The Producers (2005)

Be forewarned: The first few minutes of The Producers are a little surprising if you’re expecting the (relative) subtlety of a normal Mel Brooks movie. The film of the musical based on his original film is done bigger than life throughout, with the acting never dropping down from the this-is-for-the-folks-in-the-back-row level. Once one is acclimated to that, however, this is a great, great time, although one that always feels very much like the filmed version of a stage play and not necessarily like a movie musical.

The basic story and story-within-a-story are as hilariously profane as ever, meaning this movie is not for children or for the easily offended. Mel Brooks takes a machine gun approach to every sacred cow on Broadway and his willingness to push the boundaries in the 1960s still feels quite edgy today.

The television and film actors he casts in the movie — some in blink-and-miss them roles, like Andrea Martin and Michael McKean — all acquit themselves well and bring an extra layer of polish to things, although I imagine fans of the Broadway show will complain, possibly with merit, that the original stage actors should have been given a chance to perform before a wider audience.

Still, this is a dazzling film and side-splittingly funny.

Strongly recommended for fans of Mel Brooks (stick around after the credits to see him appear in the film of the musical of his old film), the strong cast (Will Ferrell does an especially good job in his role as a maniacal Nazi-turned-playright) or folks who are just curious about what all the fuss was about on Broadway.

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