MovieChat Forums > Overboard (2018) Discussion > I found the Spanish-speaking scenes too-...

I found the Spanish-speaking scenes too-numerous and annoying.


You can say they went... overboard with the Spanish. *ba-da-boom*

Usually, a film of this type may have a few foreign language scenes with subtitles to add flavor, but in this film, close to a third of the dialogue was Spanish. It was annoying, because there was no reason for it. Part of what makes comedy effective is the delivery of the lines, and with subtitles, you're basically just reading the jokes.

I was wondering what the reason was, and then I watched one of the extras included with the DVD, which explained that the director was Mexican, and he wanted to impose upon his audience a taste of his homeland. He brought his favorite Mexican actors along with him, and shot the scenes in Spanish (despite the fact it was obvious the actors could speak English.)
So, if you're doing something like this due to a personal agenda instead of trying to make the best film possible, it's going to fall short.

And this movie did fall short. Short of its predecessor, and short of what it could have been. And the biggest reason it fell short is the casting. Eugenio Derbez was likeable enough, but he seemed way too old for Anna Faris. He's an old-looking 57, and she's a young-looking 41. Looks to me like the director hired his favorite Mexican actor, instead of getting someone who fit the role. (Kurt Russell was actually 36 to Goldie Hawn's 42 in the original film.)

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Que?

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Dunno, I found this particular bit refreshing and I appreciate that sort lf thing.
I really dislike having characters who don't speak in their native tongue with each other. It feels very fake to me to just give them heavy accents.

Gotta agree with the poor casting though. They didn't work for me, but I guess it was somewhat realistic that he wasn't a perfect, "prince charming" match.

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I agree exactly with what you said about characters speaking in their own language to one another. They are Mexican, why on Earth would they be speaking in English to one another in private? The subtitles didn't take away from the jokes, imho, and my husband didn't mind them either.
I disagree about the casting of Eugenio. He is hilarious, and was the shining star of this movie. I liked that the plot involved 2 people already a bit set in their ways because they aren't young anymore. It showed that we are always capable of growth and learning, no matter where we are in life.

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Yeah, I see your point. It's pretty realistic that they aren't "perfect".

I do still like/prefer the Kurt Russell/Goldie Hawn version.
Could be the nostalgia goggles speaking though, haha.

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I wouldnt have minded if netflix was able to put subtitles up *only* when spanish being spoken , seems they cant.

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i agree

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