, Bebe Nuewirth & newcomer Sara Foster. This was an absolute terrible choice for Foster to choose for her first Hollywood film and a complete disgrace for the other big names involved with this crap. The plot was confusing, yet bad. It seemed to jump from scam to scam and just wildly messy. Some of the dialouge was terrible and it failed to bring many laughs at all. Got so bad it makes you happy to get up and use the bathroom. The movie also failed to bring us its point of existence.
So many stars. So little light.
posted on 14 Jan 2009Right. A mix between a comedy, crime movie and romantic story. This can't work. And it doesn't.Owen Wilson is Jack Ryan (hmm were have I heard that name before), a small time crook but meaning well kinda guy, who gets the chance of stealing a huge amount of money from a nasty guy. And in the process he will get the girl of his dreams as well. Cool.Now that's the story before all the major and minor twists this movie has (I won't bore you with all of them), and the movie takes a downfall from minute 1 and never really recovers.A nasty spot on many a good resume. 3/10.
Not worth it, Morgan why?
posted on 08 Jan 2009This was a movie that had great potential due to the cast. You had Owen Wilson who has been in some very good comedies. Morgan Freeman who in the same year as this movie came out, also appeared in a move that won him an Oscar. But sadly the story of the movie had no potential. From early on in the movie you could tell that this movie was going to have a weak storyline leading to a weak ending. I do not know what possessed morgan Freeman to appear in this movie, because its Morgan Freeman he has Oscars. Owen had his moments where he made me laugh, because he is a very funny actor, but all in all it goes down as one of the worst movies i have ever seen. It felt to me that they thought it was a very clever story with clever twists, but in the end they got a movie that rarely made any sense with unnecessary twists that could have been left out. I gave it a 2, which is only because of Owen making me laugh occasionally.
Oh my God !
posted on 11 Dec 2008I'm really impatient to say my opinion about this movie: PATHETIC. This is a completely awful disastrous movie. The script is empty and the subject is so stupid. Dialogs are ridiculous and the rhythm is very slow. The most of the budget has been spent for the plane tickets and for financing the food for Charlie Sheen who looks like a new Moby Dick. This could be the worst movie I ever seen if it was not shot in the Haway or without Sara Foster. Do got your money in your pocket
Who's conning who?
posted on 17 Nov 2008George Armitage directs this version of THE BIG BOUNCE that meanders to the point of distraction. This movie seems to not have any motivation and an obvious convoluted storyline. Owen Wilson plays Jack Ryan, who if he has any luck...its bad luck. Wanting to stay out of jail he takes a construction job working for a shady developer Ray(Gary Sinise)and his assistant Bob(Charlie Sheen). Upon being fired, he becomes a handyman for a Judge(Morgan Freeman), who owns vacation bungalows. Jack falls in love with Nancy Hayes(Sara Foster), who is Ray's house-sitter and girlfriend. Nancy becomes tired of Ray spending so much time with his wife(Bebe Neuwirth) and all but seduces Jack to help her scam Ray out of $200,000. Sexual innuendos and beautiful Hawaiian scenery tries to keep the viewer's interest, but before this one is over; you have no real idea of who is conning who. Also in the cast: Willie Nelson, Tony Dorsett and Anahit Minasyan.
A Shaggy Dog?
