msdsc Let's get one thing straight right off the bat: I LOVE WOODY ALLEN MOVIES. So, I think that gives my review at least some credence.Now, about this film: I feel that it wasted my time. There was virtually nothing redeeming about the movie. The acting was almost uniformly disappointing. It has an all-star cast but Woody managed to make them look like amateurs.The love interest – Michael J. Fox and Mayim Bialik – is completely unconvincing. Fox never once shows any real attraction. In fact, it feels more like he's trying to avoid her than to get together. And, though Bialik is well cast in that she looks like she could be the daughter of Woody and Julie, she's entirely miscast as a love foil for Fox; they look like an unlikely couple.Surprisingly, there was one scene, where Woody and his wife (Julie Kavner) connect – she starts to cry and he attempts to comfort her – in which there was a poignancy which I felt, and which allowed the jokes to really penetrate. Other than that, I think Woody took what could have been a terrific farce (in the positive sense) and turned it into a real farce.

merklekranz This little known TV movie is really a bit of nostalgia for those Woody Allen fans who yearn for the good old days, and a 1970s Woody type performance. Like a train pulling out of the station, "Don't drink the Water" gets funnier as it goes along. The casting is good, with Dom DeLuise a standout as a magician, without any tricks that work. Woody is in top form, playing a character much like he did in "Take the Money and Run", or "Bananas". My only fault is the unsteady camera which at times is enough to cause dizzy spells, and the claustrophobic feel of the movie, since really this is a filmed play. What you get is a 1994 version of a 1970s Woody Allen performance. Expect lots of one liners, some of which don't always work, but plenty are hilarious, and that's all that matters. - MERK

winner55 I caught this on videotape and watched it over and over again - it's hilarious. The best comic performance by Fox, the best by Delouise (whom I normally loathe), great performances by all.Allen's performance (basically, he's playing his own father) is stunning in his effortless timing, and he directs the ensemble around him accordingly. The camera work is nothing special, but what do you expect from TV? That this made its way to television is itself part of the miracle.My own guess is that this is the production that Allen should have retired on - he hasn't made a dam' thing of interest since.But this is perfect.Flawlessly ridiculous - a precious gem of American comic theater.

jasonrenzi let this be said at the outset...i feel quite strongly that i'm fully justified and totally willing to argue the point that woody allen is a genius. without question. but even the genius of Shakespeare failed him on occasion (see 'king john' if you require proof) this is an instance where allen's genius stepped out for a coffee leaving him alone to desperately struggle with this horrid piece of work. the characters are wooden and stale (dom deluise), the dialogue is strained and clichéd, the acting is surprisingly atrocious. usually one can count on at least allen himself delivering a strong performance, but alas, this does not occur here. julie kavner, who was absolutely brilliant in radio days, fails to shine in this context. mayim bialik is perfunctory, and michael j. fox is overly exuberant, marring his performance with too much ham. avoid this film if you can, especially if you wish to remain convinced of allen's infallibility. it is my opinion that this it is his worst effort.