Despite decent production values, this is a truly dreadful film. You know it's bad when probably the best thing about the movie is its direction--considering it was done by William "One Shot" Beaudine--a director famous for never doing retakes even when a cameraman or microphone is clearly visible in the scene!! The film stinks for two major reasons--the story idea is so ludicrously stupid and the stars of the film are among the least talented and annoying in film history. As for the story, it's best summed up by just reading the title! However, I'll explain a little more of the basic plot: Two total morons parachute onto a Pacific island inhabited by a very, very strange tribe. While the tribe is very primitive, there is a mad scientist (Lugosi) working on the island with the chief's daughter as his assistant. Now the tribe still has a witch doctor AND they live in primitive huts, but somehow the girl has managed to go off to college in the US and is a lab tech!! The less annoying of the morons falls for the girl and vice-versa, but Lugosi plays an old pervert who secretly wants the girl--so he naturally turns the moron into a gorilla! Believe it or not, I am NOT making this up in the least! Now while this is all super silly and bizarre, the film is even worse than you'd expect because the actors playing the morons are, in fact, real morons--in the form of the "comedy" team of Mitchell and Petrillo. They are obviously ripping off the act of Martin and Lewis and don't even try to be original. Mitchell is a shorter knockoff of Martin and his job is to sing (rather poorly) and get the girl. Petrillo is the complete cretin whose job is to make us think that turning him into a gorilla would be a major improvement!! Sadly, though, it is Mitchell that becomes the gorilla.
Although Petrillo is made up to look almost exactly like Jerry Lewis circa 1950, his shtick is essentially to take the worst aspects of Lewis' act and beat them like a dead horse. Sure Jerry is known for his mugging and over-acting, but Petrillo does this constantly--like someone's untalented family member who insists on doing obnoxious imitations every time company arrives! Goober from The Andy Griffith show did an imitation of Cary Grant where he just yells "Judy, Judy, Judy" again and again (even though Grant never actually uttered the lines)--this is about the same quality as Petrillo's performance. In addition to his awfully nasal voice and dominance of every scene he is in (sounds like Lewis, huh?), he injects a lot of Jewish humor that Lewis rarely did on film. So, if you watch it, have your Yiddish dictionary nearby you mensch!
So why did I give this film a 2 and not less? Well, for curiosity sake and adequate production values, I was feeling charitable. This film is only for fans of bad films or for someone who insists on seeing all of Lugosi's films (including the many bad ones from late in his career). Otherwise, for your sake and those in your home, DON'T watch this film!!!! Show your family you love them and burn this DVD!!!
Although Petrillo is made up to look almost exactly like Jerry Lewis circa 1950, his shtick is essentially to take the worst aspects of Lewis' act and beat them like a dead horse. Sure Jerry is known for his mugging and over-acting, but Petrillo does this constantly--like someone's untalented family member who insists on doing obnoxious imitations every time company arrives! Goober from The Andy Griffith show did an imitation of Cary Grant where he just yells "Judy, Judy, Judy" again and again (even though Grant never actually uttered the lines)--this is about the same quality as Petrillo's performance. In addition to his awfully nasal voice and dominance of every scene he is in (sounds like Lewis, huh?), he injects a lot of Jewish humor that Lewis rarely did on film. So, if you watch it, have your Yiddish dictionary nearby you mensch!
So why did I give this film a 2 and not less? Well, for curiosity sake and adequate production values, I was feeling charitable. This film is only for fans of bad films or for someone who insists on seeing all of Lugosi's films (including the many bad ones from late in his career). Otherwise, for your sake and those in your home, DON'T watch this film!!!! Show your family you love them and burn this DVD!!!