The Producers (2005)
Average Rating: 5.8/10
Reviews Counted: 150
Fresh: 76 | Rotten: 74
Despite the rich source material, The Producers has a stale, stagy feel more suited to the theater than the big screen.
Average Rating: 5.1/10
Critic Reviews: 40
Fresh: 12 | Rotten: 28
Despite the rich source material, The Producers has a stale, stagy feel more suited to the theater than the big screen.
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Average Rating: 3.1/5
User Ratings: 262,154
My Rating
Movie Info
After transforming his first motion picture into a smash Broadway musical, Mel Brooks brings the story of two would-be theatrical moguls turned con men back to the screen in this musical comedy. Max Bialystock (Nathan Lane) was once one of Broadway's most successful producers, but a string of flops has thrown his career into a tailspin, and now he struggles to raise the cash to stage new shows by playing gigolo to lonely old ladies. While going over his books, accountant Leo Bloom (Matthew
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Cast
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Nathan Lane
Max Bialystock -
Matthew Broderick
Leopold Bloom -
Uma Thurman
Ulla -
Will Ferrell
Franz Liebkind -
Gary Beach
Roger De Bris -
Roger Bart
Carmen Ghia -
Eileen Essell
Hold Me-Touch Me -
David Huddleston
Judge -
Michael McKean
Prison Trustee -
Debra Monk
Lick Me-Bite Me -
Andrea Martin
Kiss Me-Feel Me -
Jon Lovitz
Mr. Marks -
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All Critics (156) | Top Critics (41) | Fresh (78) | Rotten (75) | DVD (16)
This is extraneous for anyone who's seen the original film or show, presumably leaving everyone else to wonder what all the fuss has been about.
Top CriticNot so much a film as an awkwardly framed souvenir of the Broadway hit musical, The Producers needs a live audience like a candle needs oxygen.
... an unabashedly old-fashioned musical filled with song, dance, and shtick so shticky you could hang wallpaper with it.
The jokes are in its tackiness, and gauchery, and raspberry-inducing send-up of Broadway traditions. On that level, the movie works fine -- and is a whole lot cheaper for the ticket buyer.
Nathan Lane, Matthew Broderick and Gary Beach have their singing, dancing and kvetching in the Broadway smash The Producers immortalized on film.
There's a song in the stage musical version of 'The Producers' that, if you flipped the title to pose the opposite question, could summarize the letdown diehard fans will feel if they catch the new movie of Mel Brooks' gloriously retro Broadway smash.
Long, too-faithful film of Mel Brooks' stage musical.
The original was far funnier and somehow managed to cut to the chase with less of a song and dance.
Be prepared to laugh from the opening credits through the closing credits.
The play is everything in this uneven movie, which is alternately groan-inducing and side-splitting.
Confirmed my original opinion that the musical version of The Producers was a flash-in-the-pan success that won't be remembered ten years from now.
Director Stroman (who also choreographed the film) has also paid tribute to the theatre by casting such stage stars as Brent Barrett, Debra Monk, Karen Ziemba and Andrea Martin.
The real reason to see this film is the addition of the musical numbers -- catchy and clever songs, written in the style of classic 1950s Broadway musicals.
It's entertaining, but not as charming or rousing as its musical muse, Singin' in the Rain, nor does it completely capture the spontaneous humor of the Brooks' original.
Stage director Susan Stroman brings it all in, including the high spirits and naughty fun, though a few more dancers in some of the musical numbers might have filled the screen better.
Shows such affinity for the stage that it barely qualifies as a movie.
Is it better than the stage version? Not necessarily. But this is a faithful rendition that should succeed in bringing a delightful old-fashioned crowd-pleaser to a new audience.
Arguably the funniest movie of the year.
It's a broad, slightly naughty comedy in musical form from the skewed, if not a little twisted, comic genius Mel Brooks.
Barely adequate.
Audience Reviews for The Producers
All the problems - the over-acting, the kitsch - that plagued the original production are on full display here, and added to those is some really bad music. I highly doubt that the discerning viewer will be singing "Unhappy" and "We Can Do It" in the shower the next day, even though some of the original music is kinda catchy.
There are moments when it seems like Matthew Broderick is doing a Gene Wilder impersonation, but I was impressed by his voice; I knew he was on Broadway and could sing, but he's much better than an actor who can act through a song. He's actually got some pipes.
I also liked the changes in the third act, which give the story a more cohesive structure.
Overall, this is a poor effort, a film that should not have been made.
Super Reviewer
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- Mr. Marks: Bloom, where do you think you're going? You've already had your toilet break.
- Leopold Bloom: I'm not going into the toilet. I'm going into show business! And Mr. Marks, I have news for you: I quit! And you're right about one thing. You are a CPA: a Certified Public ASSHOLE! Here's my visor, my Dixon Ticonderoga number 2 pencil, and my big finish!
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- Leopold Bloom: Thank you very much for smiling. That helped a great deal.
- Max Bialystock: Well, you know what they say. Smile and the whole world smiles with you. Ha ha ha [whispers to Shakespeare bust] This man belongs in a strait jacket!
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- Max Bialystock: What happened?
- Ulla: Tidy up! Make look nice?
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- Hold Me-Touch Me: ...How about the virgin milkmaid, and the well hung stableboy?
- Max Bialystock: Oh... ohohoho. Today?
- Hold Me-Touch Me: Don"t worry, I'll be gentle! Oh, this milk is so heavy! I don't think I'll ever make it to the house. You there, well hung stableboy! Would you care to help me with my milk?
- Max Bialystock: But of course, little lady. First I'll take your milk... and then, I'll take, your virginity!
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- Carmen Ghia: Listen here you old queen! He was drunk... you got lucky! Never call here again!
- Roger De Bris: Who was it?
- Carmen Ghia: Wrong number!
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- Max Bialystock: There's a lot more to you than there is to you!
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Foreign Titles
- Les Producteurs (FR)
Full review coming to themoviefreakblog.com on 5/19