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Topic: Rat Race

Peter Berrett
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 602
From: Victoria, Australia
Registered: Nov 2000

posted 01-04-2002 05:10 AM

Attendance: Knox Theatre Complex, Wantirna South 5 Jan 2002, Skilltester toys won on at theatre 0

This film is very similar to Its a Mad Mad Mad Mad World (1963) but obviously not similar enough for MGM to sue Paramount Pictures.

The original had a truly star studded cast including Spencer Tracy, Milton Berle, Sid Caesar, Buddy Hackett, Ethel Merman, Mickey Rooney, Jonathan Winters, Peter Falk, Stan Freberg, Edward Everett Horton, Buster Keaton, Don Knotts, Carl Reiner, Jimmy Durante, and Jerry Lewis.

Unfortunately this non-remake, whilst having a strong cast, is only midly funny. The film is too short to properly develop the characters and the pretext for the story is a little lame. It could have been better done. Also the narcolepsy joke (ok so Zucker saw Moulin Rouge) doesn't quite work. It didn't work too well in Moulin Rouge and it fails again here. Is Hollywood so bereft of ideas?

The ending (which I won't give away), whilst positive, didn't work too well.

Still it entertained and the performances of Rowan Atkinson (in spite of some narcolepsy nonsense) and Whoopee Goldberg stand out.

Verdict 7 stars out of 10.

cheers Peter

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Michael Brown
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1522
From: Bradford, England
Registered: May 2001

posted 01-05-2002 01:39 PM

I will be seeing this next week when it has its UK release.

Rowan Atkinson with narcolepsy, this should be interesting to see.

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