Road to Utopia

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steve d @RT35616104 07/22/2020 Fans should be pleased. See more s r @ScottR 03/04/2020 Prolly the best of their collaboration. See more 01/30/2019 Whenever I want a return to a simpler time, I pick up a comedy from the Forties and melt my cares away with its cordial humor and traditionalist values. The fourth film in the long-running "Road to . . ." series from Bing Crosby and Bob Hope, "Road to Utopia" focuses on two vaudeville stars who perform a charlatan magic act that swindles the audience out of their hard-earned cash. Thinking the heat is on them, they hop an ocean liner (only one of them willingly) bound for Alaska to prospect gold. One of the things I like best about the "Road" pictures is the subtle breaking of the fourth wall. Take the "shortcut to Studio 10" sequence as our protagonists are shoveling coal in the engine room of the ocean liner after not having enough money to pay their fare. I also like the way the sound drops out when Hope is trying to let the audience know what he really thinks of one of the villains and Crosby says "I told you they wouldn't let you say that." Perhaps the greatest zinger Hope ever gave Crosby is in this motion picture when, after failing to win a talent contest aboard the ocean liner, Hope tells Crosby that next time he's bringing Sinatra. The occasional narration by Robert Benchley at the request of the studio is also a welcome addition of comedic expertise. Crosby and Hope's rapid-fire interplay keeps the film light and breezy but it's not without its problems. There's a sequence when Hope unwittingly romances a bear which is very, very cute . . . which is what a lot of the situational comedy can be called in this film: "cute." I much prefer true screwball humor in my comedies, which is why I will forever be a Marx Brothers man. Another issue I have is that while Crosby was one of my favorite singers in the movies of the Forties, a couple of the songs here felt like they were forced into the picture just to give him something to sing. They don't actually help move the plot forward and they seem like side trips off the beaten path that leads to an overly abrupt conclusion. Still, I can think of far worse ways to spend your cinematic time. What works really works well and what doesn't work isn't enough to keep this picture from being an enjoyable ninety minute romp. See more 06/17/2015 One of the better of the Hope and Crosby Road movies. See more 11/28/2014 not the best entry in the 'road series' but still watchable See more 07/15/2013 I love these 'Road to ...' films. Set during the Gold Rush, Hope and Crosby are on fine form to deliver their unique brand of comedy. See more Read all reviews

Road to Utopia

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