This film manages to convey interesting philosophies while still achieving its ultimate goal which is to be hilarious.Jason Schwartzman and Mark Wahlberg share some great scenes as do Lily Tomlin and Dustin Hoffman.It's funny and compelling in equal measure

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. With such a great cast and with it seems to be an original script it could be a very clever and funny movie. But it fails in everyway, and gets boring after 30 minutes.… Expand

WARNING: this movie is NOT for a general audience like all books are not written for one person, etc. If you like philosophy and ideas, this is as good a dramatization as has been realized on screen. That's Russell's real achievement here. As for the cast, score, design, etc. it's terrific. Well done, Mr. Russell. This film has a heart and a voice that is infinite. An undeniable classic that captures the times.… Expand

Excellent movie on a cerebral level, and proof that genuine creativity is still possible in Hollywood. Too bad the film is structurally weak. The convolutions of the thought processes presented spill over into the plot presentation - just a little too much to juggle on the fly. And sure, it's a comedy, but the music mocks the content. End result: Less than the sum of its parts.

If you like the Life Aquatic and Napoleon Dynamite you're probably the sort of person that would like this movie. If like me, you thought those movies sucked, then you should avoid this one, too. In short, this is the sort of movie that is so off the wall it divides people into two groups - one that claims to "get it" and belittles those who are too immature to understand it, and another group that realizes there is no sense to be found in the movie and there are only a few cheap laughs to be had.… Expand

My all time favorite movie. Smart. Funny. Generally amazing.

Horrible.

Brilliant, original, and hilarious!

Madly and refreshingly paced so not a scene, line, or even word is wasted in this mind-bending farce that had me giggiling and astounded. What a wonderful surprise -- I was astonished that so many critics were down on a film with so many tremdous actors giving tremendous performances. Every character delighted and every scene tingled with energy. This movie was so brisk to not allow a minute of boredom-- at times laugh out loud funny. Must see!… Expand

I just could not get into the theme of this movie. I have enjoyed all of David Russell's previous flicks but NOT this one. I like the visual effects but not the plot line.

Philosophy 101 gets boring after about 30 minutes. Great cast, top notch talent all around, but squandered.

Very much in line with "Rushmore" or "the aquatic life..." Great cast, great acting jobs, very pleasant.

I loved this movie so much i couldnt stop laughing everytime i watch it it gets funnier it never plays out. i think this is the most underrated movie this year. mark wahlberg was halarious everytime he's on the screen i cant stop laughing.

Fun & quirky & interesting- great music too.

Superb.

This lazy movie asks you to blindly accept the philosophy presented, while criticizing you for blindly accepting what you already believe. You can't have it both ways. I might have been o.k. with the concept had the film actually contained some entertainment. No, it's just preaching to the choir, or alienating anybody who's not in that particular choir.

Some may say this movie is mearly a series of funny, but disconnected and confusing scenes. I say to those people: did you see the scene with the blanket?

A movie that holds the cynics in such comtempt, while lecturing those that give too much of a sh.t about life. the movie's momentum keeps building until you look forward to the inevitable resolution in the last half hour. such an absurd exercise in character, design, and writing, that it may be a little too polarizing, but if you can go with it, t's a wonderful thing to watch.

Good idea but so poorly executed - exactly like so many other poorly conceived movies these days. I feel sorry for so many people that think this is quality filmmaking, they should probably be reading more and watching less TV. Do yourself a favor and read a book instead.

Either you get it or you don't. You can choose by the reviews whether you'll want to watch it or not. Let's see the WSJ and Washington Post hated it, what's that say to you? Oftetimes the movie isn't easy, but the rewards come in the second act. It gets hillarious in the end. If you thought Royal Tennenbaums was laugh out loud funny, which most people don't than this might just become your favorite movie.… Expand

Probably one of, if not the best, comedy of the year. gets better with each viewing, too.

A funny, and stimulating movie. I loved it. It's definitely one of a kind.

Seeing the movie once makes you laugh. Seeing it again makes you think. Seeing after that makes you act.

Refreshing movie that is actually about something real, or is it?

Well-written, humorous, and somewhat philosophical.

