80s Movie Review - The 'Burbs

Director: Joe Dante
Genre: Comedy
Runtime: 102 minutes
Year: 1989
Starring: Tom Hanks, Carrie Fisher, Rick Ducommun, Corey Feldman, Bruce Dern, Wendy Schaal, Henry Gibson, Brother Theodore, Courtney Gains, Gale Gordon, Dick miller, Robert Picardo, Cory Danzinger, Franklyn Ajaye, Rance Howard

Description: An overstressed suburbanite (Tom Hanks) and his paramilitaric neighbor (Bruce Dern) struggle to prove their paranoid theory that the new family in town is a front for a cannibalistic cult.

Review: Before Tom Hanks got his fame and showed his acting talent in movies like “Saving Private Ryan”, “Forrest Gump” and “The Green Mile”, he was known for his comedies. “The ‘Burbs” is a typical example. It’s a light somewhat dark comedy, with themes like xenophobia, suburbia and neighborly fights. The movie is set in the American suburbs. It’s a quiet street, almost idyllic. But that peace is disturbed when the mysterious Klopek family moves in. Some of the neighbors don’t trust the Klopeks and decide to investigate it.
The story is simple and not spectacular. But the movie has more to offer than meets the eye. The power is in the lively characters. They all look like ordinary people, living their life in the suburbs. The arrival of the Klopeks, who have a different way of life, show us the true colors of the other neighbors. It all starts with the always hungry Art Weingartner and the eccentric and patriotic soldier Mark Rumsfeld. They drag Ray Peterson (Tom Hanks), the most sceptic of the three, into this too. Soon they don’t only see the Klopeks as strange and eccentric, but also as devil worshippers and killers who bury people in their yard. The fun thing is that as a viewer you’re constantly shifting between two thoughts: Are the Klopeks really murderers or are they just a little different from the rest and need their privacy.
The humor is hilarious and sometimes even in the category slapstick. But thanks to Tom Hanks it’s never absurd.
“The ‘Burbs” is a fun and very good comedy, that I can enjoy over and over again. It’s an underestimated movie and probably also overlooked. Definitely the funniest movie Tom Hanks has been in.

Rating: 5/ 5