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Why does everyone think Sylvester Stallone is terrible at comedy? I never saw "Rhinestone" as that is considered one of the worst movies ever made and while I thought "Stop! or my mom will shoot" was illogical and hokey at times it was mostly entertaining. But "Oscar" out of all his attempts at comedy is Sylvester Stallone's best attempt at comedy and it remains a mystery to me why this did so terrible critically and financially. Maybe critics and audiences had trouble accepting Stallone as a gangster doing something different from "Rocky" or "Rambo". I mean yes like "Stop! or my mom will shoot" this one is very illogical and confusing at times. But if you put your full mind into the movie and think about it you will realize it is very funny. While Stallone is terrific I think some of the best scenes in this film belong to Tim Curry. Some of his scenes made me want to laugh out loud! I cannot really summarize the film because many parts are confusing but I can certainly say that critics and audiences need to stop putting it down and give it another try because they don't know what their missing. Sure it's no "Godfather" or "Goodfellas" but it is a very funny little gangster comedy that has the intelligence one misses in comedies. All in all "Oscar" is no masterpiece but it is very funny and enjoyable and that's enough for me to recommend it. It also proves that Sylvester Stallone is not a terrible comedy movie star.

I would never have dreamed that Sylvester Stallone would appear in a film that has its basis in a French farce. But Oscar is exactly that.

Taken from a play by Claude Magnier with the same title, the action is transferred to 1931 Chicago where gangster Angelo 'Snaps' Provolone is looking to go legitimate because of a promise he made to his dying father. The father is played by Kirk Douglas and Douglas's death scene opens the film and it's hilarious.

Sly Stallone looked like he was having one great old time spoofing his own image. The rest of the film is a day in his life dealing with bankers he's coming in with, an embezzling employee, a rival mob, a daughter looking to break loose from the family, and the police.

It's all done at a pace that rivals Billy Wilder's classic, One Two Three. In fact Oscar would have been a classic if they'd somehow persuaded Billy Wilder to direct it. It just needed that extra something from a comedy master.

Still Stallone gets good support from several generations of Hollywood players who range from Don Ameche as a priest to Marisa Tomei in her film debut as Stallone's daughter.

Catch this one if it's broadcast, especially you Stallone fans.

This 1991 release,featuring Sly Stallone's first all-on comedy role since the legendarily panned "Rhinestone" (Unless you count "Tango and Cash" as a comedy,which to me wouldn't be entirely accurate)is a film that got lost in the shuffle of his large cannon of movies(many of which earned him a reputation for being someone who either chose bad film scripts or actually hurt the material he chose to do). That,to me,seems highly unfair,for this movie is a pleasant treat. A nutty comedy that plays like an English farce.

"Snaps"Provolone(Stallone) promises his dying father that he will quit the gangster business and become legit. On the morning he is to go to work on the board of trustees at a large bank,he is confronted by a number of problems. I won't go into the specifics so as to a)not spoil the plot and b)conserve on writing space,as the movie uses farce devices to full advantage. The principle obstacles include his embezzling accountant(Anthony Spano),his bored and temperamental daughter(Marisa Tomei,pre-"My Cousin Vinny"),his scheming maid(Jocelyn O'Brien),his high-strung wife(Ornella Muti,ravishing),the rival gangsters who are bucking to take over his action,the feds that are watching Snaps' every move and his henchmen(Chazz PAlminteri and Peter Riegert,both fantastic!). Thrown into the mix is a erudite but not-unsympathetic diction instructor(Tim Curry),tailor brothers(MArtin Ferrero and Harry Shearer)who figure prominently in the morning's events somehow,a woman claiming to be his daughter(Elizabeth Barondes)and a new maid(Dallas'Sue Ellen,Linda Gray). Kirk Douglas' cameo as Stallone's dying father was VERY choice as well.

John Landis,an ace in terms of nailing comedy devices,either is a great fit for this adaptation or his direction is able to bring the best out of everyone involved,particularly Stallone,who shows that he CAN put his name behind a watchable,entertaining film that doesn't involve excessive(if any)violence. A great cheap rent!

Personally, I love this film.

You look past the Syvester Stallone attempt at comedy, you're left with a neat fast paced funny film that'll make you laugh. How many things can go wrong and backfire between 8am and 12noon? Well, there's 3 possible husbands for a pregnant daughter who isn't pregnant. One of whom wants to marry the father's other daughter who isn't his daughter............don't even get me started on the 3 bags of money/jewels/knickers.

I could watch this film over and over again. In fact - I have.

I don't know why this movie is rated so low. This is a good old fashioned farce that is done very well and most the actors, especially Chaz Palmenteri (I don't know how to spell that name).

