User Reviews

Superior dramedy plays to it's strength using the modest budget and exceptional cast to weave it's moving tale. The screenplay, cinematography and soundtrack are king here with superb direction and pacing to land every emotional blow, "action sequence" and comedic moment with expert timing. Perhaps a little too "third acty" towards the end but the funeral scene song really gives you a boost!

[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]

Hace que uno se plantea si lo está haciendo bien y mucha mucha cosa más , una bonita storia una buena película

This was a pretty great movie that had some really well done emotional moments that can get you teary. I also enjoyed the questions that in asked in regards to mental illness, society and how and who should raise the children and what would be the best for them (can they fit in, etc). It had some incredibly well shot scenes and I definitely recommend this even though the ending left much to be desired. Great performance by everyone and also some pretty hilarious and chad moments.

I’ve watched this film a couple times now and each time I appreciate it more than the last. To capture the embodiment of what the film is portraying is difficult to comprehend but downright beautiful and terrifying at the same time. Although the rhythm of the film doesn’t hit every beat, the punches it delivers can take your breath away and make you second guess what, “legacy”means to the human spirit.

This is both a lighthearted and dramatic tale about a family living off the grid and growing into better human beings because of it. Mistakes are made, because any ideology is not perfect, however the filmmaker makes a strong case for returning to our roots and spending our time becoming more capable versions of ourselves.

A must see! Thoughtful and gripping storytelling. I feel so thankful and lucky that I stumbled upon this wonderful cinematic work. Also glad that I went to the cinema to see it, because finally I could support something that I truly want to see more of in the world. Beautiful stories well told.

Sin relación con el Captain Fantastic de Elton John, Viggo Mortensen fue la mejor opción para interpretar a un padre que hace lo mejor posible para demostrar que puede, a pesar de lo cuestionable de sus métodos, cumplir con su compromiso. Una buena opción para celebrar el día del padre.

That movie doesn’t work. It was based on a good idea, but it is written so poorly it ruins the whole movie. They are so bad at exploiting ideas. One of the main ideas is the critic of modern society. We get it but do they have to push this narrative so hard? With kids talking like literary students, with the cardio of athletes who like to do extreme mountain climbing as a family activity. And of course they have to throw every Marxist clichés in the book, it doesn’t fit the narrative. If only Viggo’s character was Nietzschian, it would have made sense. A Nietzschian father trying to raise his child to become superhuman. Then they could have played with the idea of when is it okay to follow an ideology and when is dangerous. Instead they throw some Marxist clichés who don’t really make sense in this context. Every time they could have done something interesting, they close the door. Like in the restaurant scene, when the young children’s ask about pancake and cola. It would have been a great opportunity to have a scene where the father is confronted by his children who realized that this is good food and that their father might not be right. Instead they finish that scene abruptly and go with the hunting scene that make absolutely no sense.

Simply excellent, a must see! A really well written story with really engaging characters. Acting and direction is great throughout!

Sometimes borderline ridiculous, but 'Captain Fantastic' (nice Elton John reference) is genuinely filled with fun, peppered with moments of intelligence. I liked these characters and the interactions they had with each other as they tried to answer the question, 'What does it mean to be normal in society?' A real good cast and crew on this one.

Um olhar desafiante às estruturas da vida. É também um filme cheio de amor. Viggo Mortensen interpreta um dos melhores pais do cinema.

I'm just not impressed with the pot shots at average people being dismissed as fat, stupid, and deluded. The arrogance of the script is so loud it's deafening. I'd love to make a rebuttal but that's the nature of movies - you have to sit and watch. Captain Fantastic was torture.

