My 5 Wives

If anyone knew anything about the Mormon (Laymans terms for Latter Day Saints) Church, they would know that polygamy was outlawed from the church centuries ago, therefore they DON'T practice it. But there are different "break-off" religions who still practice it like the RLDS, they are against the Mormons. I, being a Mormon, suggest that some people should do some research before saying or doing anything on the Mormon church... like Matt Stone and Trey Parker, they did an awesome job portraying Mormon missionaries in Orgazmo because they know their stuff on the religion, they did a full South Park episode on it. But all in all, it is a Rodney movie and it is funny, but don't let it mislead you...

6.5/10

Tsk! Tsk! Tsk! I'm embarrassed by a few of the unpleasant, negative reviews for My 5 Wives. Review this film as a Lampoon, sure, why not? But review it with a sharp Harpoon? Now, that's unnecessary overkill. Dangerfield deserves better given his legacy and contributions to the industry. It was Dangerfield who gave career starts to struggling comedians like Jim Carrey and Tim Allen. He took them under his wing and shepherded them until they could find their own "comedic voices."

Jacob Rodney Cohen, born November 22, 1921, was a multifaceted, stand-up comedian, actor, producer, screenwriter, musician and author. His self-deprecating one-line jokes such as, "I get no respect," have risen to the status of iconic humor. Who else could have the King of late night talk shows, Johnny Carson, laughing to tears when Dangerfield was his guest? Dangerfield was so well loved that UCLA's Division of Neurosurgery named a suite of operating rooms after him and gave him the "Rodney Respect Award." Dangerfield's status was elevated to some pretty rarified company. Other recipients of the "Rodney Respect Award" include Tim Allen, Jim Carrey, Louie Anderson, Bob Saget, Chelsea Handler, Chuck Lorre, Kelsey Grammer, Brad Garrett, Jon Lovitz and Jamie Masada.

Sure, My 5 Wives isn't Caddyshack or Easy Money. And yes, the plot is a tad tenuous. But that doesn't stop Dangerfield from zinging out classic one liners. Indeed, any film with Dangerfield in it immediately became a stage for his outrageous improvisations, and no film escaped his witty humor. For this alone, My 5 Wives deserves "a lot more respect."

The answer is no. The premise is quite original and the plot is paper-thin, as well as the characters (If you watch the DVD version, it's hilarious to watch the actors in interviews try to intellectualize the meaning of this film). But with Rodney to save the day, who needs those things? If you want to see some more of that hilarious Rodney material, this film won't let you down. Each scene is noticeably a setup for more of Rodney's schtick. However, I do think the film sags towards the end.

The plot is so badly written and the situations are so cheesy that you NEED Rodney to save each scene. Unfortunately, he can't be there all the time. Andrew Dice Clay is another good comedian, who can be funny when he wants. He's given a character so lame that there really isn't much to play around with. But for those who regard the mention of Andrew Dice Clay in the cast list as a warning...he doesn't utter a single curse word. For those who fear his raw vulgarity, you have nothing to worry about.

"My 5 Wives" is often funny, sometimes hilarious, and you should only see if it you're in the mood for some good jokes. Don't expect anything else. But it's a comedy and it often delivers the goods. I just wish the characters in the supporting cast could've been given better roles. There are some very talented actors like Molly Shannon and Jerry Stiller who are pretty much...wasted. Rodney is funny as always, though.

My score: 7 (out of 10)

Being an avid Rodney fan, I probably liked this flick a lot more than if I weren't. I thought his last effort - Meet Wally Sparks - was pretty poor, and I found this to be an improvement, perhaps because it uses Rodney's old stand-up persona to greater effect. Once you pretend you don't know that polygamy is illegal in the U.S, you can sit back and enjoy the many jokes about the difficulty Rodney has in, er, fulfilling his husbandly duties toward his five wives. This is hardly a great comedy, but well worth catching for devoted fans of Mr. Dangerfield.

Even back then his style of humor was rarely used. Sure, most comics make fun of themselves from time to time but his was based on it all the time. It's something that if you didn't grow up with it you probably won't find it funny. The whole body shaming and other things that is so popular now is exactly what he did to himself. Would he be attacked for doing it to himself now?

Anyway, the show is far fetched like all of his movies. But it is basically a clean version of what was popular back then. A lot of his adult humor was based on innuendos and things only adults would get...Back then of course now not so much.

He's kind of the slap stick comedian but with words. Another flashback was Andrew Dice Clay. Now that was a comedian who was definitely r-rated. This is probably the longest he has ever made a show without swearing.

Give it a shot if you are a fan of the 80s, 90s because this is what it was all about. A lot of it is kind of dated because a lot of his routine was in a way social based and we have changed quite a bit since the 80s, IMO not all for the good.