YOU ARE WATCHING IT WRONG If you are watching this movie and think it's a bowling movie, you're watching it wrong. If you're watching this movie and think it's a stoner movie, you're still watching it wrong. If you're watching this movie thinking it's about a mystery movie, a whodunit movie, or a mistaken identity movie, you're STILL watching it wrong.....because "we know which Lebowski you are, Lebowski..." Yeah, this movie is on a completely different category. I mean, I can't even describe it. What I DO know is that this movie is supposed to be funny and it's a completely different type of comedy.
Let me explain what I'm trying to say. Everybody knows about movies that are "So bad It's Good", like the movie The Room, for example. I mean, if you watch the movie The Room thinking it's supposed to be a drama movie, or a suspenseful movie, or a "dark comedy" movie, then you are watching it wrong. You don't watch that movie for its love story, you watch that movie because it's so bad it's good. You watch movies like that because you want to make fun of it. Now let's get back to The Big Lebowski. It's not a "So Bad It's Good" category.....FAR from it. While you watch The Room to make fun of it, The Big Lebowski is a movie that makes fun of you!
So what does that mean, the movie makes fun of me? Yes, it's teasing you, it's making you think it's a bowling movie, but it's really not. You don't even see the main character play a single game! This movie is making you think it's a mystery movie, but it's really not! There is NO mystery! That's what makes this movie hilarious. That's the reason this movie barely makes any sense......because it's NOT supposed to make sense in the first place! It's the ultimate anti-joke. It's a plot that makes fun of plots, a comedy that makes fun of comedy, a punchline without a punchline.
What so genius about this movie is that it's NOT self-aware. It's a comedy that doesn't hold your hand, it's like you either get it or you don't. If you don't get it, then it's WORKING, because you're not supposed to get it! Throughout the whole movie, every time you see the 3 main characters together, you'll notice The Dude has all the questions, Walter thinks he has all the answers, and poor Donny walks in and is still figuring out what the question is! If this is your first time watching this movie, you are like Donny. If it's your second time watching this movie, you are like The Dude. If it's your third time watching this movie, you become like Walter, because now you "think" you know all the answers...
So in conclusion, this movie is nothing like all the other comedy movies such as The Hangover, or Superbad, or even The Room. It's a totally different type of comedy, and it grows with you the more you watch it. That's the reason why people tell you that you have to watch it again, because, yes, you are watching it wrong.....and when you realize this movie is intentionally trying to not make sense, then it becomes hilarious every single time you watch it.....and it's SO quotable.