I wanted to but couldn't!

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

I didn’t really have many expectations going into the movie (good or bad), but I actually really enjoyed it. I really liked the characters and the banter between them.

This film is a total disaster. Not funny. No plot that can be followed. Not one single character who can be liked or sympathized with and the villains are too poorly presented to even be hated. Characters break suddenly into songs and dance for no reason. There is tasteless bawdiness that is so pointless and stupid that it makes Mel Brooks look like Shakespeare. The whole picture is a mess. It's one of those pictures that one wonders out loud "how did this ever get made? If you like Wilder, Kahn, and Feldman, Sherlock Holmes stories or comedy films ... skip this one.

One of the funniest films ever made, this delightfully fast-paced satire will literally have you falling off your chair from go to whoa. And there are plenty of thrills too as our heroes, Wilder and Feldman, fall foul of Leo McKern's full-blooded villain and his crazy henchmen (including Roy Kinnear). The film is also notable for the gorgeous presence of Madeline Kahn whose brilliant sense of comic timing in both gesture and delivery is on full display here. The movie starts on a high comic note – and stays there! In fact, it actually gets funnier and even more comically inventive as it moves along at a truly remarkable pace. You really need to see it twice to catch up on all the crazy quips and luxurious bits of business that you missed whilst you were doubled up with laughter the first time. Gene Wilder's direction is so vigorous, lively and totally assured, that I was amazed to discover that this was his first venture behind the camera. Alas, to date he has directed only five movies all told, but maybe he can be persuaded out of retirement?

Gene Wilder's attempt to do what he did for YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN doesn't quite work this time around. Not that the cast isn't as talented as ever, including the wonderfully droll Madeline Kahn and Marty Feldman for whom Wilder has written roles ideally suiting them.But the gags that come fast and furious provide chuckles now and then, not the side-splitting laughter intended. Fans of Wilder will no doubt appreciate much of the crazy humor, but it all begins to wear a bit thin by the time we reach the third act.There's some clever humor with lyrics of songs that the actors often burst into in the midst of reciting their foolish dialog, and most adept at this sort of thing is Madeline Kahn who turns the film's topsy-turvy plot up a notch merely by her presence on the screen. She's enchanting, giving herself fake identities at the drop of a hat and forcing Wilder to call her "Miss Liar" several times.But the subplot involving Dr. Moriarty, played with comic relish by Leo McKern, is extremely foolish and played for low comedy to such an extent that it becomes merely tolerable. And Dom DeLuise's attempt at playing an Italian opera singer comes across as rather lame, including his Italian accent.Definitely not a film for everyone, but fans of Gene Wilder will no doubt overlook the shortcomings. The film has been impressively mounted and handsomely photographed in Technicolor with the visual look of Victorian London on full display.

i had never seen user reviews for "Smarter Brother" previously and i was amazed at the number of viewers who seemed to have so much to criticize in the very funny film. some people, when reviewing a film seem to treat it like an artichoke, pulling it apart until there is nothing left. if i enjoy a film and can watch it over and over is my only criteria. DID I ENJOY IT? you bet! i have seem this movie many times and i always find it enjoyable and funny. without out going into the plot and cast members, this happens to be a very funny Sherlock Holmes parody. there is a Dudley Moore/Peter Cook send-up of a classic Holmes tale also available. while that film has some funny moments, Gene Wilder's Smarter Brother is funny all the way through. to really enjoy the film, i suggest you see it and then decide just how enjoyable and funny it is. if all else fails, you can always dance the Kangaroo Hop.by the way, be on the look out for the cameo by Albert Finney. you must be fast, as he just pops in and out with no prolonged closeup.