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After the tight plotting and quirky intensity of Fargo, this casually amusing follow-up from the prolifically inventive Coen (Ethan and Joel) brothers seems like a bit of a lark, and the result was a box-office disappointment. The good news is, The Big Lebowski is every bit a Coen movie, and its lazy plot is part of its laidback charm. After all, how many movies can claim as their hero a pot-bellied, pot-smoking loser named Jeff "The Dude" Lebowski (Jeff Bridges) who spends most of his time bowling and getting stoned? And where else could you find a hairnetted Latino bowler named Jesus (John Turturro) who sports dazzling purple footgear, or an erotic artist (Julianne Moore) whose creativity consists of covering her naked body in paint, flying through the air in a leather harness, and splatting herself against a giant canvas? Who else but the Coens would think of showing you a camera view from inside the holes of a bowling ball, or an elaborate Busby Berkely-styled musical dream sequence involving a Viking goddess and giant bowling pins? The plot--which finds Lebowski involved in a kidnapping scheme after he's mistaken for a rich guy with the same name--is almost beside the point. What counts here is a steady cascade of hilarious dialogue, great work from Coen regulars John Goodman and Steve Buscemi, and the kind of cinematic ingenuity that puts the Coens in a class all their own. Be sure to watch with snacks in hand, because The Big Lebowski might give you a giddy case of the munchies. --Jeff Shannon
Product Description
Limited Edition 28-page collectible book packaging featuring an exclusive interview, behind the scenes photography,trivia, a visual timeline of the film, and much more! Digital Copy for a limited time All-New Bonus Features Picture in Picture Scene Companion: Watch interviews and behind the scenes footage during the film “Dude” and “F-Bomb” On-Screen Counter: The ultimate companion for party games What’s My Line? Trivia: Test your knowledge of the film by trying to guess the next line The Music of The Big Lebowski: Identify the songs in the film and create a playlist BD-Live, PocketBLU and My Scenes Plus loaded with all previously released bonus features!
Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
"Way out west there was this fella... fella I wanna tell ya about. Fella by the name of Jeff Lebowski."
Ahh, who am I kidding? If you're a fan, you don't need me to sell you on this DVD. Hence, I shall review this movie in two parts: For fans, and for non-fans. Dudes and Un-dudes.
FOR DUDES:
The new "bowling ball" edition of Lebowski is awesome. Finally we're given the special features that we've been asking for, for years! No audio commentary track, but the Coens and the Dude himself will give you some insight to the film and its characters. After two disappointing editions, this is so overdue. Two discs, featurettes, that weird intro, Lebowskifest, an interactive map of Los Angeles, it's all here. Most of your questions will be answered, but of course not all...some mystery must always remain. Plus the bowling ball just looks cool. I have mine on my entertainment centre, and it's a conversation starter. "What is that bowling ball doing there?" It's sturdy and it houses the DVDs in two slip cases. Life does not stop and start at your convenience, so be sure to pick this up and enjoy when you can.
FOR UN-DUDES:
One important thing about this film that I must stress is, don't try to understand the plot at first. It's every bit as stupifying as anything you can think of. My feeling (and this is just my feeling) is that The Dude himself (Jeff Bridges) doesn't know what the heck is going on, so neither should you. The plot is not complicated, but your thinking about it might be very uptight. I don't nessesarily recommend that you stick to a strict drug regimen to keep you mind limber, but having a few white Russians might help.
The Dude is unemployed (or "a bum" to some) and spends most of his time having acid flashbacks and bowling with Walter (John Goodman) and Donny (Steve Buscemi). One day his home is broken into by two thugs looking for money. They have mistaken The Dude for a millionaire with the same given name: Jeff Lebowski. During this break-in, Wu micturates on The Dude's rug. That rug really tied the room together. Walter tells The Dude to try to take up the rug issue with the other Jeff Lebowski, the millionaire (David Huddleston). And then is where our tale begins.
An amazing soundtrack featuring Dylan, Santana, Costello, Sons of the Pioneers, and more backs a hilariously confusing movie about a guy in way over his head. There are a lot of facets, a lot of ins and outs, a lot of interested parties and strands to keep in Duder's head. Along the way you will meet The Stranger (Sam Elliot), Brant (Philip Seymore Hoffman), Bunny Lebowski (Tara Reid) and a group of nihilists lead by Peter Stormare. Things are complicated by the appearance of Maude Lebowski (Julianne Moore), a kidnapping, and a ransom note. Can The Dude recover the million dollars? All he wants is a finder's fee. Perferably in cash. He has to check with his accountant on this, but he's worried about being put in a higher tax, uhh, you know. All this with next round-robin of the bowling tournament starting. And The Jesus (John Turturro) is ready to take them down.