posted on 08 Sep 2008This is one of those movies that will slip through the cracks, but it's really not "bad". It's actually pretty GOOD, right up until... it doesn't have an ending. The ending seems to imply yet another twist - but it makes NO sense, and leaves more questions than it answers. The ending seems like they ran over-budget or over-time, and just stopped. The ending, it must be warned, SUCKS.Maybe they couldn't afford a real ending; but the movie is pretty good up until then. It's a fun ride to a dead-end. Morgan Freeman settles into his part like he'd been waiting for it. Gary Sinise has a stifled role, but delivers his lines beautifully. Charlie Sheen is very nearly perfect as a slightly-dim, slightly confused henchman, and playing subtly against-type. Bebe Neuwerth appears as a boozy wife and gives far more to the part than is on the page, also against type, and perfectly-acted. Vinnie Jones stands-out too... This movie could NOT fail - but it does. When it ends, you want to kick someone - the director or producers or studio financiers - for stopping what COULD have been so great! This movie has a painfully tiny scene with Willie Nelson and Harry Dean Stanton playing dominoes... I'm only a fan and don't know him personally, but I just KNOW that Elmore Leonard himself would stop any plot just to listen-in and watch to listen to those two guys play dominoes! Owen Wilson is actually quite brilliant with the intricacies of the Elmore-dialogue that survive in the script! Don't say I'm wrong until you watch his scenes with Morgan Freeman in this movie. NOBODY was carrying anyone, and that's the truth. See the scenes with Charlie Sheen too - and there's a bouncing something there they keep between them. Someone on IMDb wrote "Charlie Sheen looks fat and stupid and like an ass" or something equally blind. What he DOES is play a different kind of self-effacing part, a *character* a bit of a boob - but also good and a bit "whipped" - do yourself a favor, and watch how NOT "Charlie-Sheen" he plays it - you might recognize a thing they call "acting".Ahem, Sara Foster was the femme fatal, and the camera followed her far too much. She's gorgeous and who can blame the camera, and she gave a perfectly creditable performance; really, she was fine. Given something over a dozen better actors constantly on-hand (and the seeming final plot!) her time could have been cut a bit... but with this cast, and the first 80 minutes, this really could have been GREAT. Ignore it as the Sara Foster swimsuit video. There are some great performances hidden here. See this movie, and pretend the sequel is coming - or something. Or don't see it - because you'll just wish it ended better.As a shaggy-dog-story, this should end with a punchline. I'll end it the way movie ends instead, with build-up and seeming logic and then just stopping.
Not that bad (Surprisingly)
posted on 31 Aug 2008The Big Bounce looked set to become another laugh-free, empty, crude comedy, with lots of sexual humor and an overload of women in bikinis; a type of movie that people seem to want to make these days (although it has to be said that these days this kind of movie is sadly quite successful).
Actually, it's a vacuously enjoyable, if occasionally rather desperate comedy with some nice, sun-bleached photography, and a few funny scenes. And on closer inspection there are actually a lot of things going for it. First of all helmer George Armitage also directed the fabulous and completely hysterical black comedy Grosse Pointe Blank with John Cusack; it has Owen Wilson, one of the better young comedians, who proved himself in films such as The Royal Tenenbaums and Shanghai Noon (in which he was by far the funniest thing); there is also the reassuring presence of Morgan Freeman, a man who usually elevates films from bad to mediocre. Despite all this it has to be said that the Big Bounce is most certainly NOT a great film.
It has leads that are pleasant to the eye, a simple storyline that doesn't require the brain to be switched on and both the relaxed leads and the enjoyably laid back direction act accordingly, delivering appropriately mindless entertainment that thankfully doesn't depend on much activity from the brain. Definitely don't go if you want some sort of mental activity, because The Big Bounce is nothing (at all) more than a fairly good and very brainless laugh that lasts a short 90 minutes. And there really shouldn't be much left to remember the morning after.
Bounces all over the place
posted on 27 Aug 2008I just saw this movie on a cross-country flight, so if there was any socially redeeming nudity, I missed it. Nonetheless, I thought it was wildly uneven.It was hard not to like Owen Wilson's character, laid-back and effortlessly cool. Sara Foster is nice to look at and was actually believable. Morgan Freeman played the same role he has many times before. But, Gary Sinise was a pure bad guy caricature (definitely no Lt. Dan) and Charlie Sheen was just plain bad, bad, bad! (And I don't mean good bad.) I winced every time he was on the screen. Was that really the same funny actor that was in Men at Work and Hot Shots? No chance he'll follow his father as President.There are probably worse ways to spend your time, but if you have a choice, I recommend you pick the other movie.