People must have knocked it because they can't accept Stallone in anything other than action films. This is one of the funniest films I have ever seen.

7/10

I don't know what the critics were smoking back in 1991 to give this hilarious film a negative review, maybe it was the beginning of a more "dark Era" and this attempting at a thirties Hollywood screwball comedy film, felt out of place or it was the "jumping in the bandwagon" bash against the great Sylvester Stallone, the "winner of the worst actor of the decade" by the "fabulous" Razzies (what a joke !!).

Unfortunately, the audiences teamed with the critics and "Oscar" was a major flop when it was released in theaters, but became huge succesful on video and found its audience there, even if it's still largely underrated nowadays.

"Oscar" is a delightfully well-staged and nicely paced "'comedy of errors", based on the 1967 French film of the same name, starring Louis de Funès, but with the setting moved to 1931, during the Depression-era in New York City, telling the story of a Mob Boss, Angelo "Snaps" Provolone (Stallone), trying to going straight after a promise he made to his dying father, Eduardo (Kirk Douglas), but it won't be an easy task...

This was the first John Landis' film, after the major Box Office hit of his "Coming to America" ('88) starring Eddie Murphy, and probably the expectations were higher for the director to deliver another audience friendly contemporary comedy, but Landis took a risk honoring (and resurrecting) a dead genre and glad he did so.

The performances are all top notch, well directed by Landis and perfectly adequate to the characters they're playing, the settings and the tone of the movie: Sly Stallone is a great comedy actor, he have the right delivery timing, funny expressions and truly dominates the central role of the film with the great support of Peter Riegert and Chazz Palminteri as his (not so bright) henchmen; Ornella Muti & Marisa Tomei as his dominating wife and spoiled teenage daughter; Landis' usual collaborator, the veteran Don Ameche as Father Clemente; Tim Curry as the linguistic Dr. Poole; Vincent Spano as the greedy accountant and the duo Harry Shearer & Martin Ferrero, playing the tailors Finucci Brothers, which are hilarious. Kirk Douglas joined the cast in the prologue, alongside Yvonne De Carlo (God Bless Lily Munster !!) in her last screen role, offering a memorable cameo.

In short, this is one of the funniest comedies ever put on-screen, people shouldn't listen to Stallone's haters or the snobbish movie critics, who probably didn't even get the movie.

For fans of a good farce, this is the movie to watch, i give it a solid 9 stars !!

You don't have to be a Stalone fan to enjoy this film. It is a comedy, and it delivers in large doses.

There are a ton of characters and most are played by well known actors. The story progresses very fast because they introduce one of the new characters at every corner for much of the movie. This may sound chaotic, but the plot flows and you get just enough of each character to feel satisfied.

If you need a good family film with lots of laughs Oscar won't disappoint. The basic premise, is a Gangster in the days of prohibition who is trying to leave his life of crime while many crazy events try to thwart his attempt.

This film is based on the 1958 French play "Oscar" by Claude Magnier and it's also a remake of French 1967 movie "Oscar" staring Louis De Funes. I haven't seen the French version and considering my dislike for French comedies (with few exceptions) I don't think I ever will. So there won't be any comparisons between the French movie and Hollywood version. The only thing you need to know is the action here is set in 30's America in world of Italian gangsters instead of 60's France and the world of French businessmen.

The story here is completely ridiculous , but it's a FARCE people , it has to be that way . The story has to be slightly confusing and full of action and twists. Maybe that's the reason why the USA audience didn't liked it ? It's kind of weird considering it's a homage to 30's comedies that are still popular today. It feels a lot like a Cary Grant / Katherine Hepburn movie.

Some jokes feel repetitive and the story gets predictable in some place , but it never hurts the movie too much The story is pretty much an excuse to put the characters in funny situations. The characters are well defined and likable. The movie is loaded with memorable dialogue and wordplay . "Oscar" feels like a mix of screwball comedy and «commedia dell'arte».

Sylvester Stallone always had a great sense of humor even in his most serious movies (contrary to what people say). Here he is having fun spoofing his own image and shows a really good comic timing . He does an admirable job and actually fits his role. "Oscar" has also an all star supporting cast: Don Ameche ("Trading places") , Marisa Tomei ("My cousin Vinny") , Tim Curry ("Rocky horror picture show"), Kirk Douglas ("Spartacus") , Kurtwood Smith ("Robocop") Chazz Palmenteri ("Bronx tale") . Watch out for Arleen Sorkin (the voice of Harley Quinn in "Batman TAS") in small role of manicurist. Everyone is good here and fits is/hers role perfectly.