I really don't understand the negativity about this movie ... I walked in to the theatre half expecting a bunch of pretentious half-witted blahblahblah. What it is is a totally fun, occasionally manic, caper. Lily Tomlin is the soul of this movie and Marky Mark is the heart. Dustin Hoffman is great too. Schwartzman is a little too sweet for my taste, but he works. Seeing Jude Law puke mayo totally redeemed him in my book. Just see this movie and have fun; then see it again and think (but just a little).… Expand

Painfully boring. I kept waiting for it to get on track, but it never did. What a waste of talent. The plot meanders all over the place trying to be philisophical and funny, but just doesn't work.

This movie sucked so hard i couldn't believe this came from the same people who did Flirting With Disaster. People say the plot didn't make sense. For me, i understood it and i still hated it. Worst movie that i saw of 2004.

Yawn, at only 1hr40mins this was hard to take. Small glimmers of funniness and a few interesting ideas but nothing new. Most films that come out of hollywood treat the audience like an idiot so it is always good to see a film that aims higher. However there other films around that are also doing this and doing a better job at tackling bigger ideas and with a bit more of a punch and better punchlines.… Expand

If you didn't learn anything from this, your an idiot!

Unlike most Hollywood efforts these days which are aimed at 13-year olds, this film is aimed at 18-year olds. Half-baked ideas are batted about with an earnestness familiar in college dorms. Most of the members of the excellent cast often have a vaguely panicky look in their eyes, like participants in a student production. Given the talent that was employed in making this film, it is a major disappointment.… Expand

I think this is the best film of the year (sideways was great too). americans dont like to be challenged; and this wasnt that challenging of a movie, just smart. we are so used to watching movies based on video games and amusement rides, I fear theyll give an oscar to a commercial accidentally one of these years. walhberg--you can't beat that performance, and if you dont like that you could stare at Watts instead. its sad that we cant recognize a good use of film when we see it.… Expand

Well as you can see....love it...or hate it. If you like big Hollywood blockbusters like Armageddon or other massive pieces of crap, then avoid this movie like the plague. If you have even an ounce of inner questioning or relate to the total mystery of why you're alive...you'll love this flick.

Lily and Dustin are absolutely fantastic together. Mark is a great one man circus. Jason and Jude pull up the short end of the acting spectrum, but they are sustainable since the film is such a great ride. A daring endeavor, simply good fun.

Brilliant! Not a good movie for many people because it's certainly not mainstream. Witty, quirky, odd, with a bit of philosophy thrown in. Great acting.

This movie is great!!! i thought the story on it was better then almost every other movie i have seen this year. it is a funny movie that i watch over and over. i recomend this to anyone who liiked gardenstate.

Almost as funny as "Flying High 1&2" and "Toy Story2." It is definttely ORIGINAL. I never seen a movie like this. The directorship and acting are unique!

At least Hoffman left his typical s***-eating grin at the door for this one. The casting is brilliant. Talky, but that's the point. I'm sure it will sail over the heads of the 'fly-over states' audiences. If you love Lily Tomlin then this is a truffle of a performance for you. Wry, ironic, clever - just what you might expect from David O. Russell.

Any synopsis makes this movie sound like a pretentious bore ("existential detectives?" give me a break!), but in fact it turned out to be one of the smartest and (surprise!) most humane comedies of the year. David O. Russell proves that he, not Kevin Smith, is the Preston Sturges of our time.

I really enjoyed this movie. With the multitudes of film in the last few years, all aimed at mindless teens, I was glad to see a film that asked bigger questions and caused one to think.

Brave, funny and sweet. Puts virtually every other big-studio comedy of the last year to shame.

Worst movie I have seen this year. Vastly overrated by most american critics with a sense of deja vu in their crits. Emperor's clothes springs to mind. Interesting to note that the more serious and less arty newspapers tended to pan it. Prententious claptrap. Brian McGahon.

Just plain out sucked as evidenced by the poor box office receipts. Avoid.

