Dalbert Pringle
For me to say that this "Gosh! Golly! Gee!' Disney picture (from 1963) could've been a whole lot better than it was would truly be an understatement like never before imagined.With its utterly cheap, laughable, old-school visual effects - "Son of Flubber" was, indeed, a mighty disappointing SyFy/Comedy story concerning Prof. Brainard's brilliant invention of anti-gravity gas.And, with that as its premiss - This picture's plot-line, literally, had a whole, big world of creative potential sitting right there on its very doorstep waiting to be explored to the max.But - Unfortunately - This dismal "product-of-its-time" wimped out to the absolute nth degree.And - As a result - All that "Son of Flubber" amounted to being was just another pathetic pile of forgettable nonsense that had "childish drivel" clearly written all over it.
ludi1us
I love This Movie I don't take it too seriously. I just think it is great fun! I think it is just as good as absent minded professor in it's own way. .Flubber becomes a victim of "national security" and our hero Ned Brainerd (MacMurray) returns home empty handed from our nation's capital to find creditors threatening to cancel his newspaper subscription, predators threatening to bulldoze Medfield College, the IRS threatening to ruin his life, and his wife (Nancy Olsen) looking like a million bucks in her new mink coat while holding a check for same for something poor Ned doesn't own anymore and can't sell so that we can all enjoy the wonders of Flubberoleum and can safely drop our children on the floor without the fear of being locked up by Social Services. A very frustrating start to the terrific sequel to Absent Minded Professor, all adding to the friction of MacMurray, who must now invent something entirely new so that he can save Medfield, his home, and his marriage from the slimy advances of Prof. Shelby Ashton (Elliot Reid) and the return of luscious old flame Desiree DE la Roche (Joanna Moore).All the usual suspects are here from Disney's vast arsenal of character actors to keep us entertained while Ned goes about inventing a weather making glass breaking food growing machine. The Halloween chase scene with Prof. Brainerd terrorizing Shelby Ashton from above with his new rainmaking device is one of the funniest in Disney history. And of course we're treated to another Medfield sports showdown vs. national champs Rutland in a gridiron match up where Flubber becomes the great equalizer. Paul Lynde is absolutely hilarious as the football announcer
PudgyPandaMan
There is no disguising that this is an obvious attempt on Disney to cash in on the success of "The Absent Minded Professor" made 2 years earlier. No one can fault them for that - however, there seems to be little originality in this version. You would think they would have made a greater attempt at new gags and originality. Unfortunately, that is not the case.There is the same sports scene set-up. In AMP it was a basketball game. In SOF it is a football game. There is the same romantic rivalry between Brainard (Fred McMurray) and Professor Shelby Ashton (Elliott Reid), over Brainard's wife, Betsy (Nancy Olsen). They do throw in a 4th party in this film for good measure -Desiree de la Roche (Joanna Cook Moore) - as Brainard's old flame who has her sights set on him again. There is another prank on Professor Shelby while he is driving in his car (this time its filling with water from a Brainard created rain cloud inside the car). You still have Alonzo Hawks (Kennan Wynn) trying to destroy Medfield College by calling in their overdue loan. You have the same cops from the prior moving getting their new squad car destroyed again. So as you see, not a lot of originality here.The worst scene in my opinion is the ending of the court room scene. The giant fruit and the marching band were way over the top. I did like the stunts on the football field, however. Some of the jumping and flying ball players looked very realistic. I also liked the closing shot of the satellites, the flying football, and earth in the background. Pretty good special effects.It is interesting that McMurray was an accomplished saxophone player, so look for him playing the actual music during the Halloween party. Also, Paul Lynde makes his film debut in this movie. I liked seeing William Demarest (later to be Uncle Charley on "My Three Sons") in a small role that matches him up with McMurray. He doesn't begin "MTS" until 1965 which is 2 years after this film. Also, you may remember Joanna Cook Moore as the actress that played Andy's girlfriend Peg on "The Andy Griffith Show" for 4 episodes in 1962. Perhaps it helped her land this role. She has another claim to fame - she married Ryan O'Neal in 1963 and is the mother of Tatum O'Neal.Overall, this sequel doesn't play quite as well as the first. It is still entertaining in places and has a host of noteworthy supporting players.
moonspinner55
Proving that the Disney Studios didn't become cash-mongers simply in the Michael Eisner era, this sequel to the 1961 Disney hit "The Absent Minded Prodessor" is nothing more than repackaged goods. Lamebrained slapstick comedy has Fred MacMurray returning to role of small town inventor who attempts to save the local high school from ruin. There are a few funny digs at the advertising business but, as with the original, MacMurray's love life problems and his run-ins with the law are utterly dull. Colorful supporting cast (Jack Albertson, Joanna Moore, Paul Lynde, William Demarest) looks like a who's-who of suburban comedies, and the movie is fairly easy to sit through if you don't mind completely innocuous fare, but even the special effects are mechanical. ** from ****