Verdict:
Ehm…they did not finish the story. Were we not supposed to notice or were we not supposed to care? Towards the end, Big Lebowski had about 5 or 6 story threads going, but left 2 of them loose, one of which was a relatively major one. All in all, the story ends up being kind of disappointing, though the narrative itself is not the central focus of the movie.
The story is not very important because this movie thrives on characters and style. The Dude and Walter Sobchak, the main personalities played by Jeff Bridges and John Goodman respectively are unforgettable. Yes, Steve Buscemi is there with them, but he doesn’t do a lot.
All the characters in this film are eccentric. On the one hand, that is what gives this movie its colour, but on the other hand, his approach can feel somewhat superficial compared to simply having believable people who are different from one another in a subtle but perceivable way. You and I could come up with some crazy personalities that would be memorable, like a guy who makes racist jokes every time he appears, but that would be easy and lazy. While the Dude and Walter ultimately do work as characters within the frame of this motion picture, others do not.
There are certainly humorous moments throughout the film, but there are equally few jokes that face plant. The quality of the dialogue is all over the place – can be pretty good, pretty stupid or both at the same time.
There are a number of fascinating scenes, primarily the ones where the Dude is knocked out or drugged. The rock music complements the 60’s aesthetic and the Dude’s and Walter’s 60s persona. It is safe to say that the film was going for a specific style and nailed it. It is only unfortunate that it is so much more style than substance.
Big Lebowski is like the weird friend in your party who is awkward and sometimes ruins things, but he’s grown on you, and you know that the party just wouldn’t be the same without him. In that aspect he is very much like the main characters of this film.