We watched this one on Friday night. Denis loves the original Zero Mostel version, but we also both loved the Broadway play with Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick. So we thought we’d give the film adaption of the play adaptation of the movie a chance.
It was mildly disappointing. It didn’t have the electricity that the recent “Chicago” rendition had. It was literally just as though they filmed the play on slightly bigger sets. Matthew Broderick is just a pale comparison of Gene Wilder on screen. Nathan Lane was very funny – in fact, I liked him better than I like Zero Mostel – who seems more than a little creepy in his version. Uma Thurman did a nice job – I was particularly impressed with her dancing sequence with Matthew Broderick.
I’m glad I didn’t go see this one in the theater. I would have been really ticked off. The best part of the DVD, however, is the included gag reel. You can tell that the cast and crew genuinely had a GREAT time filming together. And it definitely showed how much fun they probably had doing the play.
2 1/2 elderly investors out of five.