User reviews

Sandra Bullock has the type of looks that can go either way, i.e., plain Jane or knockout. She does this very successfully in Love Potion No. 9, a cute film based on the song of the same name. The film sports a cameo by Anne Bancroft.

Bullock and Tate Donovan play scientists who fool around with a love potion (number 8) which Bancroft gives Donovan to try. He doesn't try it; his cat does. After being overrun by horny cats, Donovan and Bullock move on to Bullock's chimps and then themselves.

This all eventually leads to a return visit to Bancroft, this time for love potion number 9 and a very madcap finale.

Entertaining. Bullock is always a delight.

This movie is not great cinema, but as long as you don't go into it looking for earth-shattering insight and emotional depth, its actually an amusing little time waster. The movie's goofy but original premise conceals its relatively cliched plots, and all concerned appear to be having fun. Bottomline, if you avoid taking either the movie or yourself too seriously, LP #9 is good for a few laughs.

It is sort of a guilty pleasure, but I have to admit, I love this movie. Caveat: a lot of that has to do with the fact that I have a special place in my heart for Sandra Bullock. It seems some people have gone from loving her to trying to not love her. Me, I never got off the "loving her" bus.

With that said, this is a cute movie. Some of the humor is a bit crude, but not so much as to make the film seem moronic. It has a nice message and even though it is a bit dated and silly, I still get that warm, fuzzy, happy feeling when I watch it. There is extensive use of music from Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker within the film to amusing effect.

Paul (Tate Donovan) is a single, somewhat nerdy, biochemist who strikes out with women at every opportunity. Diane (Sandra Bullock) is a geeky fellow scientist who is not a hit with the guys, either. Hoping to change his luck, Paul goes to a gypsy and acquires a potion that will make him attractive to women. It works quite well. That's when Paul discovers he's in love with Diane. Diane, however, is also making use of the potion and is suddenly surrounded by suitors. Will Paul win the affections of Diane?

This is just a fair entry into the genre of romantic comedies. The two leads are likable but the plot is plodding in parts and detracts from the overall success of the film. Also, the movie has some funny moments but overall does not register high on the laugh-o-meter. The ending is predictable and somewhat satisfying yet just does not elicit great feelings of joy. Fans of Sandra Bullock will probably want to see this early example of her work. Others who are crazy about romantic comedies are likely to want to spend an evening with this film, too.

I almost convinced myself that this was a good movie, but after giving it some thought, this is average at best. Things start out well, as the two leads take full advantage of the potion, but then the film bogs down and becomes too formulaic. Much of the second half of the film is hopelessly predictable, and is routine in the extreme. Things remain conventional right to the end, when the obvious conclusion takes place. The leads are both likable, and the there are several funny moments, but the best comedic bits are in the first half. The thoroughly unoriginal second half left a bitter taste in my mouth, and that made it too standard to recommend.

Biochemist dork Paul Matthews (Tate Donovan) is horrible with women. He goes to a gypsy and is given love potion #8. He and fellow dorky lab rat Diane Farrow (Sandra Bullock) discover the potion works through their voice on the opposite sex for 4 hours. They try experimenting with the potion. It works better than expected. However the potion gets loose and the gypsy gives Paul love potion #9.

Both leads are a couple of believable dorks. Paul getting rejected at the bar is great. Bullock with bed hair looks way too hot to be dorky. Then the movie gets boring and unfunny. Quite frankly, Paul's return to the bar is not as compelling as it should be. I question if the writing from Dale Launer is actually funny. It's a disappointment since he had written some pretty funny movies. Although he's not a good director and maybe that's the problem here. Bullock is crazy adorable and Donovan is likable enough. However it doesn't have the heat or the comedy for a good rom-com.

Really good watch, could watch again, and can recommend.

While this is a trip in the way back machine, it was surprising to see Sandra Bullock "She's All That" almost 10 years earlier, and it didn't work then either.

While I think the mind control substance concept is great, there is an even better zombie movie to be had in this.

But they do an excellent job presenting the story, and it's got a lot of good humor to it as well.

I saw this movie years ago and remember it as being quite good. The bar scenes were very good. I bought the VHS of it and gave it another viewing. They must have changed the VHS version as there was only one bar scene. I am wrong. It is not a good movie at all. It had Sandra in it and you can't mess her up. She was super in it as always. She did her very best to save this movie but it was not to be. It really was a drag. I can,t say for sure that it was that bad because I think they changed it quite a bit leaving some really great scenes out. It just wasn't the same as I remember it. I will say it was nice to see Anne Bancroft once again. It boils down to this. I think the first time I saw it it was okay. The version I bought was not okay. Don't get me wrong, the acting was good. The movie was bad.

This was a very cute movie. I love the plot of how computer "nerds" can attract even the "uppercrust". It also shows that you should never judge a book by it's cover and you never know who will be your soulmate. Being an avid Adrian Paul fan also made the film that much more enjoyable.

The title of this flimsy little outing of a film from 1992 - LOVE POTION #9 - should give you an idea of where you're headed if you rent this movie: hackneyed story about two science geeks (Sandra Bullock and Tate Donovan) whose experimentation with a 'love potion' obtained from a gypsy (Anne Bancroft playing Anne Bancroft) has kick back effects which all end up in a love story of sorts.

