Arthur (2011) starring Russell Brand and Helen Mirren. Occasionally, I enjoy watching trailers for flop films.

The original is on YouTube for free watching. I don't understand this film but the filmmakers made NYC look great.

Brand looks frightening/ghastly in this film. Did the filmmakers understand the original film or were they on some sort of controlled substance while watching it?

Russell Brand’s entire career is a big question mark to me. He’s untalented, unfunny, abrasive, ugly and has drug addict energy.

Dame Helen has often been known to base her choice of role on the size of the paycheck, bless her.

Saint Greta Gerwig also made the choice to be in this.

I’m with R3. I never thought I could hate him more. Boy am I wrong. And the wonderful Helen Mirren! Why did you choose to do this turkey of a remake?! With no-nothing Brand as the lead, no less! Very disappointed.

The original was perfect. I think the screenplay is still being taught in writing classes. It never should have been remade.

Sorry the original Arthur was shit.

I wouldn’t touch the remake with a 20 ft pole.

Why was Brand pushed so hard as a movie star in the US? He was given way too many movies. Did he blow Weinstein? Bring women to Weinstein or some other bigwigs? He’s disgusting. He can’t act. He looks filthy. It’s pretty obvious he wears black contact lenses and black kohl around his eyes to make himself look more awful.

Somebody in Hollywood looked at him and said, “Movie star!”

Comedies are more enjoyable with a funny star.

The original was saved by the amusing then touching relationship between Dudley Moore and John Gielgud. Liza Minnelli was terribly miscast in a role that should have been played by someone younger. She did what she could, but she threw off the film for me. There’s some droll dialogue, made to sound wittier than it was by Gielgud’s impeccable delivery and sonorous voice. I don’t find drunks funny, so the scenes where Arthur is drunk seemed embarrassing to me, not clever or loving. The basic story seemed like something Capra would have done in 90 minutes in the thirties, maybe with Carole Lombard or Jean Arthur and someone like Lee Tracy as Arthur. The sequel was even worse and too repetitive of the plot of the first. The remake seems to have missed the point that the core of the story is the protagonist learning to be a good Don to his substitute father. Casting Mirren made jo sense and robbed the film of its gendered story. And why were we supposed to care about these shallow rich folk. My Man Godfrey had some heart, at least.

I couldn’t stand that movie. There was nothing funny about Dud’s alcoholic.

The original Arthur was based on Keith Moon. Moon adopted a persona of a British aristocrat, speaking in a posh accent, calling people “dear boy” and was waited on by his chauffeur/butler Dougal. It wasn’t much of a stretch to imagine a real aristocrat behaving outrageously. Being Hollywood, the movie would have to pivot to a happy ending, so a Cinderella story was tacked onto the concept. Poor girl captures the heart of drunken aristocrat despite the fact she’s an unattractive, uninteresting thieving liar.

That’s Hollywood.

I didn’t know there had been a remake. Having watched this trailer, I’m happy that I missed it.

I bet the klan grannies like it. Facebook is annoying but it has become unbearable with the klan grannies caping for Russell brand

The studio originally wanted Ricky Gervais to star in the remake and he flat out refused as he thought it was pointless to remake a perfectly good movie.

Christopher Cross has the voice of an angel, but I'd love to hear Liza's take on it.

I disagree with the Liza miscast opinions. Seriously - the shop lifting / bus scene is amazing! Give it another look and prove me wrong. :)

Both original Arthur movies are available for free to watch on YouTube. I never watched anything with Russell Brand, no interest in the performer

R17 That was great. Liza,, Dudley and Gielgud. I forgot how much I loved that movie!

Dudley and Liza had wonderful chemistry, even in the sequel.