McHale's Navy (1997)

Good , But It Is Overrated By Some

It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

It was hard to tell if they were trying to be "so bad that it was funny" or if it was just that bad. The movie suffers from continuity issues to incorrect uniforms and not being funny. Special effects were low budget. They did not try to disguise that models were being blown up or that sets did not make sense.The cast has several familiar faces but the acting was below standard. The characters were too cartoonish and over exaggerated. Some plot mechanics are stretched too thin to be believable. It is OK to be unreal in fiction, but the audience needs to believe the story. That aspect was not accomplished.Not the worst movie but it is a bad one. It has very little to do with the namesake 1960's TV show.

i had high hopes for this movie before watching it.but,maybe i shouldn't have.after all,it does star Tom Arnold.some of the films he is in are OK,especially where he is not the main character.but this one,not so much.it's billed as a comedy,but that entails laughter.it's based on the 1962 series of the same name,supposedly.if that's case,the makers of the TV show should sue the makers and actors involved in this movie for defamation.i like Debra Messing,but she picked the wrong movie to be a part of.Tim Curry also stars,playing a variation of every bad guy he has ever played.the plot is silly,to be kind.the back cover promises madcap adventure and and zaniness.maybe it's a typo.it's no wonder this movie tanked at the box office.for me,McHale's Navy is a 3/10

I watched this on a commercial station and between each advert break they flashed up the title card as 'McHale's War' instead of McHale's Navy, and that seemed to sum up the complete lack of interest this film generates in almost everybody. The TV station couldn't even get the title right. This is a bad film – a comedy that is consistently and forcefully unfunny. I didn't laugh once throughout the entire hellish running time, and only managed the barest ghost of a smile on a couple of occasions. Let's face it – any film in which Tom Arnold is the star is in trouble from the off. For all I know he may well be a wonderful person but he isn't a star and he isn't a comedian. The only time he's funny is during the 'action' sequences and when he tries to act serious: his nostrils flare a little and his eyes widen a touch and that's it – it's a kind of one-size-fits-all expression for every emotion he is called upon to express. He's supposed to be one of those charismatic types in this film, the type of guy everyone warms to the moment he opens his mouth. That's right – Tom Arnold. Did some casting executive read this part and really think to himself 'why, that's a part just tailor-made for that Tom Arnold chap? Hmmm. Dean Stockwell is also in this, he's quite a good actor but he's awful here – in fact he hasn't been much good in anything since Married to the Mob. Tim Curry is just a cartoon character in a flesh suit these days and sleepwalks through his role. The running joke about his being the second greatest terrorist in the world is done to death in the first twenty minutes of the film and then thankfully forgotten. Only the ever-solid Bill Campbell is worth a look, but his part is woefully small. The TV show was around before my time, so I've no point of reference with regard to how accurately this film captures the atmosphere of the show, but somehow I can't believe it was as lame as this. If it was the film would never have been greenlighted.Do yourself a favour and do what everyone involved in this mess should have done: give it a wide, wide berth.

Did I happen to mention that I hate this pile of cinematic crap? Any resemblance between this and the classic tv series is a real shame. Dean Stockwell, usually a fine actor, probably destroyed his career with his portrayal of Captain Binghimton-Joe Flynn has to be spinning in his grave! And of course, Tom Arnold as McHale, need I say more?No redeeming qualities whatsoever. Maybe even worse than LEONARD, PART 6.Rating: -0 out of *****