Howard the Duck is the classic example of a film that can't figure out what it wants to be. It sort of feels like a campy children's film based on a Marvel comic book series, but then there's a tremendous amount of sex and adult content that makes it impossible to determine what George Lucas was going for tonally. The only thing that we know for sure is that whatever they were trying to do, they failed. When you make a film about an alien talking duck stranded on Earth, you're sort of limiting yourself in terms of what audience you can reasonably expect to lure to the theaters. But Howard the Duck wasn't able to fully commit any of them -- the children, obscure Marvel comic book fans, and the Lea Thompson fan club were all left unsatisfied. The critics, smelling blood and eager to take George Lucas down a few pegs, eviscerated the film. Gene Siskel asked simply, "Why was this stupid film made for?" and went on to say, "The story has no center; the duck is not likable, and the costly, overwrought, laser-filled special effects that conclude the film are less impressive than a sparkler on a birthday cake."
Audrey Fox is an ex-film student, which means that she prefers to spend her days in the dark, watching movies and pondering the director's use of diegetic sound. She currently works as an entertainment writer, joyfully rambling about all things film and television related. Add her on Twitter at @audonamission and check out her film blog at 1001moviesandbeyond.com.