John Landis directs "Oscar" in solid way. "Oscar" actually feels like you're watching a stage show and that's not a bad thing.

Forget "Rhinestone" and "Stop or my mom will shoot". This is Stallone's best comedy (not counting his action comedies) and John Landis best movie in the 90's ( before he lost his touch completely). "Oscar" is not earth-shatteringly important movie or comedy , but it's pretty fun movie in universal way (you can watch it with all of your family and everyone should find something funny in it). I give it 5/10.

Excellent timing, a fantastic cast, great soundtrack... actually, everything about this movie is terrific. It centers around mixed (and missed) messages, so a lot of it depends upon timing and straight delivery. These are accomplished in a major way.

The main center of the comedy, the valise, gets treated in a way that gets a bit old, but overall, I can't get tired of this movie. Stallone does such fantastic comedy and has such an exquisite sense of timing and delivery, it's a wonder anybody lets him do action movies. He missed his calling. Look for Ornella Muti (Princess Aura from "Flash Gordon") as the superb, dignified, and fiery-tempered Sophia, as Snaps' wife and source of fear for the entire cast, and Tim Curry as Dr. Poole, in a genius turn as a mild-mannered professor discovering love for the first time. It's a fairly obscure movie, but if you get the chance to see it, do treat yourself.

I guess I went into "Oscar" with low expectations because you never hear this movie discussed, either as a Stallone or a John Landis movie. But I really did like this. I knew it had something with that stop-motion opening. Give Sly credit, he throws himself into the jokes (this is saying something; I've seen him shuffle through some movies), and the timing is a big reason why the movie works. And Landis stuffs the movie with great supporting talent. Even still, Peter Riegert stands out.

With a lesser director, this probably wouldn't have worked. But it does, and I think as a Stallone experiment in slapstick comedy, it's a successful effort.

7/10

This got some of the best reviews of any recent Stallone film, and after seeing it, I understand why. It's an absolutely hilarious, wonderful movie that shows one of Sly's best performances, and a great supporting cast. It was a long time before I got around to seeing it, but man, am I glad I did. I haven't laughed this much in a long time. And to those of you who jump on the negative hype bandwagon and make fun of Stallone like a bunch of lemmings, check this one out.

I loved this movie. It was funny, it was entertaining, and it had some great actors in it, so what exactly do people expect from a comedy anyway. Personally, I think that Stallone and Curry were dead funny and Marisa Tomei played the role of a spoiled daughter to perfection. I loved the confusing story which ends with a nice outcome and is completely satisfactory, so I ask again, what exactly was so terrible about this movie? Pure entertainment. 7/10

The funniest gag in this dismal film, an unintentional insult to Sly in a Hollywood system that doesn't acknowledge Cockney rhyming slang.

Oscar opens with a man visiting his father on his deathbed, then segues into a plasticine model singing The Barber of Seville. Amazingly, it actually manages to get worse from this point on.

I always cut Sylvester Stallone a lot of slack for reasons I've never been quite able to fathom, and even cast a kind eye over Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot. But this overplayed, rigidly directed (supposed) comedy really is unbearable.

A period piece (which, when shot with modern film techniques makes it look like a TV movie) it has such gems as a man who stutters, gangsters who say "boss" when told not to, an "Irish" maid and Sly as an all-mugging "Godfather". As you can see, this is a picture that takes comedy back further than the 30s in which it's set.

As mobster Angelo Provolone Stallone learns a new word every day. Bizarrely, Angelo's word of the day here is expeditious, defined by him as "to be efficient and speedy". For if there's anything Oscar isn't, it's efficient or speedy. In fact, it's yawn-making 120 minutes of stretched-out pap.

Why am I even bothering to analyse this tripe? The characters aren't believable, the script isn't interesting, the narrative is tedious. I hate bandwagons, but this film is bad. Really bad. Stallone's comic timing is... what comic timing? The acting is overplayed, the script poor and derivative. And derivative of stock comic situations, too. The scene where Chazz Palminiteri empties his pockets of weapons is so predictable it's untrue. See also: the final bag scene.

Let's be positive. The plot, when it finally gets going, is actually fairly clever in a contrived, drawerroom kind of way. And I did laugh at the cheesiness of four lines: "I'm smoking a salmon." "Well put it out."/"Not in front of the help." "Trust me, he's no help."/"Of course I knew. I just had no idea."/"What killed him?" "Someone stepped on his fingers." "And that killed him??" "He was hanging from a window ledge at the Addison Hotel at the time."

