Howard the Duck (1986)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Directors C

  
  [img]http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/user/icons/icon14.gif[/img] Due to the plot and nostalgic visual style, it was always going to be a misfire if it's primary intention was to become a summer blockbuster and unsurprisingly the film was a box office disaster. Not… More
  [img]http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/user/icons/icon14.gif[/img] Due to the plot and nostalgic visual style, it was always going to be a misfire if it's primary intention was to become a summer blockbuster and unsurprisingly the film was a box office disaster. Not only that, but it's famous for being cited as one of the worst films ever made and even had to be cut because censors reacted badly to the jokes about ducks and condoms but even the most uneven and messy films like Howard the Duck have the power to inspire a fandom. I think the choice to use live action as opposed to animation was a good idea. Howard in animatronics isn't as unconvincing as everyone says, the dialogue matches his facial movements and he looks attractive and stylishly art house. However the people in the film are dull, boring and underdeveloped and are portrayed awfully with even worse performances than the horrible cast of Transformers. I'm certain that the film is likely to dissappoint it's target audience more than any kids movie i've seen in my viewing life. It has quite a few scenes with smoking, swearing and some that I suspect are somehow promoting beastiality to people. But I embraced it for all it's weirdness and art house style of storytelling. I believe it's a surreal, strangely likable and sometimes witty failed picture and it appealed to me. I dont think there's any reasons to loathe it. I had a smile on my face all the way through, I think its a very strange, subversive, funny film. I unlike most most unfair critics actually looked at the positives of the film. So sue me. I enjoyed Howard the Duck.

• Alexander D

  
  It's a bird! It's a plane! It's Daffy! No, it's Donald! NO, YOU IDIOT IT'S HOWARD! (Just thought I could use humor similar to that of this film to start a review.) Cheerfully dumb urban quest for love (with some monsters and ducks on the way!) is a true… More
  It's a bird! It's a plane! It's Daffy! No, it's Donald! NO, YOU IDIOT IT'S HOWARD! (Just thought I could use humor similar to that of this film to start a review.) Cheerfully dumb urban quest for love (with some monsters and ducks on the way!) is a true waste of George Lucas's talent. Based on the short-lived Marvel comic saga (yeah, I know, it's sad: a duck becomes a superhero; it's not even funny), HOWARD THE DUCK is one stupid, stupid film (duck, yeah!). But worse, they have made it clear that they all were <i>trying</i> to make it horrible. I have to wonder what the duck George Lucas was thinking when he decided to sign on to this project. My guess is that he read only the very end of the screenplay. G.L.: "Hmm...this robot-alien doohickey scene (or however that man speaks) reminds me of Jabba the Hutt in STAR WARS!" (?) Screenwriter: "So you'll do the project?" G.L.: "Duck, yeah!" From the scene in the very beginning with the "full duck-al nudity" (hoarse, excruciating chuckles) to the end when What's-her-face writes and performs a song called "Howard the Duck" in honor of the "hero", this is a very bad movie. Howard, go duck yourself. 'Nuff said.

• Phil H

  
  This is cult stuff haha I loved it as a kid and I love it now, its so cool and the lead character is so original. The story is basic but works in a typically cute fantasy type way, the effects are pretty cool too and hold up well today, probably down to Mr Lucas' influence. Its… More
  This is cult stuff haha I loved it as a kid and I love it now, its so cool and the lead character is so original. The story is basic but works in a typically cute fantasy type way, the effects are pretty cool too and hold up well today, probably down to Mr Lucas' influence. Its actually pretty tense here and there with some gross moments which were cut for TV, it made me cower abit when I was young haha. Jones transforming into a dark overlord was actually quite scary for kids. Its all based on a comic and as usual the comic is much darker and more risky but this still hits the right note and backs up its comic cousin, its also pretty funny too, almost a spoof. Well worth the viewing.

• Spencer S

  
  The film that killed Lea Thompson's career, made it apparent that George Lucas is a quack (no pun intended), and ruined feather boas for everyone, Howard the Duck is a movie that never should have been made. The logic behind this eye raping of epic proportions is muddled, the… More
  The film that killed Lea Thompson's career, made it apparent that George Lucas is a quack (no pun intended), and ruined feather boas for everyone, Howard the Duck is a movie that never should have been made. The logic behind this eye raping of epic proportions is muddled, the material being based off a comic strip. Though the acting by Thompson, and a really weird transformation by Jeffery Jones, was solid, they were playing characters that interacted with a talking duck. Robbins, strangely cast, is both moronic and yet entertaining as his goofiness is otherworldly at times. The movie was grounded, the action, though done by a freaking duck, wasn't terrible, and the shooting was fine. Those all make the viewing tolerable, but when you have a duck making puns every other minute, bird nipples (not an exaggeration), and quotable moments of stupidity, you get...whatever this is. Watch to sate your curiosity, else beware!

• AJ V

  
  Yes, it was a bomb at the box office, yes, it's cheesy and the idea of a duck from space crash landing on Earth and joining a rock band is nuts, but this movie is fun anyway. It's not great, but I enjoy it okay? Lea Thompson is great as usual, so that's another plus… More
  Yes, it was a bomb at the box office, yes, it's cheesy and the idea of a duck from space crash landing on Earth and joining a rock band is nuts, but this movie is fun anyway. It's not great, but I enjoy it okay? Lea Thompson is great as usual, so that's another plus for this movie.

