Review by Bob Ignizio
I know I saw the original 1981 ARTHUR starring Dudley Moore in the title role around the time it was originally released. I'm also pretty sure I thought it was funny at the time, but I was eleven, so who can say for sure. Such nostalgic memories of my youth tend to be suspect as I recently learned the hard way watching LOVE AT FIRST BITE for the first time in decades. I'll probably ignore this lesson and watch the original ARTHUR again sooner or later, but for now, my poor memory allows me to assess this 2011 remake strictly on its own merits.
Arthur (Russell Brand) is the completely irresponsible and terminally sloshed heir to the Bach family fortune. To what degree he can, he squanders his wealth doing things like buying the Batmobile and giving money to strangers. It's his way of getting back at his mother Vivienne (Geraldine James) for never being a true parent to her son. The closest thing Arthur has to real friends and family are his driver Bitterman (Luis Guzman) and his nanny Hobson (Helen Mirren).