And that's it. The rest of it, from the constant shouting (from Ornella Muti particularly) is draining, and even the incidental music is an annoyance. Sylvester's allowed to break the fourth-wall, sub-Hardy style on two separate occasions, an act of pure desperation here. It is nice to see that IMDb voters have actually gone against the tide, with – to date - a 5.2 average for this movie (and less than 30% of voters giving it below 5). And out of 37 comments, 33 of them are positive. Sadly, however, I must agree with the majority of external Oscar reviews, and the tagline – "It's a comedy of criminal proportions!" – and remark how terrible it all is. Forget Judge Dredd, Cobra, The Specialist... this is the worst Sylvester Stallone movie ever made.

I just love to see Sylvester playing anything else but macho studs, and in this movie he does and doesn't if you catch my drift. I think his portrayal of a godfather going straight is fantastic and the whole movie had me in hysterics more than once, fun stuff.!!

"Oscar" is a good comedy film set in 1931 New York. Sylvester Stallone stars as gangster, 'Snaps' Provolone, who promises his dad on his death bed to go straight. This is a more modern screwball comedy, set in the time and place and filmed much as that type of film originated. Typical of such a genre, the plot has a handful of subplots and it weaves in and out and between them with good humor.

Stallone is quite good in the role. A couple of old hands will be familiar to long-time movie buffs. Don Ameche plays Father Clemente, and Eddie Bracken plays Five Spot Charlie. This isn't anywhere near the comedy level of "Libeled Lady" of 1936, "Merrily We Live" of 1938, "The Lady Eve" of 1941, or other great screwball films. But, it has good laughs and a plot that will have viewers smiling and chuckling.

This movie was a great one you can laugh really hard and not care who's around. If the words "Yes Boss" don't get you laughing then i don't know what will. Tim Curry is notorious for comedy or just being a bad guy in alot of movie but he did an excellent job in this movie with slyvester Stallone. This movie has alot of laughter great characters and a really good unique story line that you don't see very often. Yes indeed the story get's a little confusing but you can't help but love the era of the movie and the way everyone's does so well with their characters. Recommended for a movie night or just for a few good laughs! ~!

Following a deathbed promise to his father (Kirk Douglas), depression-era gangster Angelo "Snaps" Provolone (Sylvester Stallone) tries to go straight and move to more legitimate interests. On the day he finalizes an important deal to transition his assets to banking, Snaps is beset by a nonstop series of lies, revelations, and misunderstandings ranging from surprise suitors who are after a woman who's not his daughter, a daughter who says she's pregnant but isn't, and antagonistic forces from the police, bank, and rival mob bosses resulting in farcical chaos.

Oscar is a 1991 remake of the 1967 film of the same name starring Louis de Funes which itself was adapted from a stage play by Claude Magnier. While the original de Funes film was set in contemporary times, Landis made the remake a period film and was influenced by comedies released around the era in which the film is set, with humor and dialogue delivered in a manner reminiscent of old Hollywood comedies. Initially a vehicle for Al Pacino, Pacino left the project when the film Dick Tracy offered him $1 million more than Oscar resulting in the casting of Sylvester Stallone (no doubt taking a page from Schwarzenegger's book with his films Twins and Kindergarten Cop). A critical and commercial dud upon release, the movie did receive some praise from critics such as Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel who gave the film two thumbs up on their syndicated review show, but most of the reception tended to skew negative. 30 years later looking back, Oscar is a well crafted homage to old school screwball farces and has some terrific work from an ensemble cast.

The movie like its source is a comedy of errors wherein complications and character motivations are piled on and thrown at the audience so thick and fast so that we don't have time to think about them. Director John Landis keeps the energy moving with a series of larger than life characters who come through the Snaps' mansion home that serves as our primary setting with characters coming, leaving, and coming back often with new developments and revelations that only serve to add to the confusion and chaos. Stallone makes a good straight man to the chaos that is his life and gives appropriately large reactions frustrations and shocks. Marisa Tomei is fun as Snap' resentful daughter, Chazz Palminteri gets some solid mileage out his delightfully thick headed henchmen persona with a solid running gag about Snaps taking weapons away from him, and Tim Curry makes a massively welcome appearance as Snaps' linguistics coach who becomes embroiled in the farcical chaos with his usual energy and charisma.

There's really not much I can say about Oscar other than "it's funny". The movie recreates the look an old Hollywood screwball farce and has a strong ensemble of energized players giving funny reactions to the chaos running through their lives and aside from ending on a "just okay" note it's pretty much what you'd expect from this type of light comedic farce.

This movie has become one of my all-time favorites.

Sylvester Stallone and most of the rest of the cast aren't especially known for comedic acting, but they all pull it off brilliantly. The most well know comedy actor in the group, Tim Curry, plays one of his funniest characters on screen.

