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'The Producers' is a spoof with a lighter touch
by Michael Barnes

"The Producers" manages to spoof old-fashioned Broadway and Hollywood musicals, while exemplifying the sweet, pastel style that Mel Brooks eviscerated in so many of his cinematic satires. Devout believers in Brooks' dark, discordant 1968 movie of the same name will be dismayed by the winsome tone and the outright adoration for traditional musicals, especially from the 1950s. Admirers of his 2001 Broadway adaptation, however, will appreciate the lighter touches, Stroman's joyous choreography and, up to a point, the transfer of talent from the stage to the screen. Read the full review

TO SUM UP
A shady Broadway producer and his accountant concoct a scheme to overfinance a huge flop and pocket the excess investment. But when the show unexpectedly becomes a smash, oversubscribed investors all want their shares, leaving the producers in hot water.

FILM FACTS ...

Universal Pictures

'The Producers'

Director: Susan Stroman
Starring: Will Ferrell, Nathan Lane, Matthew Broderick, Uma Thurman, Gary Beach
Run time: 134 minutes
Release date: Dec. 16, 2005
Rating: PG-13 for sexual humor and references.
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READ THE REVIEW

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: C
"It's not all it was on stage and it's not all it could be on film. The result is a often jolly, highly-polished compromise..."

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Austin American-Statesman: 3 of 5 stars
"The movie tickles in a way that's removed from the original film and stage musical. The jokes are as old as the hills, but funny is funny — and nobody knows funny like Mel Brooks."

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Middletown Journal: B-
"The best movie musicals have life jumping out of every frame. ... Stroman, however, shows the perils of the opposite approach: she doesn't move the camera enough."

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The Palm Beach Post: A-
"It is a valentine to the theater and its cherished eccentricities and dubious business practices."

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