Not as bad as some people make it out to be. Alicia Silverstone is as beautiful as ever. And Christopher Walken played his typecast dangerous dude role the way he always does. Yes, the plot had some good sized holes in it. The film is meant to be light entertainment and it made that mark. That doesn't mean it's great or anything. I couldn't recommend spending money on this unless you're a hard-core Silverstone fan. But if it comes on cable, it's an OK hour and forty. Grade: C-
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smatysia19 December 2001
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adrian-1514 December 1998I rented this movie thinking that everybody had been too hard on poor Alicia, who had been wonderful in Clueless and sexy in many an Aerosmith video. I was wrong. It might have been due in part to the non-existent script, but Alicia showed no screen presence at all. Instead, she smoked and drank during the entire flick (is this the moviemakers' attempt to appeal to the teenage crowd this movie is aimed at??). Benicio del Toro's performance was all right, even though (or: because) he seemed to think he was in a remake to the 'Usual Suspects'. In all, if you see only a hundred movies this year, don't let this one be one of them.
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A really lousy movie. Alicia Silverstone needs more than her "cute" looks to recoup the producer's money. The dialogue ranges from incredibly dumb to hilariously stupid. Director Marco Brambilla was out to lunch on this one. Don't watch this film, read the phone book.
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I rented this movie on a whim last night, and I was very pleasantly surprised! The plot is entertaining, but what I really loved about this flick is that Silverstone and Del Toro have an odd - yet amazing - chemistry on screen. Most of their intimacies are left to the imagination, but I thought that made it even hotter! I noticed there was a comment on imdb about the writing being sophomoric (or something to that effect), specifically the line, "Do you like my tummy?" I thought it was very sweet and REAL. It's one of those silly conversations that makes them believable. Definitely worth the rent...and the buy (I'm purchasing it ASAP!).
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Annalene23 February 1999When I rented this movie, I didn't have too high expectations to what it was going to be like, but even so I must admit I was disappointed. I wanted to watch this movie, part because I enjoyed the easy going humor in "Clueless", and part because I like Alicia Silverstone as a young actress. But neither of these two reasons were enough to make me like Excess Baggage at all. The movie lacks a good plot, and is rather boring after a while. All though Silverstone put up a half decent performance, Benicio Del Toro didn't get his role together, and stood out like a sore thumb. A good tip: don't waste your money OR your time on this boring and dumb movie...
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This was much better than what I expected.Since it had such poor reviews,I rented the video only to watch my new favorite actor, Benicio Del Toro .I was actually pleasantly surprised at how good he was in a romantic comedy.He should do these more often! He has proved himself in serious roles already, but I think he can be a very refreshing lead in romantic roles. Haven't we seen enough Hugh Grant movies yet? I wont' go into details about the plot,which had an interesting start but looked like it wasn't sure where it was headed at the end.Then again, a movie starring Alicia Silverstone can't be expected to be so plot-conscious...If you're a fan of Benicio, you'll enjoy his unique debonaire charm in this movie.For once, he doesn't look that intense or sad, and we can really feel the tenderness behind his half-smile...I might not be such an objective viewer, but this movie is such a nice distraction from the Julia Roberts, Sandra Bullock romantic comedies...
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matlock-628 September 2001This is, without a doubt, one of the two worst movies I've ever seen (at least movies that were supposed to be "good").
Alicia Silverstone, usually a decent actor, is simply annoying in this film. The usually excellent Benicio del Toro turns in an embarassingly bad turn as the love interest/kidnapper. In fact, the only actor of any importance here who performs reasonably well is Christopher Walken (who is the lone bright point in this complete waste of space.)
The plot is convoluted, flighty, and downright dumb. The audience has no empathy whatsoever with any of the characters, especially with Silverstone's, nor is she even a "cool" bad guy. In the end (indeed, 10 minutes into the film) not only do we not care at all what happens to her, but we rather wish Walken would just lose his cool, lock her and del Toro in a closet someplace, and dance away into the sunset to a Fatboy Slim song.
Thank god del Toro got his role in Traffic, because this quite easily could have wrecked his career. I don't recommend anyone see this film, unless you are just begging for ways to waste your money and torture yourself. -
jpschapira1 September 2006What are the requisites for a person to like a movie? I can't tell, but I ask because a friend of mine told me she had watched a little bit of this film and then stopped because it was bad; and I found it truly entertaining, funny and charming. I've said a lot of times that I love romantic comedies I still do, you know? "Excess Baggage" is an unexpected little romantic comedy that finds amusement in the strangest places. First off, the way the two leads meet. She is faking a kidnapping an hides in the trunk of a car waiting to be found; he is a car thief and steals that car, takes it to his garage and discovers that someone is making noise This scene is fantastic because the thief acts like he doesn't understand, and when he discovers it is only a girl, he gets scared.
