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The Producers

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The Producers (2005)

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Reviews Counted:148

Fresh:75

Rotten:73

Average Rating:5.8/10

Consensus: Despite the rich source material, The Producers has a stale, stagy feel more suited to the theater than the big screen.

Runtime: 2 hrs 15 mins

Genre: Comedies

US Box Office: $19,151,907

Synopsis: This remake of Mel Brooks' 1968 film features Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick in the roles that they originated in the smash Broadway adaptation of the original film. Broadway producer Max... This remake of Mel Brooks' 1968 film features Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick in the roles that they originated in the smash Broadway adaptation of the original film. Broadway producer Max Bialystock (Lane) is famous for his spectacular opening night flops. Leopold Bloom (Broderick) is an uptight accountant who virtually discovers gold while reviewing Max's books. When Leo realizes that you can actually make more money with a flop than with a hit, the two team up and begin a search for both the worst script and the worst director they can find to ensure failure. The script selection seems easy when the duo stumble upon SPRINGTIME FOR HITLER, an homage to the Fuhrer penned by Franz Liebkind (Will Ferrell), a German sympathetic to the Nazi cause. Convinced that the script will incite outrage, the duo needs a bad director to seal the deal. Campy director Roger DeBris (Gary Beach) and his assistant (Roger Bart) fit the bill perfectly. But when their scheme fails, Max and Leo find themselves with the worst possible outcome: a hit. To make matters worse, Franz is just a little peeved that Hitler was depicted disrespectfully--and he has a gun. Will Max and Leo survive the playwright's wrath? Will they go to jail for cooking the books? And will Leo ever submit to the advances of sexy Swedish receptionist/actress Ulla (Uma Thurman)? Directed by stage director Susan Stroman, making her feature film directorial debut, this riotous romp features lots of laughs from the major players, as well as brief appearances by Jon Lovitz, Michael McKean, and Richard Kind. Lane and Broderick make it easy to understand why the show was an unprecedented hit on Broadway, and Ferrell is a scene-stealer as Liebkind. [More]

Starring: Nathan Lane, Matthew Broderick, Uma Thurman, Will Ferrell

Starring: Nathan Lane, Matthew Broderick, Uma Thurman, Will Ferrell, Andrea Martin, Gary Beach, Roger Bart

Director: Susan Stroman

Director: Susan Stroman
Studio: Universal Pictures

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1 - 4 of 5

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Reviews for The Producers

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1 - 20 (sorted by comments; Australian critics are listed first)
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Barely adequate.

Full Review Source: Sydney Morning Herald | comment Comment
01/17/06
Paul Byrnes
Paul Byrnes
Sydney Morning Herald
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Laugh til' you drop - the musical version of The Producers is finally here. When Mel Brooks conceived his comedy satire, the subject matter of ridiculing Hitler was brave to say the least. And nearly 40 years later, it still leaves bite marks.

Full Review Source: Urban Cinefile | comment Comment
01/11/06
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The original was far funnier and somehow managed to cut to the chase with less of a song and dance.

Full Review Source: Eye for Film | comment 2 Comments
08/02/07
Anton Bitel
Anton Bitel
Eye for Film

Garish, irritating, and totally unfunny.

Full Review Source: Spirituality and Practice | comment 1 Comment
12/24/05
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
Spirituality and Practice

Fans of those movies will appreciate the gesture, but this film isn't likely to make any new converts.

Full Review Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel | comment 1 Comment
12/27/05
Jack Zink
Jack Zink
South Florida Sun-Sentinel

This campy production and its scenery-chewing performers (notably Lane, Beach and Will Ferrell) inspire lots of yuks.

Full Review Source: E! Online | comment Comment
12/16/05
E! Online

A good time is had by all, and the spirit is infectious.

Full Review Source: TIME Magazine | comment Comment
12/16/05
TIME Magazine
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Boston Phoenix | comment Comment
12/24/05
Boston Phoenix

Uma Thurman as a would-be actress is the one bit of genuine radiance in this aggressively and pointlessly shiny, noisy spectacle.

comment Comment
12/14/05
A.O. Scott
A.O. Scott
New York Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

... a kitschy celebration of all things Mel.

Full Review Source: Houston Chronicle | comment Comment
12/27/05
Amy Biancolli
Amy Biancolli
Houston Chronicle

Static camera work alienates the audience.

Full Review Source: Tooele Transcript-Bulletin (Utah) | comment Comment
12/26/05
Audrey Rock-Richardson
Audrey Rock-Richardson
Tooele Transcript-Bulletin (Utah)

Finally, a Broadway gem made into a film that old-time movie musical fans like me can cheer about!

Full Review Source: ReelTalk Movie Reviews | comment Comment
12/31/05
Betty Jo Tucker
Betty Jo Tucker
ReelTalk Movie Reviews

[T]he most recent Producers is a clone of a clone, and what it adds in song and dance it loses in brevity and, as is so often the case, wit.

Full Review Source: Arizona Republic | comment Comment
12/27/05
Bill Muller
Bill Muller
Arizona Republic
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: NPR.org | comment Comment
10/18/08
Bob Mondello
Bob Mondello
NPR.org

There's nothing subtle about The Producers. But really, there never was, in any of its incarnations.

Full Review Source: Los Angeles Daily News | comment Comment
12/16/05
Bob Strauss
Bob Strauss
Los Angeles Daily News

Ferrell hasn’t been this enjoyably nuts since Old School, proving that his real talent is as an ensemble player rather than a marquee star.

Full Review Source: FilmStew.com | comment Comment
01/03/06
Brett Buckalew
Brett Buckalew
FilmStew.com

Ladies and gentlemen, for your enjoyment we present... Diminishing Returns: The Musical!

Full Review Source: Freeze Dried Movies | comment Comment
01/05/06
Brian Juergens
Brian Juergens
Freeze Dried Movies

If you're new to this crazy Mel Brooks creation, this 2005 cinematic torture chamber is the last way anyone should experience it for the first time.

Full Review Source: FilmJerk.com | comment Comment
12/23/05
Brian Orndorf
Brian Orndorf
FilmJerk.com

Arguably the funniest movie of the year.

Full Review Source: Spectrum (St. George, Utah) | comment Comment
01/24/06
Bruce Bennett
Bruce Bennett
Spectrum (St. George, Utah)

... to have seen either the original movie, or Lane and Broderick on Broadway (I saw both) is to be reminded what a lamentable knockoff this is.

Full Review Source: San Jose Mercury News | comment Comment
12/23/05
Bruce Newman
Bruce Newman
San Jose Mercury News
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by comments; Australian critics are listed first)
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