Good Times

Best described at a "camp classic," this series of romps involves a singing duo called Sonny & Cher, played by a singing duo named Sonny & Cher. The film resembles episodes that later made up the "Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour" of 1970s television. The pair spoofs three genres: western, jungle, and detective, so it's a movie starring themselves trying to figure out how to make a movie starring themselves, with the wonderful actor George Sanders as the bad guy. The costumes, the music by Sonny Bono, the songs sung by Cher, and the glimpses at the performances that Cher had yet to deliver make the movie worth watching. They save their famous hit "I Got You Babe" for the very end. My favorite piece of dialogue comes after Sonny says, "Shucks man, I can't sing" and Cher replies, "Don't let that stop you." It never did.

Pop-singing duo (and mod-dressed lovebirds) Sonny & Cher are tapped to star in their own movie, but the couple are distressed over the corny script. Sonny Bono's soundtrack to "Good Times", which he produced and arranged (impeccably so), sounds like the very best of Phil Spector; the songs may give non-fans a glimpse at true musical genius. Unfortunately, all this aural greatness comes at the expense of a wayward, throw-away feature. Sonny & Cher spend most of their time on-screen bickering in a too-real example of marital discord. Debuting director William Friedkin stuffs the proceedings with eye-candy, but he can't get any momentum going in the fantasy scenes and they just peter out. It's a strenuous comedy, the biggest mistake of which was to plunk the leads down in the middle of so much unhappiness. They don't want to make the movie, they're being forced to make the movie, they fight about compromising their ideals about making the damn movie. Only the opening and closing montages are sunny, the rest is much too heavy--even with all that groovy music in the background. ** from ****

The best parts of this movie are Cher singing, Cher berating future U.S. Congressman Sonny ("Why don't you take off that hat...you look like an idiot."), and Cher in a jungle suit lying on a tree (Great Gams, Sonnyman!).

This movie is about Sonny and Cher making a movie. The script is awful -- both of them. And the "satirical" situations are ridiculous. Watch this, if you must, as a period piece of the freewheeling '60s. (Was the scriptwriter on LSD?)

If you like stupid humor, then this movie's for you. Otherwise, this is a movie you can "watch" from another room with your ears.

I recommend that you fast forward through all the dialog scenes and watch only the musical numbers, which are quite good (and the reason I bumped my rating up a point). Or buy the soundtrack, if you can find it, and listen to that while you do housework or something else productive.

Cher plays 2nd banana to Sonny in this amiable collection of movie spoofs. At times pretty funny (the final Mickey Spillane bit is probably best), but sporadic and too cute.

Cher, of course, went on to be the reason people watched the Sonny & Cher show and then became an award-winning actress, but apparently the folks who made this movie failed to discern her talent.

If you enjoy off the wall humor, and have a fondness for 60's nostalgia, you will like this movie (in my opinion). I found the film to be good-natured, a bit silly in spots, and touched with a slightly warped sense of humor that held my attention for the relatively short run-time. I just wish that Cher had a larger role in this one, but, I guess (at the time), Sonny was considered the real "talent." Granted, Sonny can't sing very well (especially so when compared to Cher), however, he seems to be having a "good time" making the movies within the movie. The Western spoof is especially entertaining.

This is a guilty pleasure movie. It amused me, made me smile a few times, and that is enough for me to recommend it!