The stars of the movie should all consider doing more of this genre, especially Stallone! I don't understand how anyone can see this movie, and even if they're not crazy about it, at least appreciate the great comic timing each actor brings to their role, not to mention, all the very funny throw-in lines that grace the dialogue.

Don't limit actors like Stallone and Chazz Palminterri to action or heavy drama. Fans should always try to embrace new things.

It took me a few viewings over the years but I've finally come around on this one. I've always thought it had a certain charm to it but I never found it terribly funny so I resisted praising it too much. These days I'm all about embracing how I feel about a movie instead of trying to find ways to "make it ok" to like something that maybe most other people don't. This movie makes me feel happy. I laugh here and there but mainly I'm just smiling through the whole thing. The cast is great and John Landis, a director more known for a more modern often crude style of humor, offers up a loving homage to a bygone age. Fans of movies from the 1930s like myself will probably find more about Oscar to enjoy than others but I don't think it's a requirement to know what's being referenced in order to like the film.

"Oscar" is set in a single day and centers around a central location in the period of the early '30s: the mansion of going-straight mob boss Angelo "Snaps" Provolone.

The environment is a tangled web of confusing and conflicting circumstances, all done with purposeful absurdity and silliness. New challenges and complications muddy up the day of Snaps attempting to lead the honest life after giving one last request to his dying father. Can he do it? Well, maybe if he manages to settle down and think apart from so many building distractions, such as dealing with anyone from his spoiled daughter and pestering son-in-law-to-be to his simple henchmen that need looking after and wising up.

The flow starts to feel routine and eventually claustrophobic due to seeing the same do-nothing areas, as well as the situational humor eventually turns tedious from watching similar gags run their course. Minor characters stand apart such as the informant "Five Spot Charlie" with his eccentric lip smacking and stuttering; Chazz Palminteri plays a hit-man who tears up to touching events. Though the laughs don't always come so easily with "Oscar" compared to other Landis films like "Animal House," "Three Amigos," "Coming to America," "Trading Places" and even "American Werewolf" considered.

This is a movie that relies heavily on its situations and characters--since it was modeled after a stage play--however some of the cast aren't so hysterical that it radiates across the screen to make a viewer instantly loosen up and go with its zaniness. Stallone, for instance, frequently uses this kind of booming intonation like a professional wrestler to show aggravation; it's commanding, but not for comedy's sake. This had potential to be a breezy if still fun film, though some sparks went missing to clench a solid pacing and the movie in turn felt up and down. Had it one moment, gone flat the next.

Oh I know, Sylvester Stallone in an urbane period farce? Impossible, you say? No sir! He's actually very funny - as is the script (adapted from the play) and all the supporting cast! I totally love this movie and I show it to everyone I meet, despite their initial reactions - and they all enjoy it! Tim Curry is priceless as always and it's also Marisa Tomei's first movie. Vincent Spano, Peter Reigert, Yvonne de Carlo, Don Ameche, Kirk Douglas, Chazz Palminteri - more! It's so awesome!

Putting aside the first Rambo all others movies from the dumb actor S. Stallone were really bad ones, at last in "Oscar" he made a good job, a farce comedy of errors directed by John Landis is totally underated, a great cast involved in finest performance as Chazz Palminteri as a dumb bodyguard, Don Ameche as double face priest.

Tim Curry as soft spoken teacher manners, Kurtwood Smith as a greedy policeman, the beauty Ornella Muti as jealous wife, without forget a slight appearance of an already older Yvonne De Carlo and also Kirk Douglas, anyway several colorful characters are plentifull in every single scene, even the Oscar appears on the final, delightful comedy where Stallone finally has good moments and provides non stop laughts!!!

Resume:

First watch: 1994 / How many: 3 / Source: TV-DVD / Rating: 7.5.

If you love Sly, if you love comedy, if you love gangster films, then this one's for you! It's got all that & more! Marisa Tomei playing Sly's daughter?? It works! The beautiful Italian import, Ornella Muti playing Sly's wife? It works! Chazz Palminteri playing a hood yet once again? That always works! Whatcha got here is 1 Mob Boss (the ever-elegant Sly) tryin' to go straight 'cuz he promised his dying father (Kirk Douglas's cameo), cops who just won't buy it, bankers who can't stand it, a mix-up with "a little black bag", a search for a husband for Sly's daughter, an annoying accountant who skims $$$ off the top to marry Sly's "other daughter, the one that's not Lisa", & this all happens in ONE MORNING!! Ya gotta feel sorry for the guy! How can he cope? He does it - just as Sly as he can be, too!

Buy this one if you can still find it. It's a comedy of 'great ethnic proportions'!