Simply A Masterpiece

Crappy film

Entertaining from beginning to end, it maintains the spirit of the franchise while establishing it's own seal with a fun cast

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

Krippendorf's Tribe came out at a time when Hollywood had an obsession with jungles and tribe's people. Look at some of the films of the 90s: Jumanji, The Jungle book (live action), Jungle 2 Jungle, The Wild Thornberrys.Krippendorf's Tribe is a fairly silly knockabout comedy. To be honest it's pretty much done by numbers and predictable. Unfortunately, it suffers from the same fate a lot of comedies suffer from too much sexual humour to make it suitable for anyone younger than a teenage audience and it lacks the depth that adults want from films.Dreyfuss puts in a great performance as always and is convincing as the professor out of his depth. After Mr Holland's Opus you can see why many critics thought this film beneath him. Jenna Elfman is great alongside Dreyfuss and the two have chemistry. Much like Cameron Diaz in The Mask, she can do sexy as well as handle some of the more goofy farcical comedy.In recent years this film has been accused of being racist. While it is hard to deny that this film does stereotype tribes from Papua New Guinea, I don't think the film was intended to cause offence. The film is dated for a film from 1998 it feels like it could have been made 10 years earlier.While no masterpiece I found this film funny in places and entertaining throughout. With a less capable cast this film would have been an absolute stinker though. Look out for an early appearance from Mila Kunis as well.Worth a watch.

Krippendorf's Tribe (1998): Dir: Todd Holland / Cast: Richard Dreyfuss, Jenna Elfman, Gregory Smith, Natasha Lyonne, Lily Tomlin: The tribe speculated upon regards a family to its hero in a recycled idea that worked well in Tootsie. Richard Dreyfuss stars as a single parent who has until evening to complete a speech regarding his tribal research. He convinces the board with a phony video of his family playing a tribe in their backyard. Jenna Elfman wishes to broadcast his success so he gets her drunk and involves her in a mating ritual that she will eventually see on the news. Meanwhile there are those whom do not buy the act and set out to prove him a fraud. Recycled concept fully formula with a conceited ending. Director Todd Holland does well with the film's amateur appeal. Dreyfuss and Elfman have fine comic chemistry that translates the only decent comic payoff in the entire charade. Gregory Smith and Natasha Lyonne have the misfortune of playing the reluctant children but their roles are typical and far from elevated. The biggest waste is the usually funny Lily Tomlin playing someone attempting to expose Krippendorf as a fraud by searching for the real tribe. With only its leads pulling through it is a wonder that it couldn't muster up a single original idea. Familiar premise leaves viewers with little other than to wonder what the Krippendorf yard sale would look like. Score: 3 / 10

I think this is a great film for anthropology students. It demonstrates many of the hypocricies that exist within academia as well as the types of pressures that many professionals feel within the field. I also think it's a great introductory example for anthropology students regarding ethics, structures of cultures, and the nature of our own culture (how we justify normally taboo items).I show it to my Introduction to Anthropology students every year. They laugh, they ask questions, and they appreciate the film. I recommend it. I've used it for years in Anthropology classes - I have students analyze the Shelmikedmud and come up with more cultural traits. I then follow by having them simulate the type of cultural creations that scifi writers do - creating their own alien cultures.

I laughed a lot at this film! I have always loved Richard Dreyfus, and Jenna Elfman plays her role in this movie with a Lucille Ball-like zaniness. Like Dreyfus she has the ability to play drama as well as comedy. I can't understand how some of the other reviews are so harsh. Maybe you need to know what to expect when you sit down to watch this movie. Don't try to take the story too seriously. For example, if you're an anthropologist in real life, don't try to compare it to reality. Separate yourself from your day job, and don't take the jokes personally. It is a wild and crazy movie that is no more about the real life field of anthropology than "Scrubs" is about medicine. Lighten up, have a beer, relax, and you will enjoy this movie. Slapstick comedy has its place in the entertainment field. Don't spoil it for the rest of us who still enjoy this genre.