A la manière d’un Mosquito Coast, on suit dans cette chienlit de deux plombes le papa gaucho strict et sévère qui élève en pleine nature sa smala de 6 mômes… on dirait Mélenchon en Bolivie et sa vie de merde au milieu de nulle part, toujours en train de haranguer ses ouailles et de critiquer le « système »… Toutefois, sa femme étant décédée, il faut bien aller aux funérailles et se heurter aux réalités du monde moderne ainsi qu’à la belle-famille… et ceux-là ne portent pas forcément les méthodes de l’anarcho-gauchiste dans leur coeur ! Mais qu’importe, car papa mao a réponse à tout sur l’éducation qu’il prodigue à sa descendance et ce, entre quelques séances de guimauve obligatoire particulièrement assommantes (la môman de la marmaille a clamsé -faut-il le rappeler- et en plus, elle était à moitié dingue). On s’étonne en tout cas qu’il forme ses **** au « close combat » entre deux lectures des Frères Karamazov, des délires de Noam Chomsky et de quelques essais sur la mécanique quantique) et qu’il offre un couteau « Rambo » au plus jeune… (pour chasser le cerf sans doute) : ces écolos de mon cul restent donc de vrais Américains après tout, toujours la violence dans le sang ! Ce ne sont évidemment pas les seules contradictions de ce foutoir « anti-tout » mais nous ne tenons pas à nous étendre plus que nécessaire sur ce merdier d’écolos-gauchiasses à côté de leurs pompes : le père n’est en définitive qu’un gourou et ses enfants sont une mini-secte de trous du cul complètement perdus. Les pauvres.

I have NEVER felt so connected, emotional, inspired by a movie. What a great set of humans. Immediately replayed it after the first viewing. I even signed up just to give this 1 movie a 10

Beautiful sound from Alex Sommer and Jonsi. The fascinating film about a family of superhumans who face the real world and what they will never teach in books - how to interact with people. The official slogan of the film conveys all the mood and depth of thought just right

Oh, so that's how you get nominated, not once but twice by showing your **** for cinema. But in all seriousness, Viggo Mortensen was brilliant in this or just in anything he's in. Can't remember a time when he gave a bad performance.

Solid acting but imbecilic story and extremely tedious screenplay. Disappointing for Mortensen fan.

What isn't in this Liberal/Leftist mish mash of ideology preaching, ranging from Moaism. Socialism, Stalinism, Marxism, Leninism, etc. To me, it was just one long political diatribe of nausea-ism. And don't forget Hollywood's nod to pedophilia with an unnecessary scene of a young naked girl. No reason for it other than to be titillating and in your face child porno. Viggo Mortensen is too good of an actor to be in, and associated with, this piece of crap.

This thought-provoking movie features a truly remarkable and memorable performance by Viggo Mortensen, along with unexpected twists and heartwarming themes.

and in his place.. Captain Fantastic Despite of having a potential head start on its brilliant concept the feature relies upon the usual issues and properties of its genre and still surprisingly reaches to the place where the viewers may have been before but never experienced it like this before. Matt Ross's work is plausible as a director but its writing skills overpowers it and feels a bit unsatisfactory as it itself fails to justify it whilst projecting the anticipated vision on screen. The young actors are supporting convincingly but at the heart of it lies a genuinely moving performance carried off by Viggo Mortensen as a single parent trying to befriend and teach his kids. Captain Fantastic is aware of its eerie bubble created on script and hence spends its first half on setting the characters through it after which it shows its bright and poetic colours that paints this stunning craft.

[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]

This movie definitely flew in under the radar last year, but Captain Fantastic is an engaging, heartfelt, and humorous film that tactfully deals with issues on all ends of the political spectrum. The whole cast is incredible, and I really loved the optimistic script.