The girl is Emily Hope: "All I wanted in a father is a person who cared and valued his daughter", she says at the beginning of the film. She is portrayed by Alicia Silverstone as a grown person who hasn't really grown up and does mischief to get her millionaire father angry; because she knows he can spend any amount of money to find her anywhere. Her perception is right, and Silverstone's ability of going crazy helps the development of her character. I'd like to add that Silverstone's had a short career and she was discovered because of Aerosmith (she looked nice in that video); but she's got it.
But the best development is the relationship between Emily and the thief; they start with the wrong foot because neither of them understands how they ended up in the situation they're living, but soon they have to deal with the fact that they look good together and that probably each of them is the part that's missing in the other one. Old question: Can two people fall in love after two days of being together? This movie makes it believable.
Congratulations to Max D. Adams, the only story he ever created, he did it a perfect job. In stories like these is very flexible to keep a loyal viewer engaged with the plot line. Adams, alongside Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais ("Goal!") present the girl-father relationship but are smart enough not to loose focus in what's going on with Emily and the thief. They also put the lead male in a financial trouble bringing funny performances from Nicholas Turturro and Harry Connick Jr; and chose the best person to look out for Emily: Christopher Walken, who end up a step away of stealing the show: the thief does that.
Who is the thief? He is called Vincent and the actor who portrays him has done every type of film and played every type of character including one that lies among the best performances I've ever seen. As this movie went along, I was observing his performance carefully because it appeared similar to something I've seen before; but I couldn't discover it. Maybe it was a character he played, and that's why I'm convinced there's no one like Benicio Del Toro. His performance here finds him always beaten down, but still being able of finding the charm his character requires. "What a view", he says, and only he says it.
The director of the film, Marco Brambilla, showed Stallone the way in "Demolition Man", was in charge of this and then of the marvelous miniseries "Dinotopia". He gives "Excess Baggage" the kind of eye it requires; comprehensive and caring. He sees the chemistry between the leads and takes advantage of it in the best way possible.
I'm a fan of both of the leads And by the way, I stick to my beliefs about romantic comedies. -
Quast23 March 1999I only paid $1.00 to see this movie, and I still felt ripped off. I stuck around, assuming it would get better, or at least hoping I could laugh at it's badness, but neither happened. It was not cheesy enough to laugh at, and it was so terrible I actually experienced physical pain while watching it. The talents of Del Toro and Walken were completely wasted in this lame excuse for entertainment.
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dedjim17 September 2003Lots of dissing for both Alicia and Benicio but it seems disingenuous. This is not a profound film but it IS a fun one. Nice photography, a plot that has a good rhythm and tempo, engaging characters that are well acted and clever film devices (for one, the conflict regarding her smoking that set up the plot complication in the first place). Walken is great as usual as a character both scary AND endearing. Spark a blunt, open a beer and enjoy this silly but fun little flick.
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dalenberg24 December 2001Excess Baggage was a joy. Alicia Silverstone is gorgeous, bratty, and fun. Benicio del Toro is frumpy and totally unlike any other leading man ever. Unfortunately, this film seems to have been misunderstood in a big way, by the audience, by reviewers, and by the people I saw it with. But, it's worth another look.
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So ... I don't know why movies Alicia Silverstone are in are rated so low, they aren't as bad as all that. As reviewer smatysia noted, Excess Baggage fulfilled the genre just fine. Easy to fall for Benicio in this.
I gave it the high 7 because I really enjoy the old style of unfortunate circumstances and banter leading to a romance, and these two played it well. Especially where the outcome is a believable blessing to both characters. Unlike one of my old favorites, Pickup on South Street, where it was a bit farfetched that Widmark's character would be able to change.
