During the next 134 minutes you may be forced to ask yourself "Is 10 minutes of Will Ferrell worth buying a $20 DVD?" This would be the question if, of course, you were about to sit down right now and watch The Producers. And with constant cameo presence, Mr. Ferrell is forcing us to answer this question over and over again. In the case of a film like Wedding Crashers, the answer is a resounding YES! In the case of 2005's The Producers... eh... not so much.
In The Producers, we get a dose of Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick playing Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder as Bialystock and Bloom. Did you follow that? Yes, this is a remake of the 1968 film of the same name. And like an open bottle of cheap 1960s wine, it hasn't exactly aged well. The 1968 version was a visionary work of musical comedy from the genius of Mel Brooks. The 2005 version... has Mel Brooks in it. And did I mention 10 minutes of Will Ferrell as a crazy neo-Nazi playwright? I think I did.
But not to come off so negative, there is a lot to be loved in this revamped version of an over-the-top classic. Take Nathan Lane for instance; he has not been so joyously energetic and awe-inspiring since The Birdcage. Between codling little old ladies for money and coordinating what is intended to be the biggest flop in the history of Broadway, his Bialystock sings his way into the realm of interesting and fun.
Matthew Broderick, on the other hand, should remember that he is married to the Sex and the City chick and take a vacation. His best song and dance still is, and will always be from 1986 (Ferris Bueller on top of the float... remember? Good, glad to see you're still with me.) And lest we forget the always stunning Uma Thurman who "stretches" her acting abilities to play the sultry Ulla whose stunningly bad Swedish accent is the least our worries as she prances around screen half naked and fully annoying.
Article comments
1 - Sister Ray
Isn't it based on the Broadway version of the movie, not the movie itself?
2 - NR Davis
Yes, the Tony-winning musical was based on the original nonmusical film (itself heralded by critics); the Lane/Broderick musical film is based on the Broadway hit.
3 - Sister Ray
Thanks for clearing that up. I saw an off-Broadway performance, but didn't get around to seeing the new movie.