A strange tale of a mentally ill father & his teenage daughter. It kept me interested to see what would happen. Still don't know after watching.

Initially intrigued but slowly unconvincing as the narrative bonds therapeutically across improbability towards conclusive surrealism on a calming, ambiguous note. It only seems that the film relies purely on how its estranged father-daughter pair functions from addressing mental issues to burdened struggles. A few relative notes assist the brewing sweetness, all while both performed well with nuanced weight and charismatically providing occasional humor. But the unrealistic journey heightens the void with little substance to add onto the dynamical charisma. (B-)

She said she had to quit school at 15. But you can't quit school legally before you turn 16 years old, not 15. Plus, I doubt social services would just except a phone call or letter saying she lives with her mother. They require proof, also to make sure the mother is fit to raise a teenager. They would just hear Miranda say, "I live with my mom." And reply, "Ok". Next, Spanish treasure in the Inland Empire. 60 miles from the Ocean. There is no way any one hiding treasure would be taking it that far inland. That's why it's called the INLAND Empire. Also, as developed the Inland Empire is, I'm sure any treasure would have been found. But that was the point, her dad was in a terrible asylum as he's just crazy. IMDb calls it a comedy drama, but I found no comedy or laughs. If we were too suppose to life at the crazy person digging up the Inland Empire, that's tasteless and cruel to the mentally challenged and not fit for a movie in the 21st century. The movie also has 3 major product placements but a budget of only 3 million. Did they get the entire budget from just these 3 companies? It's not funny, it's not interesting, it's just a snooze.

Odd, off-beaten comedy. There are occasional laughs, and harmless. Michael Douglas plays an wired middle-aged man, he is a gem.

I had seen this movie when it originally came out and and thoroughly enjoyed it. I recently watched it again and realized I had to give it a review! If you haven't seen this, you should.. it is such a great story. I love the relationship between father and daughter (Michael Douglas as Charlie and Evan Rachel Wood as Miranda) -- very troubled, but still so very tender. Director Mike Cahill does a great job of bringing out the complexity of their relationship with humor and sweetness.. Still, this is an adventure! A treasure hunt! The expedition that Charlie and Miranda embark upon takes place -- not in deep jungles or foreign lands -- but instead in the middle of the everyday backdrop of our day to day lives. This is a hunt for both treasure and family connection, and one that I thoroughly enjoyed.

It's not too bad until the ending which is. Michael Douglas has always been an excellent actor and a pleasure to watch but this role wasn't the best fit for him. There's some light humor which makes it watchable.

Cute isn't a glowing reference for a movie, but sometimes it's just enough to make it worth watching. Such is the case with King of California, the story of Charlie (Michael Douglas), a man released from a two year stay in a mental institute, and his relationship with his independent teenage daughter Miranda (Evan Rachel Wood). Eventually convincing her regarding the whereabouts of a hidden treasure, they embark on a journey to recover the riches and rekindle their relationship. The voiceovers sometime come across as unnecessary, as do the flashbacks, and the score seems inconsistent, but the relationship between the two characters feels real, there's some witty dialogue, and by the end of the film you feel as though you're part of their bizarre caper.

Funny and somehow touching story.

Witty, smart, funny and entertaining. My type of movie. I give it a 79/100

King of California ist eine Komödie von Mike Cahill in der Charlie (gespielt von Michael Douglas) einen Schatz sucht. Charlie ist manisch und hat deswegen immer wieder verrückte Ideen in denen aber doch ein Körnchen Wahrheit steckt. Dieser Film ist lustig und Charlie ist sehr sympathisch. Michael Douglas spielt seine Rolle hervorragend.

Michael Douglas is terrific in this quirky little black comedy. He plays a leftover hippie who gets released from a mental institution and becomes re-aquainted with his independent teenaged daughter. The two set out on a bizarre quest to find a cachet of gold in their small California suburb. Highly recomended for fans of Douglas. Evan Rachel Wood is also very good as his world-weary daughter. 7.8/10

Pretty good, nothing life-changing. The film does a remarkable job of dancing on the edge of plausibility.

A bittersweet and thoroughly enjoyable film. Just enough back story and a paced lead-in to the action. Miranda was sufficiently mature and sufficiently naive to be believable in the story. Michael Douglas steals the film with his manic, obsessive quest for Spanish gold. A thin sub-subplot involving a female cop seemed out of place. And, I would have enjoyed it if the director would have included more of Pepper in the story...he had more to give than he was given. That aside, King of California was well worth watching and avoided going over-the-top in the story.

Douglas chews up the scenery in this inventive comedy-drama.

Michael Douglas plays a first rate crazy long lost parent. A mixture of trouble and endearment for his struggling daughter.

One of Michael Douglass' best and most underappreciated roles. He balances charming and crazy very well. Love the story.

Lo mejor Evan Rachel Wood.

An ok movie but not good enough to buy.

Caught this on "retroplex" and surprised me how good it was...never heard of it.

strange and interesting