I also loved the rain and supporting actors, ie Walken, etc. -
"Excess Baggage" tells of a rich brat (Silverstone) who kidnaps herself and becomes a victim of her own escapade when a car thief (Del Toro) unwittingly steals her by stealing her car while she's hiding in the trunk. What follows is a convoluted little romcom frolic which earned Silverstone a Razzie nod and is somewhere on the Silverstone scale way below "Clueless" and "Blast From the Past". Nonetheless, with Del Toro and Walken carrying much of the load, this flick is just quirky enough around the edges to make it a pleasant albeit unoriginal (chop shop escape ripped off from "Adventure in Babysitting", etc.) no brainer for Silverstone fans and romcom junkies. (C+)
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erin_r_2002_200119 September 2000I saw this movie a couple of years ago when my sister and her friends rented it. I remember thinking it was strange, but that's all. I came across it in the video store last night and was curious as to why I couldn't remember much about it. Well let me tell you, I'm glad I tried it again. The movie isn't great, the story drags a bit in the middle, and the two mob guys weren't the least bit scary. I also had a hard time with Silverstone's portrayal of Emily, who I understand was supposed to be a "troubled teen", but whose behavior was so unbelievably bad that I felt only distaste for her instead of the expected sympathy. But Walken and Del Toro are absolutely marvelous. They made it completely worth watching. Walken is his usual sinister self, but at the same time manages to make his Uncle Ray character seem very fatherly and concerned for Emily. In fact, they could have done away with the rather weak father altogether and nobody would even have noticed. Del Toro is fascinating as the shy, befuddled Vincent. Everything that came out of his mouth made me laugh, and you've got to like anyone who can see the good in a whiny wretch like Emily. He turns out to be exactly what she needs, and by the end of the movie she had mellowed so much that I didn't even hate her anymore. Watch for the scenes in the hotel room and next morning by the lake where the tentative lovers make a surprisingly touching connection. This was the best five minutes of the movie for me. All in all, a simple but fairly sweet movie, made better by the outstanding, endearing performances by the two male leads. Don't go into it expecting too much, and you'll have fun with this little bit of fluff that far too many people have been scared away from because of the bad reviews. Just give it a chance. Trust me.
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I've always rather liked Christopher Walken... no matter what the role, he never seems to disappoint. Lately, I've begun to take an interest in Benicio Del Toro(specifically after I saw him in Sin City), as well. And Alicia Silverstone is usually pretty good. So when I heard of this film featuring all three of them being aired on TV, I thought, what the hey, I'll watch it, it might be fun. Turns out, I was wrong. It's not. Well, maybe slightly. But not a lot, and barely at all after the excitement of the first few minutes dies down. What follows is more than an hour and a half of dull, uninspired mediocrity. The plot is fair, and possibly original, but mostly uninteresting. The idea is old. The pacing is off. The characters are flat and stereotypical. The acting is reasonable, decent at best. The comedy is just not there. It tries way too hard to be funny, and winds up coming across as forced. There's really hardly anything at all in this film worth watching... there's a car-chase and some fun stuff at the very beginning, but I suggest you turn it off after that is done. It only goes downhill from there. I recommend this to huge fans of one or more of the three aforementioned actors. No one else should really bother. 5/10
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I have to admit, there was something really undefined I loved about this movie. Yeah the script needed a little work, and maybe the actors could have done a tit bit of a better job. But overall it really touched me in that sweet/sadistic way.
I mean that's what we all want right? To be cared about, and it just shows how far sometimes people will go for it. And OH YEAH Benicio Del Toro is such a triple threat.. He's extremely hot, He's Italian and he's an amazing actor. So whatever movie you put him in, it has a really good chance of touching someone. Overall I give this movie a 7. I think it deserves at least that. -
moonspinner5518 October 2006Rich, unloved teenage girl stages her own kidnapping, but her plan gets foiled when a carjacker takes her for a ride. Anemic comedy-drama with cynical romantic undermining looks fairly stylish and is well-paced, but the screenplay is filled with plot-holes and annoying characters, and the film's last act loses all inspiration. In the lead, Alicia Silverstone--just off her star-making turn in "Clueless"--isn't bad, but she needed a stronger director to reel in her bratty-comic excesses. Surprisingly, the film failed to find an audience with its target group and did a fast fade. Silverstone deserved better. ** from ****
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DukeEman12 February 2003Spoilt brat Emily Hope, (Alicia), seeks attention from her snotty rich dad, (Thompson), by organising her own kidnapping. This time around its the girl who cried wolf when Vincent, (the very funny Benicio), ends up stealing a car with her in it. All hell breaks loose when good old Uncle Raymond, (Walken in his usual style of acting), comes on the scene in search of the two. It's Benicio's performance that hooked me in, it's quirky with a feel of spontaneity . Even Alicia gets in on the act joining Benicio's playfulness. And to top it all off, add Christopher Walken and you've got an interesting level of performances.
