I am only giving this movie a 1 for the great cast, though I can't imagine what any of them were thinking. This movie was horrible

Excellent and certainly provocative... If nothing else, the film is a real conversation starter.

The joyful confection is coated in a sparkly gloss, bright enough to gleam from the darkest, most cynical corners.

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

Gay couple Albin (Michael Serrault) and Renato (Ugo Tognazzi) get involved with the police and gangsters when Albin gets some stolen microfilm. They flee to Italy and try to hide out.This isn't as good as the original (which was ground breaking) but it's a hundred times better than part 3 (which was dreadful). The plot is silly but when Albin and Renato are on screen who cares? The two actors are great in their roles. There's plenty of funny sequences especially when all the policemen dress up in drag! So it's worth seeing but don't expect it to be as good as the original. BTW--ignore the R rating. It's PG-13 all the way.

I am not purposely skipped the first installment, just by coincidence, I could only found the sequel right now, soothingly enough, the omission itself does not spoil the fun of this French slapstick comedy made more than 30 years ago.How many times one could laugh out loud watching a gay/transvestite film from beginning till the very end? What's more precious is without being tainted by vulgar gags sand abominable antics (especially immune of sex-relating perversions or individual sex- orientation humiliations).Plot-wise, although devoid of certain logistics, everything serves up to the middle-age crisis in this gay-relationship, particularly the deterioration of Zaza Napoli's self-confidence (a remarkable performance from the late Michel Serrault), which wisely puts audience into a heartfelt milieu whereas the entire "mini-film case" merely functions as a backdrop, there is no worries about our protagonists' personal security, the only gory murder is underplayed by a poison-dart.The odd-couple route stews in a series of set pieces which strive on the verge of platitude, yet the acting, literally Michel Serrault, does single-handedly overturns the unfavorable condition, also who could forget Benny Luke's transvestite black servant (who changes his dresses in each scene), whilst in the latter returning-to-Italy part, the contradiction is pure simple but effective, which leavens the situation into a more culturally universal understanding. Enrico Morricone's score also is a big selling-point for the filmOverall, this super-optimistic farce (I suppose it includes the entire series, there are three films in all) could easily outshines among myriads of melodramatic-sentimental gay genre films even they were made several dozens of years ahead.

Just when I thought they stopped making good movies sometime in the early seventies! This French film is absolutely priceless, hilarious and touching, full of social commentary and gender-busting chutzpah. Man pretending to be woman pretending to be man!!!!! Gays teaching straights how to walk gay!!! Inspired! Brilliant acting by everyone, especially the leads, fast action, not one boring moment, not at all catering to the average. I haven't seen the other two films. I can't wait to see them. This masterpiece is every bit as good as "The Odd Couple".

This movie is worth a look, even though it lacks the same spark as its supremely hilarious predecessor.(N.B., Michel Serrault who plays Albin in the La Cage movies plays the equally fey hairdresser in "The King of Hearts" starring Alan Bates)