Jackson Booth-Millard The original Mel Brooks movie is a classic, about two impresarios deliberately making a flop stage show that becomes a success, then the movie was turned into a real successful Broadway show, then this stage show is turned into a remake movie, and ironically, it flops, but I still gave it a chance. Basically Max Bialystock (Golden Globe nominated Nathan Lane) was once a top Broadway producer ("Opening Night"), but is now washed up, and resorting to wooing and seducing wealthy elderly women to raise money for his shows, many becoming flops. Nervous and hysterical Leo Bloom (Matthew Broderick) is an accountant sent from Max's firm to study his books, and in doing so he finds that his last show raised more money than was required. Leo makes a passing comment that selling shares and embezzling in a show that is guaranteed to be a flop could generate a fortune, more than that of a hit show that runs and runs, Max tries to convince him to run with this scheme ("We Can Do It"). Returning to his accountancy firm, Leo fantasises about being a Broadway producer ("I Wanna Be a Producer"), he decides to quit his job and forms "Bialystock & Bloom" with Max. Max and Leo search for the worst play ever written, and they find Springtime for Hitler, a musical celebrating the Führer, written by an ex-Nazi named Franz Liebkind (Golden Globe nominated Will Ferrell), they meet with Franz to acquire the rights to the musical, performing Hitler's favourite song and taking "Siegfried Oath" ("Der Guten Tag Hop-Clop"). To ensure the play's failure, they also seek the worst director possible, they meet flamboyant director Roger De Bris (Gary Beach) and his assistant Carmen Ghia (Roger Bart), Roger is reluctant to direct, but Max and Leo suggest he could win a Tony, he agrees, on the condition the play be more "gay" ("Keep It Gay"). Back at their office, attractive Swedish woman Ulla Inga Hansen Benson Yansen Tallen Hallen Svaden Swanson (Uma Thurman), or simply Ulla, appears to audition, Leo says that they have not started casting, Max hires her as a secretary until she can audition ("When You've Got It, Flaunt It"). To get the money they need to produce the show, Max has dalliances with several elderly women ("Along Came Bialy"), allowing him to raise the $2 million, while Leo shares a kiss with Ulla ("That Face"). Franz is angered at the auditions for role of Adolf Hitler by a performer's rendition of a German song, he storms the stage and performs it himself ("Haben Sie gehört das Deutsche Band?"), based on his performance, Max hires Franz to play Hitler. On opening night, the cast and crew are preparing, Leo wishes everyone "good luck", but everyone warns him that this is bad luck, he should say "break a leg" ("You Never Say Good Luck on Opening Night"). Franz leaves to prepare and breaks his leg, Max needs someone to take over the role of Hitler, he asks Roger to perform, as he knows the lines, Roger accepts. As the show opens, the audience is horrified at the first song ("Springtime for Hitler"), with some walking out in disgust. This is until Roger enters as Hitler, his flamboyant interpretation creates laughter, the audience misinterpret the play as satire, resulting in the show becoming a smash. Max and Leo realise they have failed to create a flop, and they argue that the IRS will learn of their crimes, then Franz appears with a gun to shoot them for breaking the Siegfried Oath by mocking Hitler, the gunshots alert the police, Franz breaks his other leg as the duo try to evade the police. Max is arrested and imprisoned for tax fraud, while Leo gets away to Rio de Janeiro to marry Ulla ("Betrayed"), but at sentencing, Max is saved by Leo, who returns to defend him ("'Til Him"). The judge (David Huddleston) realises Max and Leo are inseparable, they are both sentenced to five years at Sing Sing Prison with Franz, there they write and produce a new musical ("Prisoners of Love"). Leo, Max, and Franz are pardoned by the governor for their work, allowing them to collaborate with Roger and Ulla and release Prisoners of Love, this hit play means Max and Leo go on to become successful Broadway producers. Also starring Jon Lovitz as Mr. Marks, This Is Spinal Tap's Michael McKean as Prison Trustee, Richard Kind as Jury Foreman, John Barrowman as Lead Tenor and Mel Brooks as himself, and the voices of Tom the Cat and Hilda the Pigeon. Lane and Broderick are nowhere as good as Gene Wilder and Zero Mostel, but they are just about passable as the leading duo, Thurman is beautiful and amusing, and Ferrell is amusingly ridiculous. The original premise story, premise and format remain pretty much the same, it is different with the more colourful production, and the obvious addition of songs, those from the show are fine, there are some additional ones that don't work as well, and it has been made a longer film which is a bit annoying, overall it is an alright musical comedy. It was nominated the Golden Globes for Best Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical and Best Original Song for "There's Nothing Like a Show on Broadway". Okay!

