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394 comments in total

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128 out of 204 people found the following comment useful :-
Felt like being on Broadway, 9 December 2005

Author: pbc4747 from United States

What an Excellent film! I went to an advance screening and left with my jaw aching from all the laughing and grinning.

At first, it felt the film was just the play in front of the camera, but the style eventually worked, turning the movie audience into a Broadway audience. At times, the director took the actors outside almost as a fun way of saying "see? with a camera, we can now move around!" Nonetheless, by the time we get to the most famous musical number, the audience was applauding and cheering after each song. During the credits, it felt like a curtain call with applauds for each actor.

So much fun and very deserving of the name Mel Brooks this film is great for the holidays (with the more adult jokes being concealed in song, and only minor swearing) older children and teenagers should get a kick out of this fast paced, fun, and very memorable film.

Also, just a bit of advice: stay until the end of the credits.

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79 out of 112 people found the following comment useful :-
My Review, 28 December 2005

Author: bschneid76 from Michigan

The Producers (2005) **** Nathan Lane, Matthew Broderick, Uma Thurman, Will Farrell, Gary Beach, Roger Bart Dir. Susan Stroman

I don't think the critics know what they are talking about. This movie rocked! It took me back to the old days of movie musicals. You know, the Bugsby Berkley years, big and flashy with hum able songs. Based on the 1968 film starring Zero Maestel and Gene Wilder, and the smash hit on Broadway, the story of a failing Producer named Max Bialystock who has just had the worst show in town close called Funny Boy, a musical version of Hamlet. Distraught he runs into accountant Leo Bloom who comes up with the notion that you can make more money with a flop than with a hit. Max overjoyed to hear such wonderful news lays it all out. Step 1. They find the worst play ever written, the "mother lode" as Max calls it when he comes across Springtime for Hitler, written by neo-nazi Franz Liebkind. Step 2. Hire the worst director, a prime and proper gay man named Roger Debris who wants to keep everything gay! Step 3. Raise 2 million dollars from Max's backers: harmless little old ladies looking for a last roll in the hay. Step 4 Open on Broadway and before you can say step 5 they close and run off to Rio. All goes well until Springtime for Hitler becomes a success leaving Leo and Max in the dust.

People have been comparing it to the original, which sure it has some of the same lines, and the story is the same, but both shows have something different to offer. You get songs in this version that you don't get in the original. Nathan Lane tears up the screen and will have you in stitches as Max; his show stopping number "Betrayed" will have you applauding. Matthew Broderick is also very good as Leo who can't grab life by the balls and go. He sings "I Wanna Be A Producer" with such gusto and dances with Ms. Uma Thurman, who is amazing as Ulla, and their dance number has sheds of the old Astaire and Rogers's musicals of the 30s.

Also excellent, are Will Farrell as the Nazi who speaks to his birds and Gary Beach and Roger Bart as Roger De Bris and Carmen Ghia they gay "couple" who want to put Springtime for Hitler on the stage, both stand out in the cast, and both played the roles on Broadway. Other familiar faces you will see are Jon Lovitz as Leo's accounting firms boss, Michael McKean as one of the prisoners and Richard Kind as the Jury Foreman who took over in the Nathan Lane role on the stage.

Susan Stroman doesn't make the camera cuts flashy, they are simple, which makes it more enjoyable to watch the dance numbers, from the opening number to the hilarious "Along Came Bialy" when the old ladies do a dance break with walkers, to "Keep it Gay" to the uproarious Springtime for Hitler number. The best-staged number was probably "I Wanna Be A Producer" as it has shades from the 30s mixed with modern day. It was wonderful! If you listen to some critics who choose to say "this film show inexperience" or "not as good as the original" you are missing a terrific movie musical that is just as good as Chicago! Plus Mel Brooks was also standing there at the helm with Ms. Stroman. Be advised to stay until the very end of the credits to view something special! Bravo!

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96 out of 161 people found the following comment useful :-
Sparkling Surprises, 22 December 2005

Author: marcosaguado from Los Angeles, USA

Much better than anyone had the right to expect. Lane and Broderick are superb. Even moving. Look what I'm saying, moving. I mean it. Their commitment is contagious. The comedy in itself is shamelessly anachronistic. The gay jokes belong to the period in which the original Producers were conceived. The tone is consistent with that period, the film happens at an incredible pace and you smile from beginning to end. How marvelous to see Matthew Broderick dance. This is an actor who never had an Academy Award nomination and his performances have always been top notch and his range runs the famous gamut from A to Z. What a courageous actor. I couldn't believe he could get away with the "I'm in pain! I'm wet and I'm still hysterical" scene without making me miss Gene Wilder but he did. Nathan Lane is a force of nature. His Max is very much a tribute to Zero Mostel, especially to his hair but this Max is Nathan Lane through and through. Uma Thurman is a delight and I had a great time at the movies. What else do you want out of life.

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57 out of 86 people found the following comment useful :-
It's Springtime For Hitler Again!, 17 January 2006

Author: EmperorNortonII from San Francisco, California

First, there was Mel Brooks' clever movie "The Producers." That got adapted into a Tony-winning stage musical. Then the musical became adapted into a movie. This hilarious spectacle is sure to please! Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick return as Max Bialystock and Leo Bloom, the same roles they made famous on Broadway. Lane is a riot, channeling Zero Mostel's bombastic character. Meanwhile, Broderick surprises as he does a decent take on Gene Wilder's original hysterical act. Will Ferrell scores laughs as Nazi playwright Franz Liebkind, and Uma Thurman puts in a good song and dance as Swedish sexpot Ulla. The movie perfectly catches the style of the old-fashioned musical, with a large serving of slapstick. This snappy production is sure to be a hit with everyone!

