Product: Murder by Death (1976)
Rating: 3.0
A very, very strange movie. . .
I have to admit that with an all-star cast of actors and actresses I expected a fantastic movie. Unfortunately, while the acting was amazing, the incredibly stupid story just ruined the movie for me.Story - Five world-class detectives have been invited to a mansion to solve a murder. The catch? The murder hasn't happened yet. Each of the detectives brings along a partner with which they have somewhat of a relationship with. Once they arrive at the mansion, chaos ensues and the comedy quickly sets in. Unfortunately, due to how the story is written, everything that happens intentionally confusing. Scenes contradict each other, pointless scenes are added, and although it's supposed to be hilarious, it ends up looking sloppy. The ending (without giving anything away) is incredibly disappointing, especially after there is so much build-up to it.Acting - However, I must say, that though the story can be crazy at times, the acting is top notch all the way through. All of the actors/actresses portray their characters perfectly, and the characters are priceless! Whether it's the zany Chinese detective or the wheelchair-bound nurse, they will all crack you up with their quirkiness, and they are what truly make the movie watchable.Comedy - Where the film is funny, it is hilarious. However, all of the jokes are not necessarily funny. Some jokes fall flat and leave us viewers realizing how unbelievably cheesy that line was. However, these moments can be overlooked in anticipation of the next line that will crack us up.Bonus Features - Also included on the DVD is an interview with the creator of the movie and trailers for this movie and it's sequel (The Cheap Detective).Overall - Overall, this movie has some lackluster comedy and a truly atrocious story. But the fantastic acting truly saves it, as do some of the extremely comical lines. As you can probably tell from some of the other reviews, this movie is loved by many reviewers here on Amazon, so if you want to give it a watch or two, you might enjoy it more than I did. But I honestly have to say that I recommend choosing another movie over this one.