Mousehunt

Name: Mousehunt
Genre: Action, Comedy, Family
Released: December 19, 1997
Duration: 98 min
Rating: 54
Cast: Lee Evans, Nathan Lane

1997

METASCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 21 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 82 Ratings

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8.0	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 82 Ratings

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Mouse Hunt

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Movie Details & Credits

DreamWorks Distribution | Release Date: December 19, 1997 | PG

Starring: Lee Evans, Nathan Lane

Summary: Two down-on-their luck brothers inherit a dilapidated estate worth millions and soon discover that before they can cash in, they must rid the old mansion of its single, stubborn occupant -- a tiny and tenacious mouse. (DreamWorks)

Director: Gore Verbinski

Genre(s): Action, Comedy, Family

Rating: PG

Runtime: 98 min

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Critic Reviews

Empire Giala Murray

Lane as the greedy schemer and the timid, gangly Evans make a good slapstick team, with great support from a cast of larger-than-life characters including Walken as the exterminator who approaches his task with military precision and outrageous hardware. Read full review

Marc Savlov

Absolutely one-hundred-percent ridiculous, this is comedy of a higher order, and more maniacally inspired than almost anything released in years. Read full review

Jack Mathews

A virtual replay of the original "Home Alone." It's darker, meaner, sillier, more scatological, and, in rare moments, funnier. Read full review

Jami Bernard

Aa bit too familiar an American tail. [19 December 1997, p. 82]

Rick Groen

If you're a five-year-old, or the mental equivalent thereof, and love Saturday morning cartoons, the more violent the better, then Mouse Hunt may just be the movie for you. Read full review

Peter Stack

Mouse Hunt is inane, antic cinema in the extreme. But even if half the gags don't quite work, the other half are inspired. Read full review

Jeannie Stein

Just plain bad. Read full review

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User Reviews

Acquit77

Jul 20, 2021

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0 of 1 users found this helpful01

vetor

Aug 11, 2017

Mousehunt is a fun comedy with actors Nathan Lane and Lee Evans where the protagonist is a cute little mouse,has very funny scenes, with humor and simple story, which deals with the relationship between siblings.

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

Robinson2511

Feb 12, 2015

Having grown up through my childhood watching Mousehunt over and over again on VCR, it's hardly surprising that I am the person I am today. Mousehunt can be described quite simply as a comical, daft, over-the-top, ahead of it's time comedy, which 90% of the time, works excellently, the otherHaving grown up through my childhood watching Mousehunt over and over again on VCR, it's hardly surprising that I am the person I am today. Mousehunt can be described quite simply as a comical, daft, over-the-top, ahead of it's time comedy, which 90% of the time, works excellently, the other 10%, contains some roll your eyes moments, but let's focus on the good stuff.
The performances are absolutly top-notch, quite possibly the best comedy duo I've ever seen, and the main characters shine with charisma, the supporting characters are some of the most larger than life people ever to hit the cinema screen, it's quite incredible. The slapstick story and the way it moves itself along as a whole is very reminiscent of how a comedy movie would be today, fast paced, never stopping, small emotional moments but mostly just fun packed action sequences, which are the absolute highlight here, they're just brilliant. When you look at this film from an aesthetic standpoint, it's hard to believe that it's 18 years old now, it feels like a film that I could've just seen last week at the cinema, everything works beautifully, with the exception of that 10% of rather irritating moments but apart from that, this movie is pure gold.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

MovieManiac83

Apr 23, 2015

The first big family film from Steven Spielberg, David Geffen, and Jeffrey Katzenberg's DreamWorks studio stars Nathan Lane and British comedian Lee Evans as estranged brothers who are reunited when their father dies, leaving them a run-down house as part of their inheritance. The pair soonThe first big family film from Steven Spielberg, David Geffen, and Jeffrey Katzenberg's DreamWorks studio stars Nathan Lane and British comedian Lee Evans as estranged brothers who are reunited when their father dies, leaving them a run-down house as part of their inheritance. The pair soon learns that the house is a lost architectural masterpiece, but their attempts to auction it off are thwarted by a pesky, brilliant, territorial mouse. On paper, it sounds like a dreadfully contrived bit of high-concept crap: Home Alone with a mouse. And while there is a limit to how good a film about a feisty mouse can be, Mouse Hunt is far better than you'd expect. Despite its intelligence-insulting premise, Mouse Hunt is a well-crafted, surprisingly smart film that benefits tremendously from the winning chemistry between Lane and talented newcomer Evans, as well as beautifully Gothic set designs and a periodically clever, inventive script by would-be cult filmmaker Adam Rifkin (The Invisible Maniac, The Nutt House a.k.a. The Nutty Nutt). It's hardly a masterpiece, of course, and much of the slapstick quickly grows tiresome, but at its best, Mouse Hunt's baroque, Dickensian universe recalls Nicholas Roeg's terrific, underrated, and similarly mouse-centric Roald Dahl adaptation The Witches. And for a movie in the notoriously sadistic kiddie-slapstick genre, it's surprisingly humanistic, refusing to villainize either the brothers or the spunky little mouse.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