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dinky-42 April 1999Dull, witless, a real pain to watch -- and yet, unbelievably -- it's based on a script which won First Prize in the Austin Film Fest's screenwriting contest! (I guess all that advice about writing interesting stories with strong characters and sharp dialog got ignored by the judges.)
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lordofthefries-14 December 2005Maybe it was just the fact that I watched this movie on television with commercial breaks while doing homework, and therefore wasn't exactly giving it my full attention and deep scrutiny, but I rather liked it. It was pretty funny most of the time, though it was all pretty obvious, but that's all right. Journey's more important than the destination, and all that.
The acting wasn't perfect, and all around, there could have been improvements, but I felt fortunate to have stumbled upon this movie. It makes an awesome excuse to take a break from studying every few minutes and stare at Christopher Walken. -
rbrb20 October 2004This 1997 "movie" is meant to be a comedy but after about an hour I switched it off as if there was anything remotely amusing, I did not see it.
The story: spoilt brat daughter of a zillionaire fakes her own kidnapping to try to get the attention of daddy, but things go wrong as she is mistakenly captured by a car thief.
All the actors in the film are wholly unconvincing.
Post 9/11 and Baghdad....I don't think making a film about kidnapping is funny, especially as this one ain't got anything going for it and what is more it simply ain't funny!
In real life someone stealing top of the range motor vehicles would not hesitate in getting rid of any witness rather than falling in love with her, which appears to be the ludicrous premise of the film.
The actor playing the private detective brought in to rescue the daughter suffers from always being in awful 'B' pictures, and his hair transplant with phoney red hair looks ridiculous.
The actress playing the daughter is completely unattractive in every way except physically. And the good guy car thief is a total jerk.
Plus a script lacking in any merit whatsoever.
1 out of 10. -
kezw1715 August 2002I really enjoyed this movie. It had a really 'feel good' theme and left me wanting more. It reminded me of an old romantic movie where the guy always gets the girl. Benicio Del Toro was excellent, he really made the role his own, like it was written with him in mind. Any other actor wouldn`t have worked. Let`s just hope we see a lot more of him in the future. Fair enough, the plot wasn`t exactly rocket science, but the story was told really well and watching it was a real escape from everyday life.
I would recommend this film to everyone (although maybe the romantics out there would probably appreciate it the most!!). Although Alicia Silverstone played her part well, Del Toro, with his simple, bumbling ways, really made the movie for me. Definitely A* -
There is a touching moment that Walken brings to this movie that transcends the material. It's a strange Walken-esque love that only he can muster. And it runs deep for the character of Emily.
This was my college girlfriend and I's favorite movie, because it was so off-beat. Like our relationship. It is clearly an agenda movie for Silverstone (as she is also the producer). Something about a father/daughter misunderstanding, cold and distant relationship that some actresses tend to gravitate to. It exists in this movie. There are a lot of "precious" moments. And a lot of nostalgia looking back at it now. Is it a good movie? Yes. It's not's great, but it is entertaining.
The chemistry between Benicio & Silverstone is a bit weird at times. Curious to know what in the original script drew Del Toro to the part (as he is known to be elusive to commercial movies).
It is a decent time wasting movie on a slow night. -
anaconda-4065811 September 2015Excess Baggage (1997): Dir: Marco Brambilla / Cast: Alicia Silverstone, Benicio Del Toro, Christopher Walken, Harry Connick Jr., Jack Thompson: Title indicates unwanted companionship, which can describe Alicia Silverstone's performance and the sympathy that should be given to her co-stars. She plays a rich brat who stages her own kidnapping in order to gain her father's affection. She locks herself in the trunk of a car but a car thief steals it. Clichés set in as he cannot get rid of her then after a warehouse full of cars burns down they have to stick together and fall in love, etc. Recycled plot done twice this particular year with A Life Less Ordinary being the other film. Directed by Marco Brambilla who made the equally stupid Demolition Man. He does his best but this project should have been put out of its misery before production began. Silverstone whines so much that she becomes irritating. Benico Del Toro does his best as the car thief but the role is reduced to a romantic prop with all the personality of a flat tire. Christopher Walken is a fine presence in the film as her uncle but the role is straight forward and totally beneath him. Harry Connick Jr. is given the cardboard role of Del Toro's partner in crime. Jack Thompson plays Silverstone's less than active father whose life is work. Title indicates that video outlets obtain too many movies and this one should go. Score: 2 / 10