This souvenir of the film-turned-stage-hit accomplishes the tough task of getting third-generation laughs.
The Producers (2005)
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work ![]()
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
Reviews for The Producers
I walked out with songs on my lips and a stitch in my side from laughing so hard.
Nathan Lane's brand of old-school shtick is exactly what this project calls for.
Brooks and Stroman have taken a classic and flattened it into just the sort of glib, tired-businessman's musical adaptation that Max Bialystock once built his sagging reputation on.
The small, silly details that made you laugh in spite of yourself are only garish and hammy on a screen the size of a mobile trailer.
At least it's not as horrid as something Bialystock and Bloom themselves might create.
The humor is large, loud and fast-paced, rarely subtle. Watching it is like watching an old movie -- a raucous, randy, delightful old movie.
Leave the classics alone, Mel. You made three perfect films in your career, more than most people ever could, and now you've remade one of them badly.
Sure, The Producers, a movie-turned-hit Broadway musical-turned-movie again is pure camp, filled with over-blown musical numbers and over-inflated performances. But that's what we want in a movie musical--unadulterated fun.
If you liked the 1960s version, chances are that you'll also appreciate the updated musical version of "The Producers."
It's not all it was on stage and it's not all it could be on film. The result is a often jolly, highly-polished compromise, which can't be what anyone intended. Or wanted.
The stage performances haven't been scaled down: Everything is pitched to the second balcony. And Mel Brooks' material -- especially the retro queeny stereotypes -- is excruciatingly dated.
The film falls short even as a record of Broderick and Lane's crowd-pleasing rapport: Both have done the show so many times that every scrap of life is gone.
Latest News for The Producers
July 19, 2007:
Box Office Guru Preview: Can Chuck and Larry Beat Up Harry?
Two new star-driven Hollywood comedies face off at the box office this weekend in an attempt to unseat Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix from the top spot. Adam Sandler... More...
March 01, 2006:
RT Visits The "Dreamgirls" Production
RT's Jen and Matt were treated to a razzle-dazzle evening on Monday night for a press presentation of Bill Condon's upcoming Motown showbiz musical, "Dreamgirls." They... More...
February 13, 2006:
Trailer Bulletin: Talladega Nights
For those of us who loved "Anchorman" and semi-suffered through "Kicking & Screaming," "Bewitched," and "The Producers" while waiting... More...
More Movies
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 75% 75% | Sherlock Holmes | 26/12 |
| 39% 39% | The Lovely Bones | 26/12 |
| 100% 100% | The French Kissers | 26/12 |
| 84% 84% | Bright Star | 26/12 |
| 71% 71% | Nowhere Boy | 26/12 |
| | Alvin and the Chipmunk… | 26/12 |
| 10% 10% | Did You Hear About the… | 26/12 |
| 05% 05% | Old Dogs | 26/12 |
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
Sponsored Links
Around The Network
- The Producers at Rotten Tomatoes
- The Producers at IGN
- The Producers at AskMen
Fresh Links
Featured

Last week, Moviefone offered us their worst films of the 2000s. Now see their 40 best!

Techland examines the visual splendor of Peter Jackson's upcoming film.

Movieline gets bravely swept away with the recycled refuse of the 2000s.

Get all the latest movie updates, reviews, interviews and features here.
Competitions

We're giving away a bunch of stuff from the upcoming Squeakquel.



Top Critic


