5/10
Silly jokes, slapstick and sight gags galore
16 June 2008
The film concerns about history of the world in various parts, from the dawn of human being until the distant future in French Revolution and narrated by Orson Welles. The first part during the Stone age with a sympathetic cavemen(Sid Caesar, Ron Carey) inventing the music. The second about Roman Empire with a filthy emperor Nero(Don DeLuise) with flatulence,a lecherous empress(Madeleine Khan) a slave(Gregory Hines) and of course, Mel Brooks. The following , the Spanish Inquisition , again with Mel Brooks as Torquemada making a spectacular dances, including a beautiful swimmers. The third part about French Revolution with a lascivious Luis XVI(Brooks),a conspirator count of Monet(recently deceased Harvey Korman) and a gorgeous Mademoiselle Rimbaud(Pamela Stephenson).

Mel Brook's direction keeps things moving with laughs, he directed this sometimes hilarious, but mostly crude and bad taste spoof of history with ridiculous episodes, as how to test eunuchs or the lasciviousness of Luis XVI's court. The jokes come with machine-gun rapidly , though don't always work, there are so many of them that this comedy ends up with enoughs laughs for quite entertaining. It's a stupid movie but also funny and remains like a laugh-filled amusement. The movie hasn't the thematic unity of 'The producers, Blazing saddles and Young Frankestein', the Mel Brooks's best . The stars race around like maniacs and appear several famous uncredited, actors and directors, such as Hugh Hefner as Roman entrepreneur, Paul Mazursky as roman officer, Barry Levinson as column salesman, Art Metrano as Leonardo and John Hurt as Jesus in a bemusing sketch about the 'Last supper', among others. The film is classified 'PG', parents guide, as displays objectionable material, for occasional adult content, crude language and profanity. If it weren't in such bad taste and dirty humor , it would be perfect for the children.
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