Captain Fantastic

[Jim3k]

If you think the title suggests a cartoony superhero, you’d be wrong—at least to the extent that the hero of this Viggo Mortensen film can fly. But he has strength. He is a throwback to another time and he is a hero to his family, assuming a grown-up educated hippy who prefers to raise his family by living off the land can be seen as a hero of today.

I don’t want to get into spoilers. I will only say that this is a family story that has its necessary heartwarming features. It also has sadness, due to a parental death, which overcomes Mortensen and his six children. The setting appears to be the deep woods outside Forks, Washington, the middle of the Olympic rain-forest. This is presented as a sort of paradise where one can raise a family off the grid. Not too hot, not too cold, but enough rain to grow the family’s own food and hunt for wild game. (Knowing Forks, I wouldn’t bet on it.) But the movie sets up a deliberate contrast between such a rustic life and the here and now. It is a good theatrical concept, even if it’s been done before. (No, it’s not Beverly Hillbillies.)

Despite the fact that it is a family story, it is probably not family fare. We see more than we want of Mortensen’s maleness and there is language that parents would prefer small children not to hear. The children themselves are wonderful and they are far from being ignorant hicks.

In the end it is a cute movie, with a dollop of black comedy. It is certainly worth matinee prices.

I know, Jason. It is a small movie which won’t make much money. So what? It will do fine for adults with a free afternoon to spend out of the heat. The cold Forks rain will take care of that, even if there is a Phoenix scene that will momentarily offset.

[lotusland]

Raised and regimented - hardley a hero
Just someone his mother might know

[gurufrisbee]

If you think the title suggests a cartoony superhero, you’d be wrong—at least to the extent that the hero of this Viggo Mortensen film can fly. But he has strength. He is a throwback to another time and he is a hero to his family, assuming a grown-up educated hippy who prefers to raise his family by living off the land can be seen as a hero of today.

I don’t want to get into spoilers. I will only say that this is a family story that has its necessary heartwarming features. It also has sadness, due to a parental death, which overcomes Mortensen and his six children. The setting appears to be the deep woods outside Forks, Washington, the middle of the Olympic rain-forest. This is presented as a sort of paradise where one can raise a family off the grid. Not too hot, not too cold, but enough rain to grow the family’s own food and hunt for wild game. (Knowing Forks, I wouldn’t bet on it.) But the movie sets up a deliberate contrast between such a rustic life and the here and now. It is a good theatrical concept, even if it’s been done before. (No, it’s not Beverly Hillbillies.)

Despite the fact that it is a family story, it is probably not family fare. We see more than we want of Mortensen’s maleness and there is language that parents would prefer small children not to hear. The children themselves are wonderful and they are far from being ignorant hicks.

In the end it is a cute movie, with a dollop of black comedy. It is certainly worth matinee prices.

I know, Jason. It is a small movie which won’t make much money. So what? It will do fine for adults with a free afternoon to spend out of the heat. The cold Forks rain will take care of that, even if there is a Phoenix scene that will momentarily offset.

I almost went and saw this Friday. It was really hot and my girls are all off at Grandmama's so it felt like a good day to spend at the movies, but the only thing I even thought looked mildly entertaining was this one.

While I haven't seen it, I do live relatively close to Forks and actually have friends who are farmers who are up in that area. Not actually in Forks, so maybe that's a stretch, but not that much.

The real question is of course whether the sparkly vampires and angry Indian werewolves are out hanging out with Viggo.

[Jim3k]

The real question is of course whether the sparkly vampires and angry Indian werewolves are out hanging out with Viggo.

Definitely not a Twilight movie. Plus, the Forks reference of the review was mine (actually, the deep woods near Forks). I know Washington pretty well and no other area fits. If you see the film, you'll see why I drew that conclusion. But it's fiction so it could be the deep woods anywhere or nowhere. Even so, that locale is only a setting, not the story.

[Billy Dat]

I saw "Captain Fantastic" and can't fully recommend it. Jim3k's description is accurate but I couldn't get past the unreality of how nearly ever kid in the family is some kind of genius. Viggo and his wife are essentially hippies, with a survivalist/prepper bent, who decide to live off the grid. OK. But, I find it hard to believe that just by reading by firelight every night these kids, including the youngest ones who are under 10, are somehow factual savants who can basically answer any question posed on any subject with the erudition of an academic. It's ridiculous. I groaned more than once at moments like that.

To me, the fun of the movie is Viggo's staunch transparency with his kids about every subject, especially sex. Any question asked is honestly and completely answered regardless of who is present or what they might think.

Finally, there is a family sing along which pales in comparison to a family sing along of the same song that took place in "Step Brothers". The fact that Kathryn Hahn is in both movie highlights how much better the "Step Brothers" version is, Hahn should have told the director to pick another song.

If you are tired of Super Hero pyrotechnics, it isn't going to hurt to go and see this movie but it really left me disappointed. I'd wait for cable.