The Producers, as promised (8/10)

First and foremost, I hate remakes. This I'm sure comes to no great surprise to anyone. It just seems like a sleezeball move by Hollywood to get more cash out of the same idea over and over again, like movie-goers are too brain dead from staring unblinkingly at the big screen for hours on end to realize what is going on around them. Frankly, I find it insulting and I refuse to hand over my hard earned money to be insulted. As Loud pointed out to me after my last review, there are some good remakes that deserve mentioning (though they seem to be few and far between these days). The 2005 Mel Brooks picture 'The Producers" is one of those rare exceptions that deserves some recognition. While this is a remake of his own film of the same name, the later adaptation is much more in Brooks' style with upbeat musical numbers, larger than life characters and loads of overacting. Like I said, this was a remake of a film that was his originally so I'm not sure if this could be classed as a remake or if it is more of a 'do-over' but that's just symmantics.

Musicals have always been one of my favorite genres. Every Disney movie tossed my way with dancing woodland creatures and a beauty with the voice of an angel is likely to have this snarky cynic by the heartstrings. Watching 'Snow White' or 'Cinderella' or 'Beauty and the Beast' for the hundredth time will still capture my attention as if I were a grade-schooler.

Speaking of Disney, Nathan Lane (playing the role of Max Bialystock) has the famous voice of Timon the meerkat from 'The Lion King' films. This rotund little man brings to the table the same larger-than-life personality that her has thrown into voice acting this scheming, furry little creature. Though, I must admit that seeing such an animated voice come from this bulbous human seems kind of odd and maybe he is better suited for voice acting. On the other hand, the surprise did not come unaccompanied by a hearty laugh, so maybe he is just perfect for comedic roles and children's movies. There is a close resemblance to the original Bialystock, Zero Mandol and I have to give Brooks points for that.

Also starring is the baby-faced Mathew Broderick. His character, Leopold Bloom (previously played by Gene Wilder) is a skittish, spaztic, neurotic young accountant brought in to Bialystock's office to do the books. Little did he know this would be the beginning of an epic song-and-dance adventure. No, really. Epic. This film has a run-time of 134 minutes. Coming in just over two hours,this version is longer than its 1960's brother running at 88 minutes.

Comparing Broderick to Wilder is comparing apples to oranges. Gene Wilder has a very special place in my heart, but I must admit that I found his performance lacking. This was his first movie with Brooks, which may account for his reserved manner. This is not to say that Wilder was not an asset to the production. He was great, but his other work is far superior. Broderick, on the other hand could be considered a Hollywood veteran by the time of his adaptation of the role.

Another big name appearing is the stunning Uma Thurman in the role of the Swedish secretary-slash-receptionist Ulla. This woman is on fire! Woof. I'm not sure what kind of accent she is trying to pull off. It didn't sound terribly Swedish to me, but I suggest you take that with a grain of salt considering I've only known two Swedes in my life, and one is a muppet. I would call her performance lacking, but it is clear that she wasn't cast for her range if you know what I'm saying.

Ms. Thurman isn't the only eye candy floating around on set either. There are chorus girls pouring out of every nook and cranny for the big music numbers. One song in particular, "I want to be a Producer' makes it quite clear that Brooks has a passion for the stage. There is very little to speak of for special effects but the elaborate costumes and sets will have your jaw dropping. This more than makes up for the total absence of computer graphics.

The only thing missing is the one thing you always look for in a Brooks production. Mel Brooks! If he isn't a main character, he'll at least make a cameo. Alas, nien. Though I'm fairly sure he is the voice of one of the nazies in the production of 'Springtime for Hitler' Whatever. Overall a wonderful film and a wonderful concept that deserved a second chance. 8/10