Brilliantly written, brilliantly directed, brilliantly performed. Yes, you will be confused on first watch, as it should be. By second, third, and fourth, those stands in Duder's head come together, supported by musical cues (listen for CCR), odd bits of dialogue ("Johnson") and clues. Every strand fits like a puzzle, you just need to look.
I can't recommend this movie enough. If you let it click, you too will become a Little Lebowski Urban Achiever, and perhaps even an obsessive fan, dressing up and going to conventions. You never know. At the very least you might just find a new enjoyment of white Russians. Just don't run out of non-dairy creamer. Is there a Ralph's around?
5 stars. Genius movie.
Ahh, who am I kidding? If you're a fan, you don't need me to sell you on this DVD. Hence, I shall review this movie in two parts: For fans, and for non-fans. Dudes and Un-dudes.
FOR DUDES:
The new "bowling ball" edition of Lebowski is awesome. Finally we're given the special features that we've been asking for, for years! No audio commentary track, but the Coens and the Dude himself will give you some insight to the film and its characters. After two disappointing editions, this is so overdue. Two discs, featurettes, that weird intro, Lebowskifest, an interactive map of Los Angeles, it's all here. Most of your questions will be answered, but of course not all...some mystery must always remain. Plus the bowling ball just looks cool. I have mine on my entertainment centre, and it's a conversation starter. "What is that bowling ball doing there?" It's sturdy and it houses the DVDs in two slip cases. Life does not stop and start at your convenience, so be sure to pick this up and enjoy when you can.
FOR UN-DUDES:
One important thing about this film that I must stress is, don't try to understand the plot at first. It's every bit as stupifying as anything you can think of. My feeling (and this is just my feeling) is that The Dude himself (Jeff Bridges) doesn't know what the heck is going on, so neither should you. The plot is not complicated, but your thinking about it might be very uptight. I don't nessesarily recommend that you stick to a strict drug regimen to keep you mind limber, but having a few white Russians might help.
The Dude is unemployed (or "a bum" to some) and spends most of his time having acid flashbacks and bowling with Walter (John Goodman) and Donny (Steve Buscemi). One day his home is broken into by two thugs looking for money. They have mistaken The Dude for a millionaire with the same given name: Jeff Lebowski. During this break-in, Wu micturates on The Dude's rug. That rug really tied the room together. Walter tells The Dude to try to take up the rug issue with the other Jeff Lebowski, the millionaire (David Huddleston). And then is where our tale begins.
An amazing soundtrack featuring Dylan, Santana, Costello, Sons of the Pioneers, and more backs a hilariously confusing movie about a guy in way over his head. There are a lot of facets, a lot of ins and outs, a lot of interested parties and strands to keep in Duder's head. Along the way you will meet The Stranger (Sam Elliot), Brant (Philip Seymore Hoffman), Bunny Lebowski (Tara Reid) and a group of nihilists lead by Peter Stormare. Things are complicated by the appearance of Maude Lebowski (Julianne Moore), a kidnapping, and a ransom note. Can The Dude recover the million dollars? All he wants is a finder's fee. Perferably in cash. He has to check with his accountant on this, but he's worried about being put in a higher tax, uhh, you know. All this with next round-robin of the bowling tournament starting. And The Jesus (John Turturro) is ready to take them down.
Brilliantly written, brilliantly directed, brilliantly performed. Yes, you will be confused on first watch, as it should be. By second, third, and fourth, those stands in Duder's head come together, supported by musical cues (listen for CCR), odd bits of dialogue ("Johnson") and clues. Every strand fits like a puzzle, you just need to look.
I can't recommend this movie enough. If you let it click, you too will become a Little Lebowski Urban Achiever, and perhaps even an obsessive fan, dressing up and going to conventions. You never know. At the very least you might just find a new enjoyment of white Russians. Just don't run out of non-dairy creamer. Is there a Ralph's around?
5 stars. Genius movie.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
By Steven Aldersley
TOP 50 REVIEWER
Format:Blu-ray
The Big Lebowski (Comedy, Crime)
Directed by Joel Coen and Ethan Coen
Starring Jeff Bridges, John Goodman and Steve Buscemi
Universal Studios | 1998 | 119 min | Rated R | Released Aug 16, 2011
Video:
Video codec: VC-1
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Audio:
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
French: DTS 5.1
Subtitles:
English SDH, French, Spanish
Disc:
Single 50GB Blu-ray Disc
Digital Copy
BD-Live
The Film 4/5
The Big Lebowski is essentially about mistaken identity if you care about the plot. Jeffrey Lebowski is known to his friends as The Dude (Bridges) and a gang of criminals pay him a visit thinking that he's another Lebowski who happens to be a millionaire. After they urinate on his rug, he seeks out the millionaire to claim compensation.
