I soliti amici

A plot that takes an unusual and comical look at what would normally be the darker side of society, with retired mobsters, detectives, hookers and bungling drug lords coming together in a storyline that takes all the cliches and presents them in a new and refreshing manner.

I've watched this movie several times - I think it's well written and acted, with some great characters, the casting is excellent as is the soundtrack.

Not a great classic, but I don't think it's trying to be, just a hugely entertaining movie - I'm sure the actors enjoyed making it.

I don't think this movie was given enough of a chance. The cast alone is worth watching the movie for (Jennifer Tilly is one of my favorites; the cast also includes Burt Reynolds, Richard Dreyfuss, Jeremy Piven and Carrie Anne Moss. The jokes are cute and clever, and although it doesn't have the clever wit of a Tarantino, it's still well-timed and hilarious.

I'd never heard of this movie and happened to see it on TV. Now, I'm a hard sell, and I laughed my ass off through half the movie and smiled at the sweet, fairy tale ending that leaves everyone walking away from the movie with warm fuzzies.

And it's not just some mushy piece of sap; it's about old wise guys, so there are plenty of geriatric fist fights and pee jokes for the guys (and for those of us females who appreciate gentle toilet humor too, like me).

So give this movie a chance, is all I'm saying, and I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Solid performances by Richard Dreyfuss and (especially)Burt Reynolds make this an enjoyable summer flick. There are enough sub-plots to keep you wondering, but the story is easy enough to follow. Lots of inside jokes about Italian, Jewish and senior citizen culture in Miami will provide more chuckles than the obvious, physical humor. Look for your favorite mob-character actor among the ensemble in the finale.

I saw this movie a couple years ago and I just saw it again when it was on television recently. Back when this movie was released, the mafia theme was hotter than ever for movies and television shows thanks to the success of the HBO show THE SOPRANOS. Several movies about or involving the mob were released, none of which were particulary good. THE CREW was one of those movies. It was a box office dud, earning just $13 million on a budget of $38 million. The movie was pretty much forgotten after disappearing from theaters, yet it continues to be shown on cable constantly. The movie has its moments and Jeremy Piven is great as always, but other than that, there is nothing recommendable about THE CREW. I expected better considering the screenplay was done by one of the guys who wrote KINGPIN. **

There are good parts and there are bad parts in "The Crew." The good stuff is that all four geezers in the movie are consistently amusing, Jennifer Tilly has never looked better (maybe her cleavage has something to do with that), it's good to see Carrie-Anne Moss in something other than "The Matrix," and the general level of humor is funny even though we've seen it a million times. On the bad side, it's much too short to make a lasting impact, poor Jeremy Piven is stuck in a thankless role, too many jokes are aimed at the same target, and too much time passes between major gut-busters. Still, Richard Dreyfuss and Burt Reynolds get their share of laughs, even though the cleavage gets all the attention.