• Tim S

  
  Sigh, what can I saw about this movie other than "What the hell was George Lucas thinking?"

• KJ P

  
  This is a marvel movie? When I was watching this movie, it wasn't even amusing, because it actually was one of the worst films I've ever seen. It has it's stupid little gags that made me chuckle, but in the end, I absolutely hated every little detail of this movie, and… More
  This is a marvel movie? When I was watching this movie, it wasn't even amusing, because it actually was one of the worst films I've ever seen. It has it's stupid little gags that made me chuckle, but in the end, I absolutely hated every little detail of this movie, and scenes just made me want to turn away. Who ever thought this was a good idea must have been on something, because this is a disgrace to cinema. Absolutely nothing good is present here, and it is far to long to keep your attention!

• Anthony L

  
  I don't care what people say, this film is great and I love it!

• Chris G

  
  From the people that brought you American Graffiti... Yes, the same people that brought you American Graffiti brought us Howard the Duck. Howard the Duck, that legendary bomb that caused George Lucas to sell a little company he owned called Pixar (yes THAT Pixar. Could you imagine… More
  From the people that brought you American Graffiti... Yes, the same people that brought you American Graffiti brought us Howard the Duck. Howard the Duck, that legendary bomb that caused George Lucas to sell a little company he owned called Pixar (yes THAT Pixar. Could you imagine his power if he still had it?). Between this, Superman III and IV, The Punisher (Dolph), and Captain America comic book adaptations were set back ten years. Basic plot: Duck is sucked from his planet to Earth, meets Beverly (Lea Thompson), who leads Howard to a lab assistant (Oscar winner Tim Robbins- I bet he wished this never had a DVD release), who leads Howard to a real scientist (Jeffrey Jones) who ends up sucking a dark overlord who wants to take over the world. Yowza. Even the cop from CSI is in this. Not William Petersen. Now I've seen worse movies.Not many, but I have seen worse. It's hard to attack plot holes, overacting, and such when you're dealing with a talking duck. It's a nice '80's time capsule, mainly for Lea Thompson's hair and the Thomas Dolby soundtrack. Holy shit, John Barry did the score for this! I thought it sounded like a recycled A View To A Kill soundtrack. No wonder. Yeah, we can all bash Howard the Duck (and future generations will). It has to be done. When a monumental dud is released we all have to look at why. Of course with Howard the Duck we already have our answer to that now don't we.

• Nicki M

  
  Somehow I got right through the 80's and up until now without seeing this one. What can I say, aside from the icky suggestion that Lea Thompson was somehow "on" with the duck (hinted at rather than seen), it is no worse than any other action 80's film. Fashions… More
  Somehow I got right through the 80's and up until now without seeing this one. What can I say, aside from the icky suggestion that Lea Thompson was somehow "on" with the duck (hinted at rather than seen), it is no worse than any other action 80's film. Fashions were great, Lea, of course - not exactly great acting, but suited the whole movie which you just can't take seriously. Duck kind of fake looking, but what else would you expect. Fans of the 80's or just bad movies in general should enjoy it.

• Jason S

  
  I liked it when I was a kid. There are some decent f/x in it and the acting is ok. There are some adult themes in it though so it's not really for the younger kids.

• Mike S

  
  Don't ask me why or when I saw this, I just know I did when I was very young and I still regret it today. Maybe I thought it would be a fun parody of Donald Duck or maybe I just wasn't thinking that day. Nevertheless, I remember it was awful and pointless.

• Dean !

  
  A typical 80's odd comedy.

• danny d

  
  stupid but fun to watch

• Dean M

  
  Howard the Duck's hilarious and a part of hero based on the Marvel comic book. This was probably the first movie in mainstream Hollywood history to depict interspecies sex, with Lea Thompson putting out the giant duck.

• Leigh R

  
  A fantastic sci-fi, hilarious film.

• Michael G

  
  I don't think I ever fully recovered from this movie.

• Steve K

  
  One of the great cinematic misfires. It needs to be given a special edition DVD.

• James A

  
  Classic shite.

• Michael R

  
  If you're looking for some gripping Hollywood drama in "HOWARD THE DUCK", then you should just go pluck yourself. This isn't your movie... Get over it and go away... While the duck suit used for the titular character is an embarrassing disaster, the comedic talents… More
  If you're looking for some gripping Hollywood drama in "HOWARD THE DUCK", then you should just go pluck yourself. This isn't your movie... Get over it and go away... While the duck suit used for the titular character is an embarrassing disaster, the comedic talents of Lea Thompson, Tim Robbins, Chip Zien, Ed Gale, and Jeffery Jones pull off the impossible: They make "HOWARD THE DUCK" a charming and laugh-out-loud movie that is hated simply because it is misunderstood. Maybe I'm biased because I like the comic-book character, but to me this movie is just good old fashioned fun from start to finish. It's not particularly for kids, but I think that kids would understand this movie better than most adults: "HOWARD THE DUCK" is a screwball comedy for the ages that mocks itself incessantly and dares its audience to accept its outrageous premise without going out of its way to achieve that reaction. The spirit of the movie is literally this: "Isn't this ridiculous? We're gonna push the 'ridiculous-factor' as far as it will go and it's gonna be hilarious! Screw you if you don't agree, we're gonna have some fun!" Take it or leave it, this is the movie for everyone out there with a self-discerning mind and self-deprecating sense of humor. It's "HOWARD THE DUCK". Deal with it...

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