I understand why people are panning this film. It's extremely off the beaten path. Hollywood does replication and repetitiveness very well. There are so few new ideas. That's why we see endless remakes of comic films and outer space franchises. How man Bond films are there? By the way, this is nothing new. The earliest films in America were inspired, in part or in whole, by other, earlier works. As film viewers, we've become accustomed to this paradigm. So much so, as evidenced in other user reviews, when we don't get it, we get upset. "Poolman" is an odd film. I don't think anyone would dispute that. But it's odd on purpose. Pine was clearly sending up old tropes, like the ones the Sam Spade films, and "Chinatown". This film is not typical Hollywood fodder. I enjoyed the breath of fresh air and a tongue firmly planted in cheek. :-D.

source: Poolman

Jumped on renting this when it started streaming, and happy I did. I would have paid to see it in a theater. I knew there would be something here, something worth seeing. Maybe I was more open due to all the negative talk or just trusted that Chris Pine set out to create something interesting. It's absurd, silly, confusing and also enjoyable with moments of heartfelt earnestness - and absolutely carried by it's amazing cast of legendary actors! It's camp, parody, weird and wacky, and I enjoyed not knowing where it was going. When I let go and went on the ride it got better. A film that doesn't take itself too seriously is refreshing. I hope Pine and the cast had fun making it. I had fun watching it and the twist ending paid off. It's interesting just by existing.

I giggled a little, laughed some, and had a straight poker face in some scenes. But for the most part, I was entertained. It took me away from the harsh realities in life and for me, the movie did its job. Chris Pine loves to do these bizarre, eccentric, and sometimes crazy characters, I believe that's his charm that gets people into the movie seats and pay to watch him. But to my surprise, he also directed this movie! It's not a perfect movie, BUT, it also wasn't a hard movie to watch so don't believe some of the bad reviews written about it. This is not Ishtar, the worst movie ever made in my opinion. The best scene was with Pine and the always great and dependable character actor, Stephen Toblowski. You all might remember him in the movie Memento in flashback scenes where he injected his wife multiple shots of insulin because Guy Pearces character thought he was lieing about his short term memory loss. That scene alone with both of them was enough for me to recommend the movie.

Watching this movie was like ordering a 100% irish ground beef burger with jalepinos, mozarella cheese, caramelized onions, lettuce on pickels and fries on a side, but when it finally arrives, 1 hour and 45 minutes after you ordered it, you hungrily bite into it and all you can taste is wet newspaper...and not just any newspaper, i'm talking last years edition of some high-school identity crisis project. Now you know what this movie is like. I love chris pine and his acting is always on point, so i waited for this movie to become available for 6 months at least, but this movie was hard to watch it was horrible. I mean acting was fine, i kinda feel like actors did exactly what they were told to do, and they did it well, but somehow this jagged piece of movie "performing" was not held well together by the story. I can see why directing wanted to be a bit quirky and all, but story was delivered in such a flat and unexiting way that i can't even describe it. Boring, pointless and silly (in a bad way).

Old slacker, neckbearded and lazy, living in a storage shed with his "mama and papa" to support his hippy lifestyle. This is the drivel that Hollywood cranks out by the petabyte and they expect people to buy into the trash because they tossed in a few old actors and told them to look as ham-handed as possible. It is hard to sympathize with a surf bum that has no surf--no job a small swimming pool and an entitled attitude. Your time would be better spent learning to become a bulemic or trying to develop your skill at stabbing cockroaches with an olive fork. Look up "Dothistroma needle blight" and you'll see an easily-spread Pine fungus, the same as you'd get from sitting through a sauna watching this horse-wreck of a video.

Wow! What a ride! This is a true masterpiece, although it may not be for everyone. A glass or two can help you relax and enjoy this opulent, crazy example of embracing life, no matter what challenges come your way. It's a film that celebrates the unpredictability of life and encourages you to have fun and be happy, whether you're watching it or not. The detective story woven into the plot adds an intriguing layer of mystery and suspense. So sit back, take a deep breath and let yourself be swept away by the sheer joy and exuberance of this unique cinematic experience. I'm going to be a 'Poolman'! Peace.

I think Chris Pine's intention was to create an homage to LA noir movies of yesteryear peppered with a bit of crime, a bit of mystery and a bit of dark comedy. Trouble is I don't think any of it landed. The movie looks good. It's well shot and has the visual feel I imagine was intended. The plot, rather than being intriguing and complex is an absolute mess, the comedy doesn't land and Pine's attempts to create a deep and tragic lead just result in an annoying, waffling buffoon. The cast is pretty underused in my opinion. Annette Benning, Danny DeVito and Jennifer Jason-Leigh should be offering plenty of clout but really are bit parts. Not for me I'm afraid.

Desperately screaming 'I love and understand Los Angeles', dire stylized dramedy "Poolman" tries laying a veneer of "The Big Lebowski" (without its natural charm) over a twisty plot based on "Chinatown" (that it homages). Titular pool-cleaner Chris Pine (a retro hippie with OCD - sigh) is on a social activism drive (supported by Annette Bening, Danny DeVito, Jennifer Jason Leigh, DeWanda Wise & John Ortiz) against city councillor Stephen Tobolowsky... which pulls him into that shady convoluted plot which also involves the likes of Clancy Brown & Ray Wise. Pine's a fine actor, but his debut as director / co-writer (with fellow debutant Ian Gotler) sucks. Drain it away.

I sat through it and thought the acting was good. I'd even be willing to watch it a second time. It has very good cinematography, the shots are very vivid, I think that the movie went over some people's heads, I didn't even know what I was getting into when I first saw the movie, but it was clearly not meant to be a serious drama. The people who don't like this movie thought it was supposed to be Blade Runner, or Bullet or China Town. You should really give this movie a chance, obviously there are better things to watch, but if you are just watching t.v. For fun, not a space epic then this really isn't a bad movie, it's like a 7/10 at worst.