Twelve Chairs
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Movie Reviews of Twelve Chairs
Movie Review: Early Mel Brooks
Summary: 4 Stars
This is a great piece of Mel Brooks' early work. Dom Deloise shows early comedic ability.Movie Review: "I hate people I don't like,"
Summary: 3 Stars
"Twelve Chairs" is perhaps Mel Brooks least known film, although it's much better than most of his post-1970s movies. Ron Moody ("Oliver") stars as a former Russian nobleman whose mother-in-law on her death bed confesses to having sewn the family jewels into one of the 12 chairs of their dining room suite right before the Russian Revolution. Unfortunately, she also told her scheming priest (Dom DeLuise), and the two quickly race off to find the dining room chairs and recover the jewels. Along the way, Moody is forced to become partners with a young beggerman (a very young looking Frank Langella). Mel makes a rather funny cameo as Tikon, the former assistant to Mood's character.
Although "Twelve Chairs" is a bit obscure, it's actually based on a very well-known and oft-filmed Soviet satirical novel by Ilya Ilf and Yevgeny Petrov. The premise is terrific, and Brooks does a good job keeping the plot interesting and the pace going. The movie also benefits tremendously from being filmed in Eastern Europe (the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia), which gives it a unique look for a comedy. Overall, it's an interesting movie. Unfortunately, it's simply not as funny as Brooks' best films. Yes, there are some funny scenes, but the movie fails to sustain the humor for long; nevertheless, I did enjoy the movie. Fans of Brook's 1970s movies will likely appreciate "Twelve Chairs," and there's probably enough here to keep most others entertained.
Movie Review: Unbelievable and Unacceptable
Summary: 2 Stars
Don't get me wrong; me and my family LOVE this movie. But that has nothing to do with it.
The DVD came on time (I think) and in a nice box. The problem was the case. It had this thick, dry, icky inky stuff dried on the plastic cover, obscuring the front cover underneath it. It was not just some little line of ink, it was despicable.
I couldn't give that to my brother for his birthday, or he'd think it was used (even though it was shrink-wrapped, OVER the inky mess). So I opened it up, took out the front cover paper and CD, and put them in a new case.
Seems I shouldn't be having to deal with or pay for this myself. Anyone who packaged this item should have been able to see it needed some attention. Get the movie; it's great. Just expect that you won't wanna judge this book by its cover.
Movie Review: Confused with a few good scenes
Summary: 2 Stars
I really expected to enjoy this movie more than I did, but it seemed confused. With only a handful of really amusing scenes, a strange relationship between the main characters, and a thin plot, the movie seemed confused: not a spoof, not really a satire of Soviet life, not quite a buddy picture. The humor bounced between understated to the point of boredom, mild satire, and slapstick which frequently stumbled past funny to merely manic.
On the plus side, Dom Delouise produced some good laughs as the greedy priest. Mel Brooks was funny as Tikon the ex-servant who fawns over his old master. Also a young Frank Langella looks great for the ladies.
Overall, not Brooks' best movie.
Movie Review: Terrible
Summary: 1 Stars
This film not only fails to be even moderately funny but is also extremely offensive as a blatant piece of Marxist propaganda. It is one of the worst films I have seen in 2009. The only positive comment I can make is that Ron Moody does a pretty fair job in his role as the disgustingly selfish one-time nobleman.
There is a stereotype that Hollywood is dominated by leftist political beliefs. I have seen plenty of evidence in its celebration of revolutionary causes and its attacks on American patriotism, traditional morality and religious faith. But I have never viewed such a brainless affirmation of Communist Russia as this film. The film is based on a Soviet Russian story and is faithful as a Stalinist film director would have been in its rendition. A former nobleman and a priest are the leads, and both are portrayed as greedy, stupid and corrupt. Their twisted characters are the premise of the movie. Mel Brooks appears to have read his Lenin and Stalin with childlike approval.
Avoid this movie unless you are particularly fascinated with the political idiocy of elements of the American film industry.