De todos, o melhor aspecto sobre o cinema é a possibilidade de temas que nele podem ser abordados. O ato de contar uma história é mágico por si só, porém, quando a história que nos é contada vem em um belo filme, tudo se torna ainda melhor. Quando se trata de contar uma história, Matt Ross (que dirige e escreve o longa) sabe o que está fazendo. Capitão Fantástico nos trás a história de uma família que resolve fugir do que é considerado comum para a maior parte das pessoas. Ben cria seus seis filhos na floresta, longe de qualquer sinal da civilização. Ele e sua mulher os educam da forma que acham apropriadas, assim Bo, Vespyr, Kierly , Zaja, Rellian e Nai crescem já cientes das crueldades do mundo e são treinados desde criança pelo pai para o qualquer tipo de situação possível. Entretanto, a história começa mesmo quando a mãe das crianças comete suicídio, e assim damos inicio a uma jornada primordialmente sobre a importância da família, percas e os principios da civilização em nossas vidas. Crianças lendo sobre Marxismo e manifesto comunista são uma das coisas que vemos com frequência aqui. O filme, no inicio, nos dá uma sensação de uma propaganda socialista que é totalmente desconstruída ao decorrer do filme. Vemos um tipo de sociedade estabelecia nesta pequena família que funciona perfeitamente dentro de seus próprios padrões. O roteiro trata com profundidade a relação de irmão para com irmão e de pai para com filhos. Ben é visto não somente como pai mas como capitão, do qual as crianças sentem enorme respeito. Viggo Mortensen está em uma de suas melhores performances aqui. Sua atuação precisa nos dá toda a dimensão que o roteiro precisa passar para que o personagem funcione. O posto de líder é perfeitamente executado por Viggo na pele de Ben. É difícil imaginar outro ator para esse papel. Entre os filhos quem se destaca é George McKay como Bo. McKay soube dar profundidade ao personagem que oscila entre parecer confiante e inteligente e completamente vulnerável e inocente. Os dois personagens tem um dos melhores diálogos do filme, onde Bo finalmente diz o que está preso em sua garganta a muito tempo para seu pai. A direção suave de Matt Ross acompanha o roteiro. Durante o filme temos várias cenas abertas nos enfatizando a natureza e nos oferecendo com profundidade o ambiente em que aqueles personagens vivem. Ross nunca é ambicioso, sua câmera se move suavemente, sua direção é sensível e faz um contraste perfeito com o roteiro que nos oferece a mesma sensibilidade. O filme nos proporciona um encontro perfeito entre dois mundos quando os personagens se deslocam de seu porto seguro para se aventurar no mundo considerado normal. Ben e seus filhos parecem igualmente deslocados vivendo cercados por tudo aquilo que eles desprezam. O filme também possui uma dose de humor negro que constantemente entra em contraste com a carga emocional que esses personagens carregam. Poucos filmes nos últimos anos trabalharam tão bem a relação entre seres humanos como Captain Fantastic. Os ensinamentos filosóficos de Ben para seus filhos nos inspira e o longa cumpre muito bem seu papel ao mostrar todos os lados de uma mesma situação e aprofundar seus próprios questionamentos filosóficos.

Good concept, good script, every actor on point (Vigo Mortensen is great in the role even though I feel he just plays himself again and again, but to be fair he gives really great restrained acting pieces towards the end of the film. I still was more captivated by some of the younger actors performances), cool cinematography and great job by the director. It had a few flaws (things that didn´t make sense)from the beginning to me, which did force me to not be crazy about the film for most part of it. However, being fair, it is a very emotinal journey where many pieces have to come together and it is done in a very well executed way. Recommendable in any case.

The movie was surprisingly very good and very though-provoking. Even though it has the typical family living together story it tells it in a unique and interesting way. All the performances were all fantastically realized especially Viggo Mortensen who continuously shows that he can play in any role you put him in.

You know a film is in trouble when you end up rooting for the wrong characters—a fact made worse if you take into consideration the fact that the only semi-likable characters appear until the last third. But, not just that, "Captain Fantastic" comes of as a supremely hypocritical sermon whose main ingredients are arrogance and an unpleasant sort of cynicism. I'll admit, though, there are some moments of arresting anarchic beauty every now and then.

I very much enjoyed this film. Viggo was stellar, and the whole cast was great. Great locations, set design, music, and story line. Important themes. Must watch for every American family, young and old.

A very good adventure/drama movie about hippie outcasts. It has fun moments too, but not like in comedy, they are the type "its funny because its true".

I never bought into this film's world of a delusional isolationist utopia and the obese capitalist automatons filling the outside world they fled from. It's used as a joke (how dumb this country is!) and as a way of courting empathy through the shared sense of superiority the audience has following this family as the protagonist. It's also outrageously unbelievable -- the kids all know like 6 languages, have read all great works of literature, play instruments, are up to date on all monthly periodicals and science magazines, oh right and outrageously fit and well-fed and know how to hunt and farm and THERE'S NOT ENOUGH TIME IN THE DAY! And the hypocrisy of their lifestyle going mostly unchallenged... But that's not really what this film is about. It's about dealing with grief in the best way you can, however that may be, other people's beliefs and their customs be damned. You're allowed to feel how you want and deal with it as you please. Viggo is great as usual. Taken on those merits, the film works a little more than it doesn't.

Captain Fantastic is such a poignant, original, and well executed family drama that I forgive them for breaking out into song around a fire place. Twice.

