The Producers (2005)

8/17/06

Well I'm back from vacation and tonight I watched the 2005 musical The Producers. The movie is the film adaptation of the popular 2001 musical, which was itself based on Mel Brooks 'riskey'1968 film of that title, staring Gene Wilder and Zero Mostel. This film version has Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick reprising their Broadway roles of Max Bialystock and Leo Bloom respectively. The movie is of course about an acountiant and a has-been theatrical producer who team up to put on a fawning musical about Adolph Hitler, with plans to keep the extra money raised for the 'sure to be a flop' show and flee to Brazil. The movie lacks that 'what the!?' quality that the orignal had, and further demonstrates how contemporary musical comedy comes across quite awkward on screen. However Lane and Broderick have good chemistry together, and the story departures taken from the original film, mainly in its 2nd half, make's it less static for fans of the 1968 version. In sum a middeling to lesser motion picture, if you do watch stay through the credits for Will Ferrell's romantized rendition of 'Guten Tag Klap Klap'. Also staring Uma Thurman.