So, Kristen, Brooke and I went and saw “The Producers” on Saturday… Personally, I thought it was a damned fine flick (if you like musicals…). The movie was well-done overall, with excellent acting, great casting (Will Ferrell did surprisingly well…of course, Matthew Broderick and Nathan Lane had some experience in the roles), and an enticing plot line. There were quite a few laugh-out-loud funny points, which was also kinda surprising; many musicals are amusing, but this one had some classic Mel Brooks humor tossed along with it.
The key here is: you’ll love it if you like musicals. If you don’t like musicals, then you’ll probably find it funny, yet not the “end all” of movies you’ve seen this year. Personally, I like them…kinda takes me back to high school when I played in the pit orchestras for them (6 of them, if I remember right…). The only real complaint I had with the movie was some of the cinematography that didn’t translate well from stage to screen. More specifically, whenever Broderick would sing (most times…not every time), the camera would zoom in on him from chest to head. This just seemed kinda hokey to me, when if you’re watching a stage version of the production, you see his entire body. It didn’t really matter that much overall, but it got kinda cheesy after awhile.
Anyway, good movie and well worth seeing. Even if you don’t like musicals, you can probably appreciate another Mel Brooks creation (although, if you didn’t know, it’s not only a re-make of the musical, but a re-make of the original movie from 1968). Honestly, it’s quite impressive that Brooks not only wrote the screenplay and story, but also the music and lyrics to the songs. Overall, a good movie and a welcome change from your typical box office fare.