The millionaire's wife goes missing and the gang asks for a million dollars in ransom. The Dude is chosen as the courier.
That's about it. The plot is incidental; this is a movie about a way of life.
The Dude hangs out with two of his bowling buddies, Walter (Goodman) and Donny (Buscemi). Walter is a Vietnam veteran who has anger management issues; Donny hardly says a word and is told to shut up every time he tries to make a comment.
The Dude is a mellow kind of a guy. He shops in his robe, gets high, and talks like he's permanently stoned. Walter is a mystery to him because he is so easily annoyed. When a competing team puts a toe over the line during a bowling game, Walter pulls out a gun and insists that it is marked down as a zero. It's a league game after all.
The movie doesn't take itself too seriously and can be classed as a comedy more than anything, but the style of comedy may be different to the type you are used to. Many of the jokes are clever and subtle, and it's rare for the humor to be aimed too low.
Watching The Big Lebowski is an experience. You're never quite sure what it is or where it is going. The plot elements aren't very important, but everything adds up and provides a reason for the characters to do what they do. It's the sort of movie where nothing happens, but you find yourself thinking about it days later.
Fargo and No Country for Old Men are exceptional movies from the Coen Brothers, but many fans would argue that The Big Lebowski is better. I'm not among them, but it amuses me and I'm glad to finally own it on Blu-ray.
Video Quality 3.5/5
Although the Blu-ray is a vast upgrade over the DVD, I'm a little disappointed with the overall look. Colors are much improved and everything looks brighter and cleaner, but the VC-1 presentation could have been better. Fine detail is present in a few scenes, but is lacking for the most part. Faces in particular seem badly defined. It just about earns a passing grade, but don't expect to be dazzled.
Audio Quality 4.5/5
The English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track sounds great. The songs carry a lot more weight than in previous releases. Dialogue is clear throughout and the predominantly front-heavy mix blends well with the action. No complaints about the sound.
Special Features 4/5
Worthy Adversaries: What's My Line Trivia - A game for one or two players in which you have to supply missing dialogue from The Dude and Walter.
An Exclusive Introduction (4:40, SD)
The Dude's Life (10:08, HD)
The Dude Abides: The Big Lebowski Ten Years Later (10:26, HD)
Making of The Big Lebowski (24:35, SD)
The Lebowski Fest: An Achiever's Story (13:53, SD)
Flying Carpets and Bowling Pin Dreams: The Dream Sequences of The Dude (4:20, HD)
Interactive Map
Jeff Bridges Photo Book (17:30, HD) - Bridges took shots while filming and explains them here.
Photo Gallery (3:25, SD)
U-Control: Three features with PiP, text and a profanity counter.
Scene Companion
The Music of The Big Lebowski
Mark It, Dude
28-page digibook
The Big Lebowski is a typically quirky effort from the Coen Brothers. While not their very best work, it deserves a place in your collection. Bridges and Goodman excel in their roles and hold the whole thing together. The Blu-ray presentation enhances the experience, but not quite as much as I had hoped. The packaging is good and there's plenty of behind the scenes information if The Big Lebowski is your kind of film.
Overall score 4/5
Directed by Joel Coen and Ethan Coen
Starring Jeff Bridges, John Goodman and Steve Buscemi
Universal Studios | 1998 | 119 min | Rated R | Released Aug 16, 2011
Video:
Video codec: VC-1
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Audio:
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
French: DTS 5.1
Subtitles:
English SDH, French, Spanish
Disc:
Single 50GB Blu-ray Disc
Digital Copy
BD-Live
The Film 4/5
The Big Lebowski is essentially about mistaken identity if you care about the plot. Jeffrey Lebowski is known to his friends as The Dude (Bridges) and a gang of criminals pay him a visit thinking that he's another Lebowski who happens to be a millionaire. After they urinate on his rug, he seeks out the millionaire to claim compensation.
The millionaire's wife goes missing and the gang asks for a million dollars in ransom. The Dude is chosen as the courier.
That's about it. The plot is incidental; this is a movie about a way of life.
The Dude hangs out with two of his bowling buddies, Walter (Goodman) and Donny (Buscemi). Walter is a Vietnam veteran who has anger management issues; Donny hardly says a word and is told to shut up every time he tries to make a comment.
The Dude is a mellow kind of a guy. He shops in his robe, gets high, and talks like he's permanently stoned. Walter is a mystery to him because he is so easily annoyed. When a competing team puts a toe over the line during a bowling game, Walter pulls out a gun and insists that it is marked down as a zero. It's a league game after all.
The movie doesn't take itself too seriously and can be classed as a comedy more than anything, but the style of comedy may be different to the type you are used to. Many of the jokes are clever and subtle, and it's rare for the humor to be aimed too low.
