Review of What Dreams May Come (1998) by Justin S — 07 Feb 2012

Before reading any further just know that I am a sucker for a tear jerker, and so I may have found this movie much more fulfilling than the average movie goer. I'm also a big Robin Williams fan...and I dig far out concepts. Boom. This movie was made for my demographic.

Quick synopsis for those who are unsure of whether or not they want to see this movie: Robin Williams loses some important people in his life (aka they die) and he's left coping with this with his wife. But then, Robin dies too. So he goes on this spiritual journey to find all of the loved ones in his life, traveling through heaven and hell and after life places. It's phenomenal. Oh, and Cuba Gooding Jr. helps him out.

Whenever a new thing reveals itself (trying to remain vague) it felt fantastic, and emotional, and like I was on this journey. I was journeying with Robin Williams. And it was awesome.

This movie felt very fresh to me, and as I watched it I felt like I was watching a movie that had never been made before and was a completely unique imagining of what life after death is like. Also, watching the characters deal with their losses feels real and believable and makes the rewarding moments that much more special.

Probably what people might not enjoy about this movie is that at times it can come off as cheesy, although with what the movie is about you'd expect a lot more cheesiness than it provides. Again, I get caught up real easily in a sad story so maybe take my view on the cheesiness of the film with a grain of salt. I also at one point in my life enjoyed a movie called 'The Last Song' which I think is universally recognized as awful.

To me this was just a pleasant watch and it made me feel really good in the end. There were a lot of great moments and I think the story is just a perfect tale that is fantastical but also relatable. I'd say go enjoy this, but probably alone is the best way to watch it. You don't want people ruining it with their jokes and bad vibes. Also, you don't want people to see your tears.