Picture, if you can, this summer's out-of-left-field, oddball indie hit What the Bleep Do We Know if it were reimagined as a screwball comedy. Add to it a brilliant cast of game actors young and old, and a gifted director whose credits (the hilarious Flirting With Disaster and brilliant Three Kings among them)have thus far been uniformly impressive. Now picture the whole thing turned into the sort of overambitious, underachieving, yet occasionally captivating mess that can only be made by a genuinely gifted filmmaker when he falls on his face (think Coppola with One From the Heart, or Soderbergh with Full Frontal.) Don't blame the cast, though. Hoffman and Tomlin are a hoot as pair of "existential detectives" out to help their clients (Schwartzman and Law among them) understand and straighten out their lives' physical, mental, and spiritual messes. Wahlberg is sweetly funny as an angry, environmentally conscious firefighter. And Watts is both spectacularly sexy and sympathetic as a model who finds happiness only after trading in her abbreviated modeling skivvies for something, let's say, less revealing. The problem is in the script, which is overstuffed, underfunny, and fatally full of its own cleverness. And believe me, you can live without seeing the scene of Schwartzman and Huppert carnally cavorting in the mud. But as "failures" go, I suppose this still has more worth seeing than most Hollywood fodder that aims a lot lower. … Expand

I "defiantly" disagree Joe.

I went in expecting sophormoric discussions of philosophy, but it wasn't anything like that. I even put it off until a Monday night so I wouldn't feel like my weekend was ruined if it was terrible, but I wish I'd gone on a Saturday. Paid $9.25 to see it; would have paid about $15.

I think I went into this movie expecting too much. I was hoping for a little more from the Hoffman/Tomlin angle. Wahlberg and his character is a pure riot. You gotta like that this movie was made in the first place.

Best Movie that I've seen in years. It is defiantly not for everybody; it does not speak down to the least common denominator. Not everybody will understand this movie; the viewer must have had a glimpse of enlightenment. This movie is about becoming the Buddha and then coming back to Earth. It deals with extremely serious ideas, but it doesn?t take itself seriously. Like everything in this world, sometimes it?s the Buddha; sometimes it?s not. I can?t wait for the DVD to come out so that I can watch this movie over and over again (but I?ll have to wait just the same).… Expand

A laugh-out loud movie with a wacky plot and great performances. The main characters are caught in existential angst and call on the experts...Lily Tomlin and Dustin Hoffman. The movie's angst and silliness calls to mind the early, funny Woody Allen films. While it may not always be clear where the plot is going, the acting by Jude Law, Jason Schartzman, Mark Wahlburg, Tomlin, Hoffman, and Naomi Watts is great. I thought Jude Law's performance was amazing. His face was a wonder to watch with all of its smirks, smiles, and shrugs. … Expand

I forgot the question ¿%

Even the great ones make bad flicks. Dustin welcome to the club. Without any redeeming value whatsoever. Strange but in an awful way. Avoid at all costs.

There is no remainder in the mathematics of infinity.

I Heart Huckabees is by far the strangest movie of the year. I really don't mean that in a positive way. It's wacky and bizarre, but unlike other bizzare films it doesn't go anywhere like Being John Malkovich did, and it doesn't keep us on the edge of our seat like Mulholland Drive did. In the end, it really never explains what the movie is about or what we just saw. I Heart Huckabees is very pretentious in that it looks down on you, and tries to impress you with how quirky or ingenious the David O. Russel thinks he is. The best of part of this film is the acting however, something that even Russel couldn't screw up. Jason Schwartzman proves to us what an excellent actor he truly is while Jude Law proves to us what an excellent actor he still is. Isabelle Huppert gives a solid performance for the short time she is in the movie, and Naomi Watts' provides us with the most insane character of the film. Although I wasn't really impressed with Mark Wahlberg, his character provides some more humor for the film (which it is in desperate need of). The real highlight of the movie as far as acting is concerned is the dynamic duo of Dustin Hoffman and Lily Tomlin. By fat they are the reason to watch the film as the quirky and very much so estranged existential detectives. Both Hoffman and Tomlin deserve Oscar nominations for their roles (I doubt they'll get them though.) In closing, I Heart Huckabees is a film you watch merely for the acting alone, and never glance at again. I'm not too crazy about David O. Russel's new film (as you read above), but I never really was impressed with his other two films: Three Kings and Flirting with Disaster. Both of the films struck me as average at best. Huckabees is a wait-till-DVD kind of thing, I guess you could say I didn't Heart it. Grade: C+.… Expand

Absolutely fantastic. I give it a 10 to offset the people who are so closeminded and absurdely over-reactionary just because they didn't understand the movie. Please go see this.

