Now on DVD: Silent Movie

I'm a huge Mel Brooks fan but, even though it has been out since a year after I was born, I had never seen his film Silent Movie. I corrected that oversight last night.

The movie isn't my favorite of his. In fact, I think films like Space Balls, Robin Hood: Men in Tights and Blazing Saddles were much, much better. However, the film was one that was definitely worth watching.

Mel Brooks stars as Mel Funn, an out-of-work Hollywood director who is looking to resurrect his career and save a movie studio by making a silent movie; despite the fact nobody believes it will succeed. Of course, I should also mention this film is also a silent movie too. Only one word is spoken the entire movie and that happens to come from a mime.

I knew this when I started watching the film and wondered just how good it would be without Brooks' classic one-liners. I was surprised with how well it worked. There were a lot of site gags, obviously (and many dance numbers). But, the thing that impressed me was how, even without the occasional written dialog that would pop up, I could tell what was going on just though the actors' body language.

Another thing that surprised me was the number of well-known actors that had a role in this movie (and more than just a cameo appearance). You had Brooks' regulars like Marty Feldman and Dom DeLuise. But, you also had a cast that included Burt Reynolds, James Caan, Liza Minnelli, Paul Newman, Anne Bancroft (Brooks' wife) and Bernadette Peters (as Funn's love interest).

Final opinion: This is a unique and funny movie that, like many Brooks' films, has withstood the test of time. If you haven't seen it, I suggest renting it once.

Average Netflix Grade: 3.4 stars out of a possible 5.

My Grade: 4 stars.