The Producers

Buy This Item The Producers by Universal Studios  Available from Amazon  $12.99  on 11-27-2008     The trend is to convert movies into stage musicals, but <I>The Producers</I> goes a step further: making a feature film of the smash-hit stage musical that was adapted from the 1968 film. The chief drawing card, of course, is Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick reprising their roles from the stage. Lane plays Max Bialystock, a legendary Broadway producer who hasn't had a hit show in a long time. Enter nebbish accountant Leo Bloom (Broderick), who tells Bialystock he could actually make more money with a flop than a hit. So the two set out to produce the worst Broadway musical of all time, one guaranteed to close on opening night, with the collaboration of an outrageous cast of characters: Will Ferrell as sieg heil-ing author Franz Liebkind, Uma Thurman as Swedish bombshell Ulla, Gary Beach as director Roger De Bris, and Roger Bart as his assistant, Carmen Ghia, among others. <p> As directed and choreographed by Susan Stroman (who did the same honors on Broadway) and co-written by Mel Brooks, <I>The Producers</I> is laugh-out-loud funny. It's also a relentlessly over-the-top, shamelessly bawdy, stereotype-ridden comedy that may turn off its audience just as much as its centerpiece, <I>Springtime for Hitler</I>, was intended to. But Broadway fans who are used to larger-than-life figures who play to the back row while showering the first row with spit, are likely to forgive and just enjoy the famous granny-walker dance, a supporting cast dotted with Broadway performers (playing a taxi driver is Brad Oscar, who originated the role of Liebkind on Broadway then later played Bialystock), or the mere spectacle of seeing Lane and Broderick memorializing the performances that millions never got a ticket to see. (For maximum laughs, stick around through the closing credits.) <I>--David Horiuchi</I> Reader Reviews Living far from Manhattan and relying on what is available at TKTS when I do get to see a "real" Broadway musical I appreciate this chance to see even a filmed version of Nathan Lane, Matthew Broderick and much of the original cast in their landmark roles in THE PRODUCERS. Sure the film often seems too "stagy" and perhaps Broderick and Lane are too theatrical and well rehearsed as Leo and Max but this is still an enjoyable opportunity to see what all the excitement was about in 2001 when this musical opened on Broadway. Will Ferrell and Uma Thurman were not in the stage production but they are fine in this film version. I've never been a big fan of Ferrell but he is very funny playing the Nazi worshiping author of "Springtime for Hitler". Beautiful Uma Thurman certainly looks the part of a Swedish bombshell and her singing and dancing do justice to the role. The deleted scenes on the DVD include some musical numbers that were cut including "King of "Broadway" which I'm sure is great fun to see in person but way too over the top for the filmed version. Remember to watch this film all the way through the credits to get a last laugh from Mel Brooks himself.

The Producers Available from Amazon Price: $12.99 Updated on 11-27-2008.

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