The Three Ages is not Keaton's funniest or most innovative film. In fact, he plays it rather safe, like a swimmer putting his foot in the water before he makes a dive. Unlike his next film Our Hospitality (1923), this movie feels more like an extension of the collection of two reelers he made in the first three years of the 1920s.
The film's structure is meant to lampoon that of DW Griffith's mammoth epic Intolerance (1916). The entire movie has three parallel stories showcasing Buster's attempts to win a young lady in three different periods: prehistory, the Roman empire, and the then modern day. In each period he does battle with Wallace Beery over the girl, whose parents always find Beery a worthier mate. In the end, Beery is always revealed as a brute and it's up to Buster to rescue the girl from his evil designs.
Most of the gags in the prehistoric and Roman ages are anachronistic, such as IDs on stone tablets and a sun dial wristwatch. They're cute, but not terribly funny. There are still some good bits of slapstick though, such as a chariot race, Buster's unplanned fall from a roof, and some funny antics at a restaurant. The sets in the Roman age are marvelous too.
The leading lady Margaret Leahy is adequate. She was a beauty contest winner originally meant to play a supporting role in Norma Talmadge's Within the Law (1923), however, her lack of acting ability caused Norma to push her onto her brother-in-law Keaton, since it was believed one did not need an acting ability to do well in a comedy. While she's not nearly as charming as someone like Sybil Seely or Kathryn McGuire, Leahy is all right, just a little wooden. She leaves no impression, but then again, the love interest role in most Keaton films is thankless anyway.
All in all, this film is decent. This is without a doubt one of the lesser BK pictures, but it's still a cute romp.
The film's structure is meant to lampoon that of DW Griffith's mammoth epic Intolerance (1916). The entire movie has three parallel stories showcasing Buster's attempts to win a young lady in three different periods: prehistory, the Roman empire, and the then modern day. In each period he does battle with Wallace Beery over the girl, whose parents always find Beery a worthier mate. In the end, Beery is always revealed as a brute and it's up to Buster to rescue the girl from his evil designs.
Most of the gags in the prehistoric and Roman ages are anachronistic, such as IDs on stone tablets and a sun dial wristwatch. They're cute, but not terribly funny. There are still some good bits of slapstick though, such as a chariot race, Buster's unplanned fall from a roof, and some funny antics at a restaurant. The sets in the Roman age are marvelous too.
The leading lady Margaret Leahy is adequate. She was a beauty contest winner originally meant to play a supporting role in Norma Talmadge's Within the Law (1923), however, her lack of acting ability caused Norma to push her onto her brother-in-law Keaton, since it was believed one did not need an acting ability to do well in a comedy. While she's not nearly as charming as someone like Sybil Seely or Kathryn McGuire, Leahy is all right, just a little wooden. She leaves no impression, but then again, the love interest role in most Keaton films is thankless anyway.
All in all, this film is decent. This is without a doubt one of the lesser BK pictures, but it's still a cute romp.