Watching The Big Lebowski is an experience. You're never quite sure what it is or where it is going. The plot elements aren't very important, but everything adds up and provides a reason for the characters to do what they do. It's the sort of movie where nothing happens, but you find yourself thinking about it days later.
Fargo and No Country for Old Men are exceptional movies from the Coen Brothers, but many fans would argue that The Big Lebowski is better. I'm not among them, but it amuses me and I'm glad to finally own it on Blu-ray.
Video Quality 3.5/5
Although the Blu-ray is a vast upgrade over the DVD, I'm a little disappointed with the overall look. Colors are much improved and everything looks brighter and cleaner, but the VC-1 presentation could have been better. Fine detail is present in a few scenes, but is lacking for the most part. Faces in particular seem badly defined. It just about earns a passing grade, but don't expect to be dazzled.
Audio Quality 4.5/5
The English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track sounds great. The songs carry a lot more weight than in previous releases. Dialogue is clear throughout and the predominantly front-heavy mix blends well with the action. No complaints about the sound.
Special Features 4/5
Worthy Adversaries: What's My Line Trivia - A game for one or two players in which you have to supply missing dialogue from The Dude and Walter.
An Exclusive Introduction (4:40, SD)
The Dude's Life (10:08, HD)
The Dude Abides: The Big Lebowski Ten Years Later (10:26, HD)
Making of The Big Lebowski (24:35, SD)
The Lebowski Fest: An Achiever's Story (13:53, SD)
Flying Carpets and Bowling Pin Dreams: The Dream Sequences of The Dude (4:20, HD)
Interactive Map
Jeff Bridges Photo Book (17:30, HD) - Bridges took shots while filming and explains them here.
Photo Gallery (3:25, SD)
U-Control: Three features with PiP, text and a profanity counter.
Scene Companion
The Music of The Big Lebowski
Mark It, Dude
28-page digibook
The Big Lebowski is a typically quirky effort from the Coen Brothers. While not their very best work, it deserves a place in your collection. Bridges and Goodman excel in their roles and hold the whole thing together. The Blu-ray presentation enhances the experience, but not quite as much as I had hoped. The packaging is good and there's plenty of behind the scenes information if The Big Lebowski is your kind of film.
Overall score 4/5
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
I reccomend the film. I challenge you in finding the wisest guy among the entire cast of carachters. Do not miss it!
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4.5 out of 5 stars
Most recent customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Dude Abides
The grooviest, dudeist, most far out, most beloved cult film of all time!
Yah... and "that's just like your opinion man". Read more
Yah... and "that's just like your opinion man". Read more
Published 5 months ago by Mark
5.0 out of 5 stars
What's a 'title'?
I don't have time to give a review that it at least 20 words long. What's wrong with just giving a star rating?
Published 18 months ago by Richard B. Young
1.0 out of 5 stars
Disgusting
Jeffrey "The Dude" Lebowski (Jeff Bridges) is an unemployed slacker whose only interest is bowling with his moronic friends (John Goodman and Steve Buscemi). Read more
Published on May 10 2010 by Kona
5.0 out of 5 stars
Hilarious
A wonderful cult classic, full of witty dialogue and anecdotes that give the film a personality of its own. Read more
Published on Oct 20 2009 by Joost
5.0 out of 5 stars
well acted, well directed. Intricate comedy.
The Cohen brothers are great in directing a talent group of actors. Every time you see it , you see something different.
Published on Aug 18 2009 by Jamil Musa Kalim
5.0 out of 5 stars
Jeff aka 'The Dude'
I adore Jeff Bridges. He's stellar, and he knocked it out of the park playing 'The Dude'. I loved the dark quirkiness of the flick. Read more
Published on Mar 5 2009 by All About Music
4.0 out of 5 stars
Under Appreciated
At first viewing you will not be sure what to make of this. Watch it again and the charm and humour will shine through. Read more
Published on Jun 13 2007 by Finn McCool
5.0 out of 5 stars
Absolute comic brilliance, Dude
The Big Lebowski is a work of comic genius; it's one of the funniest movies I've ever seen. Jeff Bridges is hilarious as "the Dude," a pretty simple guy whose life goes all kinds... Read more
Published on Sep 5 2006 by Daniel Jolley
5.0 out of 5 stars
Comedy
I think I am preaching to the choir on this one but The Big Lebowski is one of the greatest comedies ever made.
This is a movie of dialogue and characters. Read more
This is a movie of dialogue and characters. Read more
Published on Aug 10 2006 by SRM
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of the best movies ever!!
This movie rocks.. Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Steve Buscemi and Peter Stormare!! Put them togheter in a movie and you'll get a masterpiece. Read more
Published on April 4 2006 by Micke
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