Modern Problems

I never really got into this movie, it's more strange than it is funny. And Chevy wasn't his usual self either, he was way to morose and distant to really side with his character or empathise with him in any way.

Chevy plays Max Fielder, an air-traffic controller who's life is constantly in the toilet and bad luck follows him everywhere. He's very paranoid and possessive over his girlfriend, so much so that she dumps him for some total dork.

On his way home from a disastrous night out his car is sprayed with radioactive gunk from a leaky government truck. He is soon blessed/cursed with telekinetic abilities, which he uses to get revenge on those who make his life miserable.

It could have been really fun but it's just...weird. Ken Shapiro (who?) does not have the same edge in his direction as Harold Ramis, Michael Ritchie or John Landis and he doesn't know how to fully use Chevy's brand of humor. There are some laughs to be had though, but their not so memorable.

The DVD is in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen but it's mostly all shot in soft focus so there's nothing outstanding here. The sound is plain old Mono and it's alright if nothing else, though the dialogue has very heavy use of ADR. A trailer and TV spot are included. Oh...and that theme song playing over the menu, opening and closing credits? Yuck!

I liked this mild Chevy Chase comedy. It is not the best in the world, but I found it pretty funny with some scenes really taking the cake. The movie has a guy having a really bad day, but then he gets a little toxic waste thrown on him and he develops powers of telekinesis...and of course he does what any of us would do, he uses them for revenge. The ballet scene and restaurant scenes are the best, I do not really care for him going a bit crazy at the end, but all in all it is a funny movie. Though it does seem kind of generic in a way, almost like something that was a television rather than one shown at theaters. Chevy is good as is most of the cast and the special effects are what you would expect for a movie from this time, quite bad.

First of all, it is worth nothing that director Ken Shapiro seemingly hasn't been employed since this near-catastrophe was released in 1981. It's pretty safe to say that's a bad sign. Secondly, even a stellar cast cannot make a movie very good (what I like to call "Mars Attacks!" syndrome). Now that I have gotten that out of the way, a quick synopsis : Chevy Chase (that in itself is a bad sign) stars as an air traffic controller who, after an encounter with nuclear waste, acquires telekinetic powers, which he uses against his romantic rivals. The premise in itself is engaging and open to the possibility of great comedy. So what happened?

Well, Ken Shapiro could be blamed. The direction is sloppy; actually it is downright pathetic. The pacing is WAY too slow, the action is ineptly handled, and many of the actors seem bored. And worst of all, the special effects are woeful...I haven't seen so much camera equipment on-screen since the glory days of Ed Wood. Case in point...the scene with the Flying-Airplane-Ashtray (don't ask), where some strange, large object is obviously present in the close-ups, holding up the Ashtray next to the camera. I've made home movies with better effects.

What about the actors? Well, Nell Carter is an absolute hoot; she deserves better. And Dabney Coleman is entirely in his element here as a shady, egotistical author. Brian Doyle Murray and Mary Kay Place are also entertaining. Patti D'Arbanville is a bit lacking in comedic talent; she is given nothing more to do than pout and screech. But the real problem here is Chase. He is just going through the motions here, playing the hapless bumbler bit to death and looking very bored doing it. There is no life to his performance, and it grinds the movie to a halt.

True, there are some funny moments here...Nell Carter gets most of the laughs in a woefully small role, the scenes involving Chase's romantic rival Barry (Mitch Kreindel) are pretty amusing, and one reviewer here has already mentioned Chase's throwaway line "Smells like feet," which for some reason made me laugh hysterically...but the funny moments are few and far between. There is so much BAD to sort through to get to the GOOD stuff, and it just isn't worth the time and trouble. Perhaps in better hands, "Modern Problems" could have been a good movie. This certainly isn't it.

Jealous, harried air traffic controller Max Fiedler (Chevy Chase), recently dumped by his girlfriend, comes into contact with nuclear waste and is granted the power of telekinesis, which he uses not only to win her back, but to gain a little revenge.

The bloody nose scene goes from mildly amusing to rather revolting, and that made it something I could have done without. But that was the only really bad part of the film.

Fans of Chase may not have seen this one, as it is not well known. Younger fans (those who now know him best from "Community") will definitely not have heard of it. Check it out. Please.

This movie is not Chase's best but well worth watching for any of his fans. Some of the things he does with his powers make me laugh just thinking about them. Two highlights in particular are the restaurant scene and the ballet scene.

Dabney Coleman plays almost the same type of character as in "Nine To Five" and Nell Carter plays a hilarious voodoo lady!

If you could go back in time to 1981 and you wanted to go see a movie, and let's say Stripes and Neighbors were both sold out, I'd recommend Modern Problems.

Do not take this movie seriously! It is not a Hollywood masterpiece but it has some very funny scenes.

This is a satisfying movie to watch if you ever wanted revenge after being dumped.