Bubble Boy [DVD] [2001]

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Editorial reviews

Amazon.co.uk Review
Innocuous, innocent and somewhat idiotic, Disney's bubbleheaded road-movie comedy IBubble Boy/I plays as a farcical remake of the 1976 cult TV-movie melodrama IThe Boy in the Plastic Bubble/I. Jake Gyllenhaal is the good-hearted innocent raised in a sort of human Habitrail of plastic rooms and rubber tunnels. To win back the girl of his dreams (Marley Shelton), he steps out of his indoor greenhouse and into a homemade Ziplock bubble suit. It's the usual story: naive innocent bounces down the highway like a beach ball with legs and wins over the wacky supporting cast of soft-hearted bikers, zombie-like teenage cultists and orphaned "freaks" through purity and pluck. The premise wears thin after a while, but Gyllenhaal keeps the film bounding along with goofy innocence and energetic eagerness. Swoosie Kurtz costars as his religious-zealot clinging mom. Watch for Fabio in an inspired cameo. --ISean Axmaker/I p BOn the DVD:/B IBubble Boy/I contains a surprising amount of special features for what is essentially a B-movie comedy. These include a long winded multi-interview about the main star of the film, the Bubble suit itself; a director's diary, charting the events around the time of filming the movie; a "Production Design Gallery" including intricate pencil drawings and a story board of the Niagara Falls sequence. Along with this, director Blair Hayes and Jake Gyllenhaal offer a gabbled conversation rather than a commentary. --INikki Disney/I

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Customer reviews

review by: mumoftheyear date: 2008-08-05 rating:
Funny, warm and throughly enjoyable film.
I watched this film last night with my two sons and we all thoroughly enjoyed it, laughing out loud at regular intervals. br / br /It revolves around Jimmy, played by Jake Gyllenhaal, who was born without any immune system, brought home by his mother from hospital and kept in a large plastic bubble for his own protection. When the film opens he appears to be a normal well-adjusted teenager, playing guitar and larking around. However, he has been dubiously home-schooled by his religeously fanatical mother who fills his head with all manner of strange and warped information about other cultures and, most particularly, girls. As he has never left his bubble, and his father never seems to speak, he has no other point of view to disprove his mother so is in blissful ignorance. He thinks he has everything he needs to be happy, until he sees his attractive, new next-door neighbour, Chloe. br / br /Jimmy and Chloe strike up a strange but warm friendship, despite the restrictions of the bubble and Jimmy's mother's insistance of calling his new friend the 'dirty whore next door'. But their relationship can only go so far, in view of Jimmy's condition, so (as she can't have Jimmy) Chloe finds an unsuitable boyfriend and plans a wedding at Niagra Falls. br / br /This is the spark that ignites Jimmy who realises that he can't lose the love of his life. So he does what any boy with no immune system would do. He builds himself a portable bubble suit and sets off to find Chloe and stop the wedding. br / br /But Jimmy has never been out of the house before and the clueless teen is convinced that Niagra Falls is just a short bus ride away. He couldn't be more wrong and this is the point where the film comes alive as Jimmy stumbles from one strange band of brothers to another, from the back of a motorbike to a train full of circus freaks, meeting all manner of different people from different cultures along the way. He slowly realises that, not only is the world a big and diverse place, but his mother may not have been totally honest with him. br / br /This is essentially a road movie/love story. It's 'The Jerk' meets 'The Blues Brothers'. The performance of Gyllenhaal is energetic and we genuinely care about his predicament. But he is supported by an excellent cast which includes Swoosie Kurtz (recently seen in ITV's Pushing Daisies) as his misguided mother. There is also a great little cameo from Verne Troyer as Dr. Threak, the heartless owner of the circus freaks. br / br /There is one genuine moment of comic timing to rival Delboy Trotter falling through the open bar in that wine bar and it's when Jimmy walks out in his bubble suit for the first time. He has never seen a road before or a bus for that matter and when one comes towards him at speed the impact is just about the funniest thing I have seen in a long time. We stopped the DVD, rewound and watched it again and it was still just as funny the second time. br / br /This is a recommended film for older children and adults who are still young at heart. Miserable old cynics should avoid at all costs. br / br /

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review by: date: 2008-02-29 rating:
Funny, Funny and even more Funny!
It's funny, funny, funny and oh, did I say ...... it's funny! What more can you ask for in life!

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review by: Rish date: 2007-08-20 rating:
Bubble Boy - Great film for teens and adults!
Before purchasing this movie I was a little shocked to see Jake Gyllenhaal in a role such as this (I'm not a great fan of his work and it's the sort of role that you'd expect to see Adam Sandler play), but once I started to watch the film I realized just how greatly thought out the whole plot was. From the start of the film there is comedy that appealed to myself and the rest of my family (my two parents, and two sisters - one younger than myself and one older) - the quirky characters and unexpected twists are what makes it work. br /If you're a fan of comedy movies, then this is definitely one to add to the collection! br /

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review by: Musegirl date: 2006-02-14 rating:
Love it
Quite an easy happy go lucky storyline, very quirky at times, quite a lot of fun and a nice happy love story, what more could one want for a cold winters evening snuggled up on the sofa? The acting is brilliant and I can very much see the wonderful Jake becoming a household name within the next 18 months.


review by: chiggy_wiggy date: 2006-01-05 rating:
bubble boy
this is a epic romantic drama telling the life story of a child, played by the awsome jake gylanhall. dyprived of a normal life, he was born with no immunities confining him to a bubble. he must travel to canada to stop the woman he loves from marrying to a man. the only trouble is how to get to canada. this could possibly be the best film ever. i cried and so will you. weeeeeeeeeeeeeeooooooaaaaaaaaaaaaaabrpeace away from da chiggy wiggy man

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Similar categories

Video . DVD Blu-ray . Categories . Comedy . All Comedy
Video . DVD Blu-ray . Substores . Regular Stores . DVD Bargains . By Price . From £4.97 . DVDs from £4.97
Video . DVD Blu-ray . Refinements . Format (binding_browse-bin) . DVD
Video . DVD Blu-ray . Refinements . BBFC Rating (intended_use_browse-bin) . 12
Video . DVD Blu-ray . Refinements . Editions (feature_two_browse-bin) . Standard Edition
Video . DVD Blu-ray . Refinements . Region(feature_browse-bin) . Region 2
Video . DVD Blu-ray . Refinements . Release Date (feature_three_browse-bin) . 2000 and later
Video . DVD Blu-ray . Refinements . Language (theme_browse-bin) . English

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