The reason for watching this little effort is to see one of Sandra Bullock's early forays into comedy (she actually started making things like this in 1987 but this film drew enough attention to get her into 'Speed' two years later, that famous launching pad for Bullock and Keanu Reeves). Aside from Bullock and Bancroft the remainder of the cast is forgettable as is the story...but it is a lot better than many of the similar flicks on the shelves right now. Grady Harp

this movie is about a woman and man who find a love postion that makes people of the opposite sex fall in love with them. I would hate to really admit it but i loved this movie, its funny and really cute Sandra Bullock and Tate Donovan are great in this film, and you dont see any really cute movies like this anymore i would give it a 7.5 out of 10.

I suppose that any of us living in urban areas have many times wanted to visit one of those basement apartments inhabited by alleged gypsies who have all kinds of cures for whatever ails you. If it's an affair of the heart there are test model love potions running all the way from one to Love Potion No. 9.

Poor nerdy Tate Donovan can't seem to get a date nowhere, no how is persuaded by friends to visit one of those gypsies played with real bite by Anne Bancroft. She gives him Love Potion No. 8 and the stuff really does work. And Donovan being a biochemist actually figures out just how. In fact he and colleague Sandra Bullock try and boy do they like it and each other.

But they have to experiment and Bullock hits the jackpot with the Prince of Wales played by Dylan Baker over here on a goodwill visit across the pond. He gets within the prescribed distance of Bullock and she could be the next Queen of Great Britain. As for a girl that Donovan's been putting his normally clumsy moves on, Mary Mara, she winds up in the end with more boyfriends than she could possibly have time for.

It all comes to a head when a guy Bullock has been off and on seeing for years all of a sudden becomes madly infatuated with her again and they're about to be wed. Dale Midkiff of course has an agenda of his own and if Donovan's to stop him he'll need out of Anne Bancroft's medicine cabinet, the latest model, Love Potion No. 9.

Donovan and Bullock are amusing and the rest of the cast gives them good support. I think you'll get a laugh from the doings at 34th and Vine and a little bottle of Love Potion No. 9.

Good for what ails you.

This film really is pretty good, (trust me,, I am a film snob).

The pacing is off and the script needed to be a little tighter but it really has some very sweet moments and some genuinely funny parts.

If they just had a Lil more time in the film to flesh out some plot points and make it a little more believable when it came to the love story... But it's still a fine fun Lil romp.

Dale Launer wrote and directed this early comedic showcase for Sandra Bullock, its title taken from the hit song of years past. Strained romantic fantasy has two science nerds made attractive and popular by a gypsy woman's love spell. Unknown at the time, Bullock asserts herself with aplomb despite supremely silly and threadbare surroundings. Picture begins well, mostly due to Sandra's dryly charming sass, but Tate Donovan emerges as little more than a moving hole in the screen and the film's second-half is all downhill. Barely released by Twentieth Century-Fox, who must have known this stiff was dead on arrival. * from ****

This is not an original premise, nor is it an original movie, but it IS sweet, funny, and entertaining. I enjoyed this flick, though it is only a flick, and it does have some cute elements.

While this IS just another RomCom, it aptly entertains anyone whose mindset is to enjoy and/or seek out this type of movie. If you're already in the mood for a PG-13 romantic comedy about a shy biochemist and a shy biologist who dabble in love through alchemy via a Gypsy's love potion, then this is definitely the movie for you.

On the whole, it rates a 4.9/10.

As a RomCom, it rates a 6.7/10.

That's an average of 5.8 from...

the Fiend :.

There's only three movies I've ever watched that I remember being so bad I lost any sense for the story line - Twins, Michael, and another one I can't think of. This is close. Problem is that plot involving love potions could have actually been the basis for an entertaining movie. Not this movie, but some other movie. Sandra looks great but otherwise doesn't hint at future stardom.

Decent enough romantic "comedy" about a nerd who acquires a dose of so-called "love potion" from a mysterious gypsy fortune teller. This suddenly makes the opposite sex take notice for once. Sound routine enough for ya?

Bullock is fine in this watchable early vehicle, but it's rather dry and unfunny. Based on the iconic song, "Love Potion No. 9." Otherwise, there is no connection.

**

Guilty because I know if I admit how much I like it, I might lose some cred as a film buff. But it's a great fairy tale, Anne Bancroft's brief scenes are funny, and Tate Donovan is a man I can get behind! The scene where the nasty superficial gal crushes his ego at the bar must really hit home with a lot of men. And say what you want about Bullock, but here she shows why she became a huge star with her megawatt smile! But my favorite is Mary Mara, a great character actor given a chance to play a broadly funny, well, broad. If you ask me, Pretty Woman is overrated and this movie is underrated!

This is a very silly film. The most interesting thing about it is just how awful costuming and makeup can make Sandra Bullock look. The Nerds Get Even idea can be milked for a few laughs every once in a while. But this film doesn't even begin to match the humor in such classics of the genre as Revenge of the Nerds and Weird Science. BTW, thats called d**mning with faint praise.

A movie about a potion that when taken makes the opposite sex want you, A good comedy for most, Sandra of course is just superb, and that wedding dress well rent the film and see!.