CinemaSins

May 8, 2015

Once you've seen the pre-credits sequence, which tips open a coffin and catapults the very dead contents into an open sewer, you're left in no doubt that Mouse Hunt is an exercise in organised chaos. It's a textbook Home Alone-style caper, the difference being that there is no `cute kid' toOnce you've seen the pre-credits sequence, which tips open a coffin and catapults the very dead contents into an open sewer, you're left in no doubt that Mouse Hunt is an exercise in organised chaos. It's a textbook Home Alone-style caper, the difference being that there is no `cute kid' to put up with. Instead, the domestic terrorism is left to an equally smart, but infinitely less nauseous, mouse who wreaks havoc and physical injury upon the unsuspecting human buffoons.

Said buffoons are played by The Birdcage's Nathan Lane and British clown Lee Evans. They are the hapless sons of `String King' Rudolf Smuntz, who leaves his progeny a Victorian-style string factory and the rodent-infested mansion. Lane, as the smooth-talking elder brother, apes Oliver Hardy pretty effectively, while Evans resists the urge to turn Lars Smuntz into a cut-price Norman Wisdom. The gurning physical comedian is relatively restrained for his big-budget debut; whether this is a blessing or a disappointment depends on your view of his trademark mugging.

Christopher Walken joins the idiot brothers, sending himself up deliciously as a psychotic, **** pest controller named Caesar. His come-uppance is the first of many brilliantly orchestrated set-pieces sprinkled throughout Mouse Hunt. Just as impressive is the film's production design: it's as though the luckless Smuntz brothers have been dumped squarely in the RKO backlot during the golden age of silent comedy.

But ultimately the real star of Mouse Hunt is the critter. In their own miniature fashion, the rodent-related effects are as impressive as Cameron's vertical Titanic. Using a combination of animatronics, CGI and a troop of trained `stunt' mice, the film-makers have created a wholly believable furry hero, who never once trades his essential miceness for niceness. By the end, you'll believe a mouse can drive a pick-up truck.

Directed by Gore Verbinski (he's the man who got animated frogs to say "Bud-weis-er"), Mouse Hunt isn't remotely cheesy. It may be virtually plotless, but that doesn't matter - - no-one ever accused Laurel and Hardy of sacrificing story for slapstick. Go and see it now before they ruin everything with the sequel, Mousehunt 2: Rats In New York.

Mouse Hunt is that rare thing: a family film that doesn't make you want to throw up. Smart, sharp and funny, and with fantastic visual effects, it's everything the Home Alone sequels should have been. Possibly the best film about mice ever made.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

skyminster

Aug 1, 2013

Mouse Hunt is very silly, and quite funny, at the same time completely unrealistic (and kinda stupid). The highlight of this film is definetely its comedic moments and things that happen, the actual dialogue isn't very funny, but then again, I don't think it's supposed to be. The characterMouse Hunt is very silly, and quite funny, at the same time completely unrealistic (and kinda stupid). The highlight of this film is definetely its comedic moments and things that happen, the actual dialogue isn't very funny, but then again, I don't think it's supposed to be. The character building is surprisingly great in this film, as they change throughout the film, you start to feel for them, well, not really, more like you start to laugh at them, because they're so stupid and are rubbish at trying to catch the mouse. However, the comedy and character building are the only great things about it, the story's pretty good and kinda moving, the actings good, and everything else about this film is nothing better or worse than mediocre. Mouse Hunt is a typically comedicly silly and charmingly simple family film, and does a good job at what it aims to do entertain it's audience. So I give this film a... 73/100!… Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

Tyranian

Apr 12, 2019

Fairly funny film with good performances and cast. Humour is inconsistent however.

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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95	#95 Best Movie of 1997
54	#54 Most Discussed Movie of 1997
57	#57 Most Shared Movie of 1997