Junior [HD]

Charming & Funny? Inconceivable!
Arnold Schwarzenegger is probably my favorite movie star. For my money, there is no greater action hero. I think I enjoy him even more, though, in his lighter, more comedic movies. Take "Junior," for example. It is one of the most charming, delightful and funny films I've seen in a long time. Arnold proves once again that he is as comfortable and self-assured in high concept comedy as he is in high octane action. This film is a real winner.

Schwarzenegger stars as Dr. Alex Hesse, a biochemist doing research on a revolutionary new wonder drug that eliminates miscarriages. Helping him to develop "Expectane" is Dr. Larry Arbogast (Danny DeVito), an obstetrician and fertility doctor. Their project is jeopardized, though, when the FDA refuses to give them approval. The university cuts off their funding, kicks them out and turns their lab over to Dr. Diana Reddin (Emma Thompson).

Fearing the loss of a potential fortune, Arbogast convinces Alex to test the drug on...

Lots of Laughs
At first I really didn't want to see this movie but was forced into it,much like Alex Hesse (schwarzenegger) was talked into doing an illegal scientific experiment on himself by his collegue Larry Arbogast (DeVito).

Alex has invented a wonderful new drug to help women who tend to have miscarriages.After the FDA won't approve expectane and the university kicks him out of their lab Alex decides to move back to europe.Larry talks him into doing an experiment on himself so that they can get funding for more research.And after they get enough data they'll end it and noone will ever know.

But the problem is Alex gets attatched to his unborn baby and continues taking the expectane without Larry knowing,of course he eventually does find out and aggrees to help him.

Along the way though Alex falls in love with Dr. Diana Reddin (Thompson) and she has a key role in the movie so pay attention in the resturant scene.

I don't understand why so many people didn't enjoy this film.Maybe it's...

Ivan Reitman's study of inversion
Without question, an under-rated, subversive, classic farce, and a study of total inversion. Examples of the latter include

Arnold - the Last Action Hero becomes a sensitive "Mommy"?

Danny DeVito - usually plays the heavy; now plays the major sympathetic role in the movie

Emma Thompson - takes a break from the Shakespeare in favor of physical comedy

As many other reviewers have stated, this movie is also a realistic and side-splitting look at pregnancy.

The subversion is its underlying pro-life theme: "My body, my choice", inverted. This is so politically incorrect that I often wonder how Reitman got away with it.

To the Aussies who reviewed this a while back: What the hell were you expecting? A Predator sequel, maybe? Yeah, I remember when I had my first beer.....

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