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Powerful

good film but with many flaws

Disapointment

Admirable film.

I'm no fan of Chevy Chase. I've never thought he was very funny, since his "humor" is mostly like John Ritter's in "Three's Company"—making faces and falling down. However, I was nostalgic for the early 1980s so I decided to watch "Modern Problems". Big mistake.First, I knew the movie would be bad almost immediately because of the opening shot. During the 1980s, many directors used a gimmick in which they would slowly pan through the set during the opening sequence and focus on what they thought were funny things. About the only movie in which it worked was "Back to the Future", otherwise it's a sure sign that a bad movie is beginning. Second, the plot—Chevy Chase's character (air traffic controller Max Fielder) acquiring telekinetic powers while driving past a truck full of nuclear waste—is something that even high school sophomores are too sophisticated to accept. Third was Chase himself, doing interminable mugging for the camera in his best Jim Carrey impersonation. I could continue, but those three things sank the movie almost immediately for me. Watching it was 90 minutes I'd really like to have back.Fielder's use of his new powers was to inflict cruelty and embarrassment on people after his breakup with girlfriend Darcy (Patti D'Arbanville). The result is simply cringe-inducing, because a lot of the story is quite sadistic and not funny at all. Dabney Coleman and D'Arbanville give the movie its only life as Chase's romantic rival and girlfriend, although I could have done without a view of Coleman's bare rear end. I may take trips down memory lane to the early 1980s again, but I won't do it by watching "Modern Problems". Chase's dumb "Vacation" films look like Shakespeare compared to this thoroughly idiotic movie.

My husband and I have loved this hilarious movie since it came out years ago! The people who gave a bad rating seemed so negative and up tight. There are so many funny scenes that are just priceless. Dabney Coleman is great. This has to be one of his classic roles. He has so many funny lines, what a character! His line "I'm a damn good looking man" is an all time favorite! Chevy is just great being Chevy. He always makes me laugh and has such a great dry sense of humor. Nell Carter as Dorita is just a charm with her voodoo. What a character! All the actors are so perfect and funny. I recommend this to everyone who likes a funny, quirky and great movie from our past! Enjoy it like we have all these years!

Being a Chevy Chase fan I might cut this one a little more slack, but even so there's no denying there's more cold side-effects than are hot ones in this early, but quite minor leading Chase vehicle (which two years later the very successful and iconic 'Vacation' would follow).Coming from the feature is a cruel, rude and mean-spirited vibe (which was done better in Martin Scorsese's 1985 dark comedy 'After Hours') that sees Chase in quite a dreary cloud of sappiness and finding himself in one degrading mishap after another and to cap it off his girlfriend has just left him because of his clingy nature. One night while driving his car behind a truck, the context in the tanker (nuclear waste) ends up on him giving the abilities of telekinesis and a nice green glow. He then begins use this power in ridding any sort of obstacles that get in the way of reuniting with his ex-girlfriend (which is beautifully played by Patti D'Arbanville).With a better script (which includes plenty of sexual innuendo), it could have been so much more, but while the cast (featuring Dabney Coleman, Nell Carter, Mary Kay Place and Brian Doyle-Murray) do the best. The one-joke script lets them down. The humour is mainly off the mark, as it never rises above the superfluous material and characters are not particularly engaging (especially Chase's loathsome character). It's a story were the humour contributes, rather than just being there for the sake of it, however it's a awkward mess of staged ideas and plastered visual gags. The special effects are modest, pacing is flat, style seems bland and the film looks quite murky. There's a real lack of passion, but director Ken Shapiro is saved by a few amusing (brisk, but enjoyable) comedic inclusions. But in the end these peculiar touches just weren't enough.Far from a laugh-riot with a little too much dead space, but 'Modern Problems' remains barely a passable throwaway.

Chevy Chase plays a self defeatist chump very well, i'd have preferred him to be more fletch-esquire and confident but hey, he has to vary the characters some times.it's an OK plot and the characters are well defined, which unfortunately makes their reactions predictable to the smart viewer.Reminds me of "the man with two brains" not sure why it just has that strangeness to it.The other reviewer must have some sort of attitude problem, yes you are meant to take it as a joke, it's not a serious nose bleed, he didn't actually have a gun, they are JOKES, you said it yourself