Under the Rainbow

With a bit of dark humor thrown in. This is one of my top favorite movies. Mistaken identities and foiled evil plots abound. Those concerned with its lack of "political correctness" should relax and not be so serious. One reviewer said that, if there was anyone they missed making fun of, it must have been only because they ran out of film stock. Exactly! This film has equal opportunity humor. A Japanese friend of mine, personally not known for his tremendous sense of humor, thought the film was hilarious, and has watched it several times, laughing hardest at the Japanese caricatures.

I highly recommend this overlooked gem. Get it, watch it, loosen up and laugh.

I remember this film film as among my favorites growing up. Forget the fact that it is absolutely politically incorrect. Of all my friends growing up (Japanese, African-American, and yes event a "little person") we all have found it hysterical over the years. The movie excited my imagination beyond most other films. While no jewel of the cinema, it will always hold a spot in my psychological toy chest, with Fletch, Foul Play, Time Bandits, and other movies too busy entertaining than to think about oversensativities.

That's right...this movie is as campy and goofy as you can get and one almost wonders why the stars that were in it (at the time) decided that THIS was a film that they wanted to be in...but...to watch it again...it's almost like a precursor to a Seinfeld episode whereas the many plots all come together at the end to make a very funny and often overlooked film...come on...if Rocky Horror is regarded as a classic, why can't this film?...it has a plethora of midgets, Japanese tourists and spies...Chevy Chase in his prime...and is a takeoff of the Wizard of Oz?...how much more odd can you get...a definite rental that grows on you!

It does amaze me at times to see what are considered camp classics and then see how so many people can miss an obvious one. This is one film that truly has it all...drunken midgets, nazi spies, princess leia, and a host of off-colour jokes sure to offend ALL. Seriously, if your a member of the PC thought police this film will give you reason to write your congressman (or is it congressperson?) but if you are intelligent enough to realize that when everyone is being poked fun at no one is stigmatized then you might just enjoy this comedic spoof which is as frantic and disjointed as the plot.

One last point regarding the "munchkins": although it might be easy to see this film as taking liberty with the rumors (and some were true) that the midgets who acted in the Wizard of Oz were wild drinking partiers, it should be noted that this notion goes just as far to show how normal this population is; just as interested in getting drunk, laid, and having a good time as the rest of society. A very human face which has not always been offered to actors who are seen primarily in fantasy films (Oz, Willy Wonka, Time Bandits, and even Tiny Town). I do know that the actors on this film were paid better than those on Oz and certainly had no problem with the script in giving their enjoyable performances.

A fun ride

But it was supposed to be a spoof. I could not stop laughing as the movie was so much of a farce I found it to keep me laughing all the time. I would not recommend it for theater view but if you have never seen the movie I would say its worth watching as a rental as the cost of it is so little now. You could rent something much more costly and worse like Dead Calm. I found that all the dumb things that happened such as trying to keep the suicidal dog in the picture just more then my sides could take at times. When that dog jumped out of the window for the ball I lost it. How could you not think something as this movie which I assume was to be as "B" a movie as anyone could possibly make not be funny? I found it much better then the Vacation movies by far. I would say that this review has a spoiler but this movie cant be spoiled as there is no real plot.