Captain Fantastic it’s an uncommon movie, not by the style, but by the story. The idea of raising your children in the nature, free from consumerism and having a healthy life is what every teenager dreams and claims to their friends, that he or she will do it in the future. The thing is that just like those dreams die when the person grows up, the story fades as the film goes by. It never became clear what concept the protagonist was trying to avoid: capitalism, consumerism, occidental culture; just was choosing a healthier life form; all those things or none. The plot was to light for a whole movie, with too many inconsistencies that make difficult its understanding. Beside that, Viggo Mortensen gives a nice performance, even some of the kids did well too; the family issue with the grandparents is interesting and well developed and last but not least, it never turns boring, which surely required a lot of work considering all said.

It is amazing how the film conveys the love of the family in the same way that the viewer clings to the film. Perhaps the main merit of the film is its clever script, which in addition to great fun, creates great dramatic scenes. But his effective direction, his beautiful cinematography and a great soundtrack make the movie something magical. It's a good drama, a good comedy, a good article of discussion. It is a human film and extremely well done, that surprises.

Is an amazing story. A great critic to modern social standards. Viggo Mortensen did an incredible performance in this one. Its movie full of touching and funny moments.

A fantastic idealist movie that neglects the immense potential for abuse and misguidance such choices can have. But still a lovable movie and characters.

The film is not perfect but the performances are top notch. Viggo is solid as the patriarch of this family which has been raised away from modern society. The children are all charming, and you get moments with each of them that connects. The ending lands perfect when the family finally gets to say goodbye to their mother.

I think it could have been shortened a little bit to make it easier to sit through, That would be my only complaint. It was a very well done and satisfying enough movie. Certainly original plot wise and ended in a way that wrapped everything up nicely. Mortensen gave, at least from the many movies I've seen in 2016, the best performance of the year. He's a seriously underrated actor who totally knocked it out of the park. Come Oscar time, I am rooting for him to win.

Surviving isn't just a good education, but needs the physical training. This is from a supporting actor turned a director who is just one film old before this. So he wrote and directed this beautiful film. One of the best films of the years that should be in must see list. It was just like the film 'Alabama Moon', only the initial plot that extended for over the hundred minutes. The first thing is the cast, it was the best combination. Lots of future stars are here. It was more like a road movie, except in the opening few minutes. I did not like the entire film, I found a couple of things uncomfortable. Like the killing a deer in the opening scene and the end part. The conclusion was good, I thought it was the best solution for such a story, not for the theme. But then the final shot gave me an impression that they had got compromised. After all these years hard work, I felt they had given up. That did not stop me from enjoying it and recommending it to the others. Still, it is a very unique film that tried its best to avoid the usual cliché. This is the story of a father of six kids, raising them by his own outside the society in the wilderness. But the children are not left behind on the knowledge of the world, especially the philosophies theirs favourite topic. They are bright, as well as tough and can survive in any condition. One day when they get a message that their mother died, the journey begins to attend the funeral and during their way all the adventures are what we're going to witness. Due to the copyright issue the birthday song was altered. Surprisingly, the film was not based on any book. So my utmost appreciation goes to the creator of this wonderful product. Surely it will be a cult classic. It has lots of great dialogue, and bold revelations in a simple way about the facts of the world. Especially like related to the sex and other grown up stuffs clarifying the little kids' doubts. At some point I thought it was okay for the kids to watch with their parents, but it did not get better on that perspective. I mean having lots of main characters as children, the film is not good for their watch. Though the adults should not miss it, even though you are a religious person or any other kind. So highly recommended by me. 8/10

It might sound like another family drama film, but it is most certainly not. The plot is just genius, executed perfectly by a great cast (the kids almost outshone Viggo Mortensen). The themes of the movie are very thought-provoking, all while having funny moments here, and emotional add-ons there. Very nice film.

In the first scene of music around the campfire I already knew that I would love this movie! What a beautiful story, which brings very important questions and reflections, questioning our way of living but also questioning the other extreme. The story was very well taken, the actors are great, charismatic and beautiful (what a beauty different from each one!) The landscapes are breathtaking and the soundtrack is the key point of this fantastic work, that seems to take us to Live with them in this light and natural way. "When you have sex with a woman, be gentle and listen to her.Treat her with respect and dignity, even if you do not love her.Always tell the truth, always do the right thing.Live each day as if it were the last.Together, Be adventurous, daring, but enjoy.

And this one will go as the most beautiful family movie of 2016. So original, it portraits the pros and cons of following a different style of life than the one that society judges as "standard", a brilliand, smart, well written and acted drama / comedy.