mark.waltz This film version of the biggest Broadway musical in decades couldn't be filmed and kept for posterity any other way. The team of Mel Brooks and Susan Stroman kept the remake of Mel's 1968 classic totally a camp riot, as pretty and witty and gay as they could possibly be. For those like me who couldn't score a decently priced ticket with original stars Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick got a chance with the film version. I was lucky in getting a ticket to the Los Angeles production with Jason Alexander and Martin Short, but the legendary team of Lane and Broderick was the dream of many a theatrical fan's impossible dream.Who'd think that anybody could rival the stars of the original, Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder, but Lane and Broderick are their equals. Most of the original Broadway cast got to repeat their roles as well with Gary Beach and Roger Bart deliciously stereotypically gay as a lousy director and his "common law" assistant. Brad Oscar and Cady Huffman weren't as lucky, replaced though by two fine substitutes, Will Farrell and Uma Thurman. I normally can't stomach Farrell, but he's delightfully obnoxious as the playwright of the deliciously tacky "Springtime For Hitler". Thurman fills out the part of Ulla, the Swedish chorus girl who has the need for sex every day at 11, and us told by Lane and Broderick to report to work at that time. (Something tells me that they'd be done "rehearsing" by 11:05.)The chorus is mainly filled by mainly Broadway notables, including Brent Barrett, Peter Bartlett, Karen Ziemba, Andrea Martin and Debra Monk, although for some it's a blink and you'll miss them situation. Even the aging Mel Brooks gets in on the action, utilizing his voice for several parts.I've read reviews which claim that thus was "too theatrical", but how else should a musical comedy be filmed? I love the fact that this is also not afraid of going down dangerous paths with parodies of certain races and the gay lifestyle that are stereotypical and obviously true in some cases. It was nice to see all that laughed with rather than scorned. This is exactly what a big movie version of a smash hit Broadway show should look like, big and brassy in the 1950's and 1960's way, but with modern sensibilities.

FilmBuff1994 The Producers is a decent movie with an enjoyable storyline with a great cast that mostly play characters that they aren't suited for.Many,many lines are the exact same as the original Producers and I've seen the musical on stage before,which I found a lot more enjoyable than this because the songs are just simply more fun on stage.My favourite in this movie was certainly Will Ferrell,he is without a doubt one of my favourite comedy actors and he could have saved this movie if he was in it longer.I really did not enjoy Matthew Broderick as Leo Bloom,it was hard when you had to compare him to the fantastic performance from Gene Wilder in the original,but he also didn't seem interested in his lines,Nathan Lane and Uma Thurman did however deliver great performances as Max Bialystock and Ulla.The Producers is nothing close to outstanding,but you still may enjoy it if you're looking for a good musical,the songs are very catchy and memorable. A crooked Broadway producer co-opts a timid accountant to help him stage a play that is certain to flop.Best Performance: Will Ferrell Worst Performance: Matthew Broderick

Charlie Ralph I'm a big believer in judging movies on what they want to be. A lot of the criticisms of The Producers seem to be forgetting that this is an intentionally OTT, gaudy, camp and ridiculous musical, which puts it's strength in the audience's ability to play along and enjoy the bizarre ride accompanied by some fantastically elaborate musical numbers. So yes, Broderick, Lane and everyone else in the cast completely overacts to a cringeworthy degree, and there isn't much of an adaptation from the stage to the screen. In addition to this, the film is also pretty stupid and zany. But for all these reasons and many more I absolutely love the musical adaptation of The Producers.I think Nathan Lane plays his role perfectly, and I couldn't see anyone else in his role (in terms of musicality. I'm well aware of how good a job the original Max played his role). Matthew Broderick is slightly more replaceable, but he has a good voice and he does the sweet bits in his songs really well. Uma Thurman is the only person who I would say is actively miscast, but she was a big star at the time. Not to mention, as I said in my reviews of Chicago and Les Miserables (both of which I also love), that my appreciation of these films hinges entirely on the songs, and everything else is just extras. There's a number of standout songs in The Producers, especially in the first half. Then obviously there's Springtime For Hitler, and Betrayed, and yeah, there's only really two stinkers and they're the two slow ones (That Face and 'Til Him).So add to that the fact that I laughed out loud at a lot of the jokes in The Producers, more so than usual for either a comedy or a musical, and the fact that there was barely a minute I wasn't enjoying myself watching a movie that's over two hours long. Yeah, I love The Producers. It's a proper old school musical with a sense of fun, great jokes, a great cast and great songs. I really don't see what everyone's problem is.