Directed by Andrew Bergman. Starring Matthew Broderick, Marlon Brando, Penelope Ann Miller, Bruno Kirby, Frank Whaley, Maximilian Schell, Paul Benedict, Jon Polito, Richard Gant, Kenneth Welsh, BD Wong. (PG)
NYU student Broderick, almost literally "straight off the bus," finds himself entangled in the business of Carmine Sabatini, who happens to look and act an awful lot like Vito Corleone from "The Godfather" (and happens to be played by Marlon Brando). Enjoyable comedy starts out as a sparkling winner, and despite losing its way a bit in the second half with twists/secrets that tarnish the spontaneity and wryness of those early scenes, emerges as a very amusing and very likable comedy. Unexpectedly genteel considering all the criminal insinuations one would expect; rather than deal with the standard Mafia-style larceny & thuggery business, it instead centers on the smuggling (and worse) of endangered animals. Nice turns from the entire cast, especially shifty Kirby (whose presence is all-too-diminished in the last act) and loopy Brando, who could have easily botched the parody but instead inspires smiles pretty much every time he's onscreen. Not a classic, but still an undervalued gem.
75/100
NYU student Broderick, almost literally "straight off the bus," finds himself entangled in the business of Carmine Sabatini, who happens to look and act an awful lot like Vito Corleone from "The Godfather" (and happens to be played by Marlon Brando). Enjoyable comedy starts out as a sparkling winner, and despite losing its way a bit in the second half with twists/secrets that tarnish the spontaneity and wryness of those early scenes, emerges as a very amusing and very likable comedy. Unexpectedly genteel considering all the criminal insinuations one would expect; rather than deal with the standard Mafia-style larceny & thuggery business, it instead centers on the smuggling (and worse) of endangered animals. Nice turns from the entire cast, especially shifty Kirby (whose presence is all-too-diminished in the last act) and loopy Brando, who could have easily botched the parody but instead inspires smiles pretty much every time he's onscreen. Not a classic, but still an undervalued gem.
75/100