An Enjoyable Small-time Crime Comedy
posted on 24 Jul 2008Watching director George Armitage's movie "The Big Bounce" (*** out of ****), an enjoyable small-time crime comedy starring Owen Wilson, Morgan Freeman, Charlie Sheen, Willie Nelson, and Gary Sinise, is rather like being scammed. Armitage distracts us during the first 80 minutes of this frivolous film-flammer, based on best selling writer Elmore Leonard's first crime novel, with Jeffrey L. Kimball's picture-postcard photography of Hawaii; gorgeous bikini-clad Sara Foster as the embodiment of a sexy siren; and garrulous, surfer dude Owen Wilson as a lowbrow, blue collar hero, so he can contrive a clever ending in the last few minutes. No, chances are you won't see the twist of an ending heading your way, even though Armitage and scenarist Sebastian Gutierrez of "Gothika" hurl a hint or two early on in that direction. Creamed by most critics as uninspired and anemic, this believable but lackadaisical con game features several genuinely funny situations; a gallery of quirky characters; some quotable dialogue, and a leisurely pace Armitage imparts with his low-key, unobtrusive helming. Incidentally, Armitage's "Big Bounce" qualifies as a vastly superior remake of the lackluster 1969 original with Ryan O'Neal, Leigh Taylor-Young, and Van Heflin.Ideally cast as an anti-heroic panhandler with a proclivity for boosting hot cars and burglarizing homes, Owen Wilson indulges himself as smooth-talking protagonist Jack Ryan, a role he was born to play. Don't confuse this Jack Ryan with super-spy Jack Ryan from Tom Clancy techno-thrillers such as "A Clear and Present Danger" or "Patriot Games." Actually, the Leonard novel appeared in print long before Clancy took pen in hand for his bestsellers about his own Jack Ryan. Anyway, as this Jack Ryan reveals in the opening voice-over narration, he wound up on Oahu's North Shore, because he ran out of places to run. As Jack sums up his life, he describes his two best friends as 'bad luck' and 'bad choices.' Essentially, Jack considers himself 'semi-retired' from petty crime. No sooner has Jack wrangled a construction job working for unscrupulous real estate developer Ray Ritchie (Gary Sinise of "Forrest Gump"), a villainous millionaire who wants to bulldoze paradise for a new high-rise resort, than he clashes with Ray's menacing foreman Lou Harris (ex-British soccer star Vinnie Jones of "Snatch").As the story opens, native American Hawaiians are picketing Ray Ritchie's construction site. During this shutdown, some workers get up a game of softball. Jack picks up an aluminum baseball bat to take a swat when Harris intervenes. Harris orders everybody back to work. Jack complains, and Harris cans him. When Jack loiters on the premises, Harris threatens him with bodily harm. Consequently, a frightened Jack clobbers Harris with the bat and lays the bully out cold while a TV news crew records the incident. After a brief stint in the local jail, Jack gets out, and Ritchie's lame-brained, right-hand man, Bob Rogers, Jr., (Charlie Sheen of "Platoon") warns Jack to clear out of Hawaii.Meanwhile, District Judge Walter Crewes ( Morgan Freeman of "Bruce Almighty") cottons to Jack, because when the latter hit Harris, he halted construction. Walter feels absolutely no sympathy for wicked Ray Ritchie. Ritchie's future motel will put Walter's scenic bungalow resort out of business. Largely to aggravate both Ritchie and Bob, Jr., Walter offers Jack a job as a handyman for $300 a week. Along comes beautiful, fawn-like Nancy Hayes (ex-model Sara Foster in her film debut) who sleeps with Ray when Ray isn't shacking up with his alcoholic wife, Alison (Bebe Neuwirth of "Jumanji"), who has everything registered in her name. Walter warns Jack about Nancy, while an angry Bob Jr., warns Jack about the wages of staying in Hawaii. "One of us is going to leave here uglier that he was before," Bob threatens our hero. "That's not fair," Jack drawls with a shrug, "I've got a head start on you." It helps matters considerably that Owen Wilson willingly pokes fun at his misshapen nose. Nothing the judge says can stop Jack from hooking up with Nancy. Nancy lives for danger, so Jack shows her how to steal cars. In turn, Nancy tells Jack about $200-thousand dollars Ray Ritchie has lying in a vault in his house. According to Nancy, Ray plans to pay off local gangsters to keep the natives off his construction site. Jack can neither take his eyes off Nancy nor his mind off an easy-as-pie heist.Director George Armitage learned his craft under the tutelage of legendary producer Roger Corman. While "The Big Bounce" isn't as violent or as imaginative as either of Armitage's previous efforts "Miami Blues" and "Grosse Pointe Blank," he keeps things humming as everybody plots against Jack to make him the fall guy. Owen Wilson delivers what qualifies as his best performance ever. Wilson and Foster dominate the antics of this crime comedy of errors with their romance, while Freeman, Sheen, Neuwirth, and Sinise meander in and out of the action. Compared to earlier Elmore Leonard cinematic adaptations, "The Big Bounce" isn't as good as "Jackie Brown," "Out of Sight," or "Get Shorty," but it manages to be consistently amusing when it isn't visually resplendent.
the con that makes no sense
posted on 18 Jun 2008I really like movies that center around some impossible con with twists thrown in. But, this movie, which advertises itself as a funny con, was terrible. The final five minutes which explains who was setting who up was dumb. Plus, the whole con was to only get $200,000. I want someone to try to steal a priceless neckless or gold bars like in Heist. As for the funny part, there are no laughs. And even Morgan Freeman is bad in this. They show surfers as a transition between scenes; what does that tell you about a film.FINAL VERDICT: It is short, only 80 minutes long, but it is not worth a viewing.
