"Going Bananas" is one of the worst comedies ever made. It has not one laugh in it. Not one. At all! It just meanders on endlessly for 95 minutes and goes nowhere. I've seen "ER" episodes with more laughs than this.
What a waste of comic talent. This has Dom DeLuise ("The 12 Chairs", "Blazing Saddles" "Silent Movie"), Jimmy Walker ("Good Times) and Herbert Lom (Dreyfus from "The Pink Panther" series). You might ask me, "Bill, how can a film with those three be bad?" Watch this movie and find out.
They don't even take advantage of the premise: a safari. I'm sure there are many comic possiblities in this. But a safari film can also be a thrilling adventure like Cornel Wilde's great "The Naked Prey". "Going Bananas" fails on that level also. The most threatening thing that happens in this: a chase in the circus. OOOOHHHH! I'M SCARED!
"Going Bananas" was apparently so bad that it wasn't even released theatrically. Instead, it was released straight to tape. I'm not sure which is worse: charging people $5 or $20 to view this travesty. Even worse than that were the ads: quotes (supposedly) from children who have viewed the film. Brother, they must have been on Ritalin because any normal child would hate this, just like my family did. Roger Ebert often says that a bad movie should be cut up into something the poor can use. My suggestion for "Going Bananas": could be useful to even out short legs on a table or stool.
no stars out of 4 stars
What a waste of comic talent. This has Dom DeLuise ("The 12 Chairs", "Blazing Saddles" "Silent Movie"), Jimmy Walker ("Good Times) and Herbert Lom (Dreyfus from "The Pink Panther" series). You might ask me, "Bill, how can a film with those three be bad?" Watch this movie and find out.
They don't even take advantage of the premise: a safari. I'm sure there are many comic possiblities in this. But a safari film can also be a thrilling adventure like Cornel Wilde's great "The Naked Prey". "Going Bananas" fails on that level also. The most threatening thing that happens in this: a chase in the circus. OOOOHHHH! I'M SCARED!
"Going Bananas" was apparently so bad that it wasn't even released theatrically. Instead, it was released straight to tape. I'm not sure which is worse: charging people $5 or $20 to view this travesty. Even worse than that were the ads: quotes (supposedly) from children who have viewed the film. Brother, they must have been on Ritalin because any normal child would hate this, just like my family did. Roger Ebert often says that a bad movie should be cut up into something the poor can use. My suggestion for "Going Bananas": could be useful to even out short legs on a table or stool.
no stars out of 4 stars