So I’ve seen and loved a lot of Coen Brothers movies, but not this one, which is super-ancient, from like 1987. Mostly this is due to Nic Cage, whom I hate; partly it’s due to it being so old I just never thought about watching it. But at any rate, now I have.

Verdict: It’s pretty okay, but not great.

BUT… the thing is, that is my verdict on every Coen Bros. movie right after I watch it. And then like two months later, I am all, “holy shit that movie was awesome.” So I do not believe my verdict yet. What I will say is that it seemed a bit broader and slapstickier than their later works. If the Coen Brothers were Neal Stephenson (they’re not), then The Big Lebowski would be Cryptonomicon, Fargo would be Snow Crash, and this would be The Big U. You may ponder that analogy at length.