Captain Fantastic [DVD]

Great movie. A modern classic.

SPOILER ALERT, please don’t read this if you don’t want the plot of the story to be reveal pre-viewing. Viggo Mortensen - basically - if you like Viggo, you’re gonna love this movie. If you’re banking on it being part of the Marvel or DC verse, think again. Viggo basically is a father with morals trying to raise kids without outside influences from modern day society (and achieving great things with most of them). His estranged wife, who is suffering from some kind of mental illness, is away from her family for treatment at a hospital and whilst there dies, the insinuation is that she has actually ended her own life. Her conventional and extremely judgmental parent’s, prepare their daughter for burial ignoring the wishes laid down officially in her last will and testament, whilst Viggo and the kids embark on an epic journey of discovery (on the kid’s part) to reclaim the corpse of their mother/wife, to allow THEM to fulfil her last wishes of cremation (after which her ashes should be flushed down a public toilet!). I enjoyed it’s bittersweet nature and all the up’s and down’s any average family would encounter in the experiences of becoming self-sufficient and going back to basics. It’s a believable performance from both Viggo and all the great little actors playing the family kids too. Recommended.

Good movie...I really love Viggo - have seen most of his films. The whole premise of this film was interesting. Well done.

For me, this film has become my number one top film of all time

A thought provoking film.

Great film, lots of laughs and a brilliant storyline. Thoroughly enjoyable way to spend the evening!

Easy watch movie

Brilliant!

Wonderful story about a very unconventual family living in isolation in the dense west coast forests of the USA. The mother dies and the family leaves the security of their forest home to fulfil the wishes in her will. Conflict with her parents results in chaos which is resolved in a unique and entertaining movie. Highly recommend it.

Great movie not for consevative people. Open minded parents should watch it.

I haven't had time to watch this one yet but am so happy to have received it and at a great price. This movie was ignored by audiences a couple of years ago and it's too bad because they missed out on a superlative film with a standout Oscar nominated performance by Viggo Mortensen. I guess a better title would have gotten more people into theatres maybe. But this is one film not to miss. It's exceptional.

Ce film est une réalisation inspirée et quelque peu idéalisée d'un couple d'érudits qui décide de fonder une famille en sortant du système. Ils vivent dans la nature de manière heureuse, instruite, survivaliste et critique du système jusqu'au jour où... Tout bouscule alors et la société américaine (a commencer par leur famille) leur rentre dedans sans ménagement. Un bonne critique de notre mode de vie ainsi que de l'intolérance de la société néolibérale qui est incapable d'accepter des modes de vie alternatifs qui pourraient remettre en cause son bien fondé.

Captain Fantastic is certainly a unique and deeply refreshing movie. Throw away the Hollywood formula books. It’s not in any of them. It is about choosing to live an examined life – moment by moment, and, more than that, about how one might raise children to join with you in examining their lives as well. Toss in a very rocky landscape of plot devices and near-insurmountable obstacles (symbolized at one point by the sheer rock face that the family climb together as a unit --- great scene, by the way, and one of many). As the story unfolds, the family fall under the microscope while undergoing what for them is the ultimate stress test --- a journey to their mother’s parents’ home in New Mexico. Join Captain Fantastic and his six children on their quirky and tragic, yet ultimately illuminating and liberating road trip across the consciousness of America (as it were). I think I could not have been anything but endeared to a family who discuss string theory as a home school assignment around the campfire at night and celebrate Noam Chomsky Day as an alternative to Christmas, and as an occasion for the exchange of paleo-lifestyle themed gifts. Have you examined your life recently? If so (or if not), you had better see Captain Fantastic now! REWATCHABLE +++ From the film: “My face is mine. My hands are mine. My mouth is mine. But I am not. I am yours.”