I don't think there's too much of a disagreement over the fact that Mel Brooks is an incredibly funny and gifted entertainer. Is "History of the World: Part 1" his funniest film? Probably--almost certainly--not. But the laughs it does elicit are legitimate enough for me to still basically enjoy it every time I watch.
For a very basic overview, "World: Part 1" is Brooks (writer, director, and playing multiple acting roles) riffing on a bunch of historical time periods: Stone Age, Old Testament, Roman Empire, Inquisition, & French Revolution, poking fun at those people and their times in the parodic way that only Brooks can cultivate.
Truth be told, there's quite a bit of stuff in this film that flat out doesn't work. For as much of a comedic genius as I consider Brooks to be, I'm not sure why he so often goes "lowest common denominator" here with many of the jokes/gags. Some of the humor also likely won't "play" all that well in more current politically-correct times. In those ways, "World: Part 1" will never be a top-tier (Young Frankenstein, Spaceballs, etc.) Brooks comedy.
However, there are enough truly laugh-out-loud moments to make this a baseline fun viewing, such as:
-The Inquisition song/dance number (probably the highlight of the whole piece).
-The Moses skit with the "15--10 Commandments!"
-Pretty much all the material in the Roman Empire section. The acting and comedic talents of Brooks, Gregory Hines, Dom DeLuise, and Madeline Kahn really shine.
I doubt I'll ever grade "History of the World: Part 1" much higher than 7/10 stars--but also probably never much lower, either. Considering all the sections/jokes that don't work, those dry moments are balanced out by some material that will stand the test of comedy time.
For a very basic overview, "World: Part 1" is Brooks (writer, director, and playing multiple acting roles) riffing on a bunch of historical time periods: Stone Age, Old Testament, Roman Empire, Inquisition, & French Revolution, poking fun at those people and their times in the parodic way that only Brooks can cultivate.
Truth be told, there's quite a bit of stuff in this film that flat out doesn't work. For as much of a comedic genius as I consider Brooks to be, I'm not sure why he so often goes "lowest common denominator" here with many of the jokes/gags. Some of the humor also likely won't "play" all that well in more current politically-correct times. In those ways, "World: Part 1" will never be a top-tier (Young Frankenstein, Spaceballs, etc.) Brooks comedy.
However, there are enough truly laugh-out-loud moments to make this a baseline fun viewing, such as:
-The Inquisition song/dance number (probably the highlight of the whole piece).
-The Moses skit with the "15--10 Commandments!"
-Pretty much all the material in the Roman Empire section. The acting and comedic talents of Brooks, Gregory Hines, Dom DeLuise, and Madeline Kahn really shine.
I doubt I'll ever grade "History of the World: Part 1" much higher than 7/10 stars--but also probably never much lower, either. Considering all the sections/jokes that don't work, those dry moments are balanced out by some material that will stand the test of comedy time.