The Producers (***)

More a filmed adaptation of the stage show that it is an actual "film," The Producers coasts by on lots of charm, a number of laugh-out loud moments, and loads of energy. I think the movie musical acheived what it set out to do: give viewers a front row ticket to the theatrical show. Everything is over-the-top here, especially the performances. But I think it works for this particular musical. The comedy of Mel Brooks is not exactly subtle, and I don't really have a problem with actors "selling" the lines, especially when done so by such likeable actors as Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick. Broderick is very funny here, but he has some tough competition in that department. Both Will Ferrell and Roger Bart are uproarious every second they're on screen. So credit goes to the script, the music, and the actors. Zero credit goes to Susan Strohman though. She may be a great choreographer, but she's no director. She stages scenes in a boring way. She never really moves the camera and the sets really feel just like that: sets on a stage. Dance scenes are either filmed from dead-on ahead or above the action. However, as badly directed as this film is, it's probably the most fun you'll have at the movies this time of year, save for King Kong's Skull Island sequences.