This is not a message movie as much as it is a movie about family and knowing that families of all stripes are full of love but also full of mistakes. In the end though this is just a really fantastic film. A

Very enjoyable film. Story is not cliche. Good child acting. I really appreciate that sometimes you could find a jewel. For US cinematography its quite unique.

[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]

Captain Fantastic is about a seemingly well-educated family raised in a life outside the typical civilized life led by their father. However, when they are faced with a tragic incident, they travel back into the city mostly unprepared for life there. This is another great indie film worth checking out. It definitely shows its dedication to its conflict by showing the reactions of people in the city in response to something that the father does. Furthermore, the movie features great characters and a great story. Without giving too much away, the ending just didn't work for me and I didn't feel as if it were earned. Also, it doesn't spend as much energy on its conflict as it thinks it is. With that aside, I recommend seeing this film, especially in this rather disappointing blockbuster season, and will grant it a seal of acknowledgement.

I think this is one of the most inspiring movies in 2016. It talks about the problems today's society, from media to education. It brings up a strong argument. Everyone thinks kids should take today's standard education. And the movie highlights the point that an average kid today knows jack **** **** I do not imply home school is better than school but there is a major flaw in our current education systems. Kids know nothing. They might know something but most important, we do not teach them to think. Kids don't do enough exercise, do not know how to survive, do not know discipline. I like the movie to put that education to that extreme, to bring up the controversy. It is that to start a discussion. I would argue if the character is smart enough to incorporate both his home school with actual school. It will be too perfect and end the discussion. What it brings out is if you teach your kids 'properly' i.e. to read, to think critically, to understand, there are a lot the kids can get from it (and the current education fails to deliver, the so call education experts can shut up, I do not care about your statistic, the fact is kids have a problem). However, it also demonstrates the other extreme of home school which is the lack of social interaction. I think this movie should spark a discussion on our current education system. I believe in the state, people need to declare. I declare I am working in a university. Teaching final year undergraduate and I can tell you how many useless undergraduates have been award a certificate and pumped into the society. No offence, even the best universities in the world, (e.g. Oxford, Cambridge, Yale or Harvard, etc). These universities bring up great and smart graduates which will help to explore and develop knowledge. But in the meantime, there are a **** ton of dumb****s also graduate at the same time.

I would like to explain that this movie is rather smart, and not an easy family comedy at all. Certainly there are many comical scenes which would make laugh even a calm person. But the movie raises a lot of problems, and it ask a viewer to make his/her own opinion - it does not have good or bad characters. Probably, a viewer would determine each character by themselves according to his/her own preferences and beliefs. All in all, actors play their characters very well - even the smaller children. It is also interesting, how some dialogues which do not have much sense in the first half of film receive their own resemblance in the events of the film later, obtaining a rather serious meaning, if you watch the film carefully, of course. It is not the movie to relax and at certain points it should make you sad or even cry, if you are sentimental one. But you should stay aware that this movie is not about its plot - its about showing the situation, around which script is written. You should not expect much of the development - you mostly get to know different sides of characters and obtaining your own opinion about them. I would suggst this movie to almost anyone, but not when you want to relax and ave a lil'bit o'laughter with a couple of friends. Get ready to watch it closely, or you might just as well stay dissatisfied, because by watching casually you can't get it at all.

I totally agree with four most negative Critic Reviews for this film....."Captain Fantastic" is sloppy and lazy and self-indulgent as **** - much worse- it's MANIPULATIVE in ways that any Madison Avenue spin doctor would give his eyeteeth to emulate .....the script is almost laughable it makes so little sense...there is something seriously INFANTILIZED about the Ben character which is conveniently set aside with the cinematic equivalent of a shrug..... and the appeal of the entire film is basically one of romancing and above all infantilizing it's target audience....your review's reference to The Waltons is spot on....This film is a wannabe Waltons for arm-chair activists !……and "enough already" with being ga-ga for Glenn Gould’s Goldberg Variations.

[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]

A cute and overall worthwhile little indie flick. This much buzzed about Sundance hit works on many levels, thanks mainly to Viggo Mortensen's charming and often times gripping performance, as well as the performances from the actors who played his six children. The film's story however felt a little uneven at times and unsure of where to go or what to say. Granted however, there were also many times where it had its fair share of both funny and heartbreaking moments. Overall, it's a decent enough film worth seeing if you want to see Mortensen in another great dramatic turn that has some fun, quirky moments to spare.