The Big Bore
posted on 16 Jun 2008Jack Ryan (Owen Wilson) has a tendency for bad decisions and bad luck, including ending up on the wrong side of the law, so he's fled to Hawaii. Unfortunately, his luck is going just as badly there. He hits his boss, loses his job, and is thrown in jail. After he gets out, he sees Nancy Hayes (Sara Foster) and falls for her, even though she's the mistress of an island bigwig, Ray Ritchie (Gary Sinise), and then some. Together they hatch a scheme to rip-off Ritchie, but how many people are involved, and how? Was it that this large, talented cast was just looking for a paid vacation in Hawaii? I've liked most of the cast's previous films--I've seen tens of them from each principal cast member, and think there have only been a few I would pan. I've liked all of the adaptations of writer Elmore Leonard's work that I've seen so far (although admittedly, I haven't seen anywhere near the majority). But The Big Bounce is just a big, boring mess. I haven't seen any of screenwriter Sebastian Guiterrez or director George Armitage's previous work, so maybe we can blame them.The biggest problem is that nothing much happens in the film for over half of its length, and when something does happen (primarily at the very end of the film), it is so poorly constructed that it's not very clear what's going on. Most of the film is more of a realist drama about, well, nothing, where Armitage seems to have directed his cast to say all of their lines with bizarre pauses, like they're severe asthmatics, and where Guiterrez' dialogue seems to primarily consist of banalities and non-sequiturs. There were a few moderately funny bits (the break-in at the cop's house, Bob Jr. (Charlie Sheen) visiting Nancy at an awkward time), but even those weren't laugh-out-loud hilarious when they should have been, and more often than not the script's attempts at humor fell flat, as did its attempts at realistic dialogue, intrigue, and just about everything else.The large cast is primarily wasted. The only person not cruelly underused is Owen Wilson, and Wilson seems to be at a loss with the material. There are some nice shots of scenery, even if a lot of them are composites. I also thought the soundtrack songs were okay to good.I haven't read Leonard's book yet, but I can't imagine that it's as uneventful, dull and ultimately confusing as this film. Even if it were, surely a script could be constructed out of the material that gradually weaves the various main characters' threads in a compelling and humorous way, leading up to an exciting twist ending. But such a script isn't to be found here.Even if you're a big fan of the cast or Leonard, The Big Bounce is only worth watching to demonstrate that talented ingredients will not necessarily produce a successful film.
Little bounce if any!
posted on 08 Jun 2008The Big Bounce, has little bounce if any at all! All right, more like a big thud. Lame, and a bit more. Ok, extremely lame. This movie has this barter between Owen Wilson, and the lead lady. There is no spark or Jame Garnerism in the film. The story gets across as a cheesie 1970's film where everyone runs around, gets upset, and the plot twist conclusion is a thud, instead of a bounce. Owen Wilson bounced out this film with the money and never looked back. The producers bounced a bunch of big names, and give the viewer very little to watch. I bounced this movie quickly back to the Video store. This movie bounced out of the theater quickly. I give this movie 2 bounces out of 10.
Listless, vapid and pointless. In other words, the perfect Owen Wilson vehicle.
posted on 23 Jul 2009Combine a director that has directed nothing but a half a dozen flops since 1971, a screenwriter who couldn't write his name in the snow, and one of the most frigid, nasal and boring leading men and what do you get? The Big Bounce. Lite comedy is for sure. The laughs, for those that can be amused by a rubber hose, are few and far between. Every scene, shot after shot, is of Owen Wilson. I kept hoping somebody would poke my eyes out before this movie was over, which is never too soon. This movie and Starsky and Hutch are two of the worst movies of 2004. Whatever possessed anyone to make this imbecile, Owen Wilson a leading man, the world will never know.