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29 out of 38 people found the following comment useful :-
Springtime is delightful, in Germany (and for the audience), 19 March 2006

Author: philip-ct from Cape Town, South Africa

What a fantastic surprise. I've seen Luke-warm reviews about this film, largely saying that the theatrical basis (the Broadway show) is oh-so-evident. Well, in my opinion, this is one of the film's strengths. It's a well-intentioned performance and is close enough to the original Producers, and so unlike it, that the musical remake is justified.

I love musicals, especially musical comedy. This film is a sop to the musical comedy, with good performances from the leads, and Uma Thurman and Will Ferrell, who all appear to be enjoying themselves.

The central (staged) number "Springtime for Hitler" is brilliantly choreographed, with suitably outrageous costumes. Gary Beach as a brilliantly camp Hitler completes this excellent scene. And the bratwurst!! The editing in this sequence - camera panning to the gob-smacked audience is brilliant. This is a film that salutes and spoofs musicals. It's an absolute delight

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42 out of 64 people found the following comment useful :-
A pleasant surprise, 1 January 2006

Author: mcolburn from Manchester, UK

After reading critics' reviews I thought twice about seeing this film. But I needn't have worried as this was fantastic entertainment. I don't seem to care that the director has kept the stagy sets and took a literal approach to adapting a stage musical for the big screen. It was a fun time from beginning to end.

While his portrayal of Leo Bloom was too much like Gene Wilder's, Matthew Broderick was simply divine when dancing. Indeed it was an interesting to see the top half of his body so still and rigid while his legs and feet were moving with such poise and grace. Nathan Lane never seems to disappoint, he is simply brilliant. His physical resemblance to Zero Mostel is obvious but the mannerisms are all his own. Uma Thurman is good as Ula and Will Ferrell rediscovers his funny.

I didn't even mind the over-the-stop stereotypes. Gary Beach and Roger Bart are screamingly funny. Springtime for Hitler is the best part of the show and nice to see John Barrowman giving it his all as the blond Nazi.

If you want to be entertained for a few hours then this is the movie to go see, don't let the critics put you off!

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42 out of 74 people found the following comment useful :-
just fantastic, 7 January 2006

Author: frank380 from vero Beach, Fl

If i could give it an 11 out of a possible 10 I would give it that... the entire production was wonderful.. i would watch it again...and that is something i do only with very few movies. Nathan Lane steals the show with his wonderful performance. The performance by the actor portraying the gay director is a model of what a supporting actor should be.

The scene showing the actual production of the play was a masterpiece and only Mel Brooks could do it justice.

Uma Thurman gives a stellar performance and almost steals the show.

I can not say enough good things about this movie.

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44 out of 78 people found the following comment useful :-
Zero Would Be Proud, 19 December 2005

Author: phillipstephenso from United States

Mel Brooks, the comic genius of the late twentieth century, comes off great with this new production of his classic musical. Nathan Lane is a wonderful and wacky producer who rescues Matthew Broderick from a life of accounting boredom and makes him his understudy. They scheme to put on the biggest flop ever so they can close after one day and flee to Rio with the sponsors' $2 million. Of course, things don't turn out as they plan. Along the way, Uma Thurman displays her considerable charms along with a host of fine dancers and singers, from Neo-Nazis to Sing Sing prisoners to drag queens in full costume. Mel Brooks really knew how to brighten the day among the gloomy tedium of more sober folks who were trying to save the world or just merely trying to make a living. So here is another tipsy triumph of the master, beautifully realized and sung and danced by this splendid cast of multi-talented actors and actresses.

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26 out of 46 people found the following comment useful :-
A movie Must-See, 22 May 2006

Author: Kisstina21 from United States

This movie will definitely make you roar with laughter. This movie proves that Nathan Lane never fails at being funny. This movie also brings out the musical talent in Broderick and Thurman. An A++ movie in my book. A movie by Mel Brooks guarantees a good chuckle. I never saw the show on Broadway and I'm sure it's just as good as the movie. The music and lyrics are great (some are really funny) There wasn't a dull moment in the whole 134 minutes. Even if you're not a fan of musicals, this movie will definitely keep you entertained. Will Ferrell is really funny, Uma shines through and Broderick and Lane make a great pair for this movie there's even 20 minutes of hilarious outtakes on the DVD.

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7 out of 10 people found the following comment useful :-
The Producers gives musicals a bad name, 3 June 2006

Author: rafajs77 from United States

Where did they go wrong? So wrong!? Nathan Lane is a wonderful actor, so is Matthew Broderick. I had heard rave reviews of the original from 1968 by Mel Brooks.

This movie gives musical films a bad name. It is 2 hours and 15 minutes of your life that you will never get back. At the beginning there were some subtle hints at brilliance, like the poster of "King Leer," and some songs and dialogue, like "he did to Shakespeare what Booth did to Lincoln." You see and hear these things and think that the wit will continue to build, it does not.

You also hold out hope that the "Springtime for Hitler" sequences will make the horrendous experience seem worthwhile, it does not, it lasts only 3 minutes.

The worst part of this, for me, was that I talked a couple of friends into watching it with me. They were already apprehensive about musicals, and since I am generally a fan of musicals (Grease, Rocky Horror Picture Show, Chicago, Moulin Rouge, Little Shop of Horrors, etc. etc.) I guaranteed them it would be good. I owe them a good many beers and apologies. Terrible!

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