Howard the Duck (1986)

★ 5.4 1h 50m 1,109 votes IMDb
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A scientific experiment unknowingly brings extraterrestrial life forms to the Earth through a laser beam. First is the cigar-smoking drake, Howard, from the duck's planet. A few kids try to keep him from the greedy scientists and help him back to his planet, but then a much less friendly being arrives through the beam...

Howard the Duck

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Cast

Lea Thompson
Lea Thompson as Beverly Switzler Age 64 · Rochester, Minnesota, USA Lea Katherine Thompson (born May 31, 1961) is an American actress, singer, dancer, and director. She is best known for her roles as Lorraine Baines-McFly in the Back to the Future film trilogy (1985–...
Jeffrey Jones
Jeffrey Jones as Dr. Walter Jenning Age 79 · Buffalo, New York, USA Jeffrey Duncan Jones (born September 28, 1946) is an American character actor, best known for his roles as Emperor Joseph II in Amadeus (1984), Edward R. Rooney in Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986), Cha...
Tim Robbins
Tim Robbins as Phil Blumburtt Age 67 · West Covina, California, USA Timothy Francis Robbins (born October 16, 1958) is an American actor, screenwriter, director, producer, and musician. He is best known for his portrayal of Andy Dufresne in the prison drama film The S...
Ed Gale
Ed Gale as Howard T. Duck Died 2025 · Plainwell, Michigan, USA Edward Gale (August 23, 1963 - May 27, 2025) was an American actor and stunt performer who appeared in films and television between 1986 and 2013. He was notably the physical performer of Chucky in Ch...
Chip Zien
Chip Zien as Howard T. Duck (voice) Age 79 · Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA Chip Zien is an American stage and screen actor. He is a graduate from the University of Pennsylvania, where he was the president of "Mask & Wig", the nation's oldest all-male collegiate musical c...
Tim Rose
Tim Rose as Howard T. Duck Age 69 · Pittsfield - Illinois - USA Timothy M. Rose (born July 17, 1956) is an actor and puppeteer. Rose is best known for playing the role of Admiral Ackbar, the supreme commander of all space forces for the Rebel Alliance, in the se...

Audience Reviews

Wuchak 5/10 Nov 24, 2021
_**The infamous film version of Steve Gerber’s intelligent, wise-cracking waterfowl from another world**_

An English-speaking duck from another planet is somehow transported to Cleveland, Ohio, where he befriends a rock group leader (Lea Thompson). She introduces him to her friend, a quirky lab assistant (Tim Robbins), to figure out what happened, but the situation is complicated when a doctor at the lab is possessed by a “dark overlord of the universe” (Jeffrey Jones).

"Howard the Duck" (1986) is the film version of Marvel Comics’ anthropomorphic waterfowl created by writer Steve Gerber and artist Val Mayerik with the Duck’s first appearance being in Adventures into Fear #19 featuring the Man-Thing, which debuted in March, 1974 (cover date Dec. 1973). While the cartoonish character was atypical for Marvel, he was a surprise hit, which led to this movie a dozen years later.

It’s made in the mold of “Ghostbusters” (1984) and obviously influenced “Men in Black” (1997), but it’s the least of these and notoriously bombed at the box office. It begins well enough, both intriguing and amusing, but starts to lose its mojo in the second act before spiraling into a loud, frantic last act with loads of colorful special effects.

The problem is that, after the first act, the flick abandons the characters for action-oriented zaniness and it loses the attention of the viewer. Creator Steve Gerber plainly said the movie “sucked” and was dissatisfied with the duck’s bland voice and costume. Howard’s face just isn’t animated enough and his eyes are too cute & innocent for Gerber’s ill-tempered, wise-cracking waterfowl. That said, there are enough entertaining elements in the “Ghostbusters” / “Men in black” vein to enjoy the movie to some degree as you revisit 1985 America when it was shot. But you have to be able to accept it as a cinematic alternative to Gerber’s original concept.

I’m not big on Lea Thompson, but she’s winsome enough as Beverly on the female front, although she didn’t exactly fit Gerber’s version of the Duck’s babelicious pal. Liz Sagal is also notable as Ronette in a minor role.

The film runs 1 hour, 50 minutes, and was obviously shot in the Bay area of Northern California, NOT Cleveland, Ohio.

GRADE: C
GenerationofSwine 10/10 Jan 14, 2023
It is so cool to hate on this isn't it? So I am giving it a 10, mainly because of all the folks that gave it a 1 to be in the in crowd...and partially because Lucas was right, it stood the test of time.

The cult following isn't because it's a bad movie, it's because it's a funny movie. Just because a midget is wearing a duck suit doesn't make it bad. Just because there is duck nudity doesn't make it bad.

I mean...we loved it with Team America. It was hysterical then. It's not funny in Howard because you are told not to laugh at it.

If you give it a chance it's well worth the admission, for jokes alone.

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