Absolutely Fantastic

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

Yes, absolutely, there is fun to be had, as well as many, many things to go boom, all amid an atmospheric urban jungle.

I've seen quite a few comments questioning why this movie is so highly rated. I remember it fondly from my childhood and re-watched it recently after seeing a spoof of it in Season 7 of the Family Guy. I didn't recall the movie being so short (though I like 1:30 movies), actually kind of boring, and an ending that doesn't make a whole lot of sense. But to answer the question about why it is liked, I suspect many of the individuals who rank this movie very highly are men and possibly were kids in the 80s. That fits my description. The 4 kids in the movie were just a couple years younger than me, though at the time they acted my age. Every kid had a group they hung out with and being 12 or so is about the most carefree time of your life. I never had an adventure quite like this, was never bullied to this extreme, but we did explore the woods, uncover cool stuff, admit our vulnerabilities, joke around, and even cry. Add in a narrator, and some cool 50s music, 4 kids you would want to hang out with (even if they would never be actual friends in real life) and you pretty much can't go wrong. Thus the 8 star rating I gave the movie. Sentimentality wins in this movie.However, in terms of actual entertainment, it falls a little short. It is interesting, sentimental, and overall a neat story that is worth watching. But it does not deserve a 9 or 10 rating in my opinion.One big question I've never seen answered anywhere is why did the kids want the body so bad? Why were they willing to be terribly beat up or even killed for it? Then willing to kill others for it. Only to then just leave it and call it in? This makes no sense. Why did the bullies not just wait and jump the kids or sneak up from behind, there were over 7 of them?!? Finally in the recap there was no mention of Kiefer's character getting revenge (thanks, Family Guy). He said this is not over, but did he just move on with his life? Did he suddenly have a religious experience and forgiveness? Did both cars crash on the way back home that day and all of them died? There's a huge hole in the end of this movie that really frustrated me to the point I almost lowered this move that was treasured in my mind down to 7 stars. Well, ultimately many movies have plot holes and the positives of this movie and the very last scene where Richard Dreyfus types the final 2 lines of his book convinced me to keep it at 8 stars so that is that.

'Stand By Me' is a moving coming-of-age film, with brilliant directing by Rob Reiner and commendable acting from its young cast. This film may have it's few little flaws, but they are ultimately overlooked by the amount of heart in this movie. This film had me emotionally invested from the first scene and has resonated deeply within me. I have never watched a movie before that made me ponder so much about my own life and feel intense feelings of nostalgia. The simple, yet captivating story allows this film to focus on it's complex and relatable characters, which are all played superbly by the child actors. The two supporting characters out of the foursome, played by Corey Feldman and Jerry O'Connell, are not exactly likeable in the way you'd expect them to be, it's really the two main characters, played brilliantly by Wil Wheaton and River Phoenix, that are the highlight of the film and beautifully represent childhood friendships. When combined with Reiner's smart directing, striking cinematography by Thomas Del Ruth and the great selection of 50's music, you get a near-perfect and beautiful film about childhood, innocence, and death.

I love this movie with all my heart, I gives you this warm welcoming feeling of childhood seeping through you... And it reminds you how you made the same jokes and kind of the same friends while growing up. I love the atmosphere, the writing, cinematography, acting and music! I also think this movie works because I am a HUGE fan of Stephen king. I do not think this movie should be rated R though...

This is a film based on one of Stephen King's works, albeit a shorter one. What makes this movie great is how authentic it is. My only complaint is that I don't like to see the image of these kids smoking. It's also a little too short, but still good. Over the years, I saw clips of this film and was certainly glad to see the whole thing. The movie is narrated by one of the characters as an adult kind of like "A Christmas Story" or "The Sandlot". I do love movies like that with feature kids acting so realistically. This takes place in the 1950's, but I feel as though it's truly timeless. It's basically one scene after another of these kids doing stuff like swimming, roasting marshmallows and running. I guess Stephen King is pretty fond of bullies. I am reminded of the thugs from "It" especially with how tough they were. With so many "Children Of The Corn" movies, great to see a wonderful Stephen King movie. ***1/2