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Editorial
Amazon.co.uk Review
This not-quite-black comedy was probably a laugh riot on paper. The translation almost works, but the execution is flawed. Phoebe Cates is a recently separated young woman who suddenly begins to see her supposedly imagined childhood friend (the titular Drop Dead Fred) after moving back into her mother's home. Is he a manifestation of her secret desires to ditch the boorish spouse? Or was he real all along? Rik Mayall is a limber, carrot-topped comic with the lamentable assignment of trying to make us laugh with vulgar, sophomoric trickery. He is supposedly the repository of Cates's fastidious repression but is more annoying than cathartic. --Rochelle O'Gorman, Amazon.com
I LOOOOOOOVE this film!
Review date: 2007-08-22 Rating: 10 out of 10
Drop dead fred is an absolutly fantastic film. I can't even remember how i heard about it - i was born a year after it was even released - but whatever it was that sparked an interest only happened recently. I read lots of reveiws without having seen more than half anf hour of the film and found them all to be dissapointing, all pointing out the flaws and negatives - which, having bought it and now looking back, i cant seem to find in this film.
The hilarious portrayal of Fred by Rik Mayall was fantastic - both brilliantly funny and also amazingly touching when it's needed. Pheobe Cates hits the character of Lizzie perfectly and just brings the tone of the film into something great. And you really have to have a respect for any actor who can keep a straight face when Rik Mayall is hopping about infront of them :o)
I do have something...not a problem...but perhaps a hinderance, i have spotted with this film. You have to have some sort of connecion with being a child...you have to be able to embrace how fun this film is and too many people, it seems, are so focused on how things should be and how things are in their reality that they cant just let go and love the humour and love in this film! I feel that even though the reception of this film seemed to bomb, for anyone who felt it as it was supposed to have been seen they will always hold thias film dear to them.
If you are a fan of Rik, if you like to laugh or if you think you still have the spark left that is echoed in this film then you NEED to see it! And if you dont you should see it anyway and it might help bring it back. There is a very good chance you'll end up falling in love with this film just as i have.x
Elizabeth As a child (Ashley Peldon) had her share of problems as a friend and also had her own supposedly imaginary-friend “Drop Dead Fred” (Rik Mayall). Of whom she was supposed to outgrow. She had a little help from her mother who locked Fred away in a Jack-in-the-box.
Now Elizabeth (Phoebe Cates) is once again having problems with a recent divorce along with many other disasters. She makes the strategic error of moving back home. She finds where Fred is confined and pretends to frees him; guess who she finds out is not imaginary and is still waiting as if time had not passed at all. This happens when one goes home again. Now Fred is appalled to find that Snot Face is all grown up and that she even did it like the pigeons. How ever Fred is just as mischievous, ornery, and destructive as ever.
It is up to the two codependent entities to help free each other from a static situation; Liz needs to grow up and Fred needs to move on the next kid. In the process Elizabeth meats a girl Natalie (Kelly Benson), that seems to be annoying the babysitter. And she claims it was “You know who”.
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Will Elizabeth finally take control of her life and out grow the need for Fred?
If so will she ever see him again?
The movie is worth it on different levels or diffident angles. We have the fun of the interacting and antics of Fred, Elisabeth and boogers. There is a true underlying psychological story that includes a trip through ones mind. And Phoebe is almost too cute and can make you forget what you are watching.
"I forgot to give you something!"