Mark Wahlberg, as a fireman, is even more hysterical if you've already seen "Ladder 49". There's a fire, and he's watering the... There's a fire, and he rides... After 9/11, we've elevated the firefighter to superhero status, and rightly so, but everybody deserves to be lampooned sometimes. "I Heart Huckabee" is for those of you who liked Richard Linklater's "Waking Life", but wished there was a story to dramatize your metaphysics. Naomi Watts steals this movie. She has the most memorable headwear since Samantha Morton in "Sweet and Lowdown". … Expand

This film has a great premise, wonderful actors and several incredible scenes. But one is left without proper resolution and without further development. What happened to the Jason Schwartzman's questions about the coincedences? With all of the build up for it we are left with nothing. Also as the film was wrapping up I felt as though I was not ready for the wrap up and needed more. Despite the few problems I had with the film it is still one of the best hollywood films of the year.… Expand

I don't really understand why the critics gave this movie such bad reviews. I thought it was very funny, very smart, and so much better that most of the garbage that gets made. If you want something different, go see this. You won't regret it.

It was a bit too "talky" and incoherent at times, but overall pretty entertaining.

Original in every way. I expected some serious ideas would be presented but it is the humor that suprised and the wonderful structure which all this fell under that gave this film a certain genius. I would expect that people would either love it dearly or hate it madly. A sign it is all good. Memorable as an experience.

A glass of water in insane times.

Really wonderful and hilarious and brilliant.

I don't handout many 10s, but this one is worth it. Don't go to it if you like the formula most movies follow. Outside of the box and hilarious. If you liked Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, you might like i heart huckabees. if you saw Human Nature and found it amusing but sort of shallow character-wise, my money is you'll like this movie.

I'm not sure how many of these reviewers actually saw the film. It's absolutely brilliant and the score couldn't have been better.

I loved this movie, although it's not for your average joe. If you're in the Julia Roberts realm of movies, you'll hate it. I really enjoyed thinking and pondering ideas in a film. Lily Tomlin and Dustin Hoffman were hilarious.

Perhaps one of the worst movies Dustin Hoffman, a great actor, has ever been associated with. I guess every actor has a turkey in his portfolio and this is Dustin's. Avoid at all costs.

Worst film of the year as it was completely disjointed.

It was really funny. Weird, slapstick violent, cartoony, and "deep". I have no idea if the deepness is coherent or if it ties together to make sense - but it is funny.

How "Thirteen Conversations About One Thing" can be unanimously praised and this move can receive anything short of a perfect score absolutely baffles me. There are movies that aren't as smart as they think they are (13 Conversations, Happiness, even the decent Waking Life) and then there are movies that are smarter than anyone gives them credit for. Collateral, in my opinion, fell into that category and Huckabees outdoes that one by a long shot. Brilliant, hilarious, and INCREDIBLY well acted (Oscar for Marky Mark?), I Heart Huckabees is the best major studio flick I've seen all year. … Expand

Awful. A waste of time and money.

I snickered my way through this one.

The current 53 rating for this film is dumbfounding. This is one of the most original, audacious, and funniest comedies I've seen in a long while. Highly recommended.

The acting was good, but the plot was stupid. I stayed in the theatre, because I hoped I might be missing something in the way of a point to the plot. This was the worst film I have seen this year.

So absolutey weird it's brilliant. mark wahlberg was hilarious. lily tomlin, superb.

If Naomi Watts isn't wearing skimpy outfits in this movie, the rating goes down to a 6. However, given the interesting concepts presented, the solid acting, the hilarious Mark Wahlberg, and the cool visual effects, this movie warrants a viewing even if you're one of those people, like one of the characters in the movie, that doesn't wanna have to ask certain types of questions of oneself.… Expand

A very funny film with great acting throughout the cast (save a certain cameo). I wish there were more films like this one. Go see this film so more like it can be made. Well done David O.

Absolutely bonkers; this film is not going to make money because it literally slams the audience with a sledgehammer (you'll see what I mean). But still, it's got enormous ambition, a wonderful cast (with a surprise performance from Wahlberg), and is a welcome departure from the boring stuff normally out in the market.