caspian1978
Jerry Orbach does his best to act like an Italian-American from the streets, let alone, an Italian-American. At times, he is funny but not hilarious. The plot is made to be funny but fails along the way. The audience not only loses interest in laughing, but the characters as well. By the end of the movie, you hardly care who lives or dies and whether or not the movie ends. The title alone makes it hard for anyone to take this movie serious let alone enjoyable. For 1971, an unknown Robert De Niro is the highlight of the movie. The relationship between him and actress Leigh Taylor-Young becomes more of the story than the comical situation of trying to "bump off" the head of the local mob. Robert De Niro addition to the story is the only thing that keeps the movie watchable. Even for a spoof, this off beat, chuckles of a comedy lacks interest and any passion outside the side story of Young and De Niro.
mollyshearergabel
I went to see this movie with my mother when it first came out. Now I am waiting for this to come out on DVD because it is one of the few movies that I want to own. When we went to see it in 1971 I laughed so hard I thought I might either pee on myself or vomit. I'd never seen anything so funny
or so familiar. I'm sure that it helped that the action took place primarily in my own neighborhood in Brooklyn, but I believe this movie has something for everyone. The humor didn't seem subtle to me at the time but in light of the brainless fare that has become so popular this movie does require that you actually pay attention from beginning to end. If you get nothing else out of it, the realization that it's not possible to housebreak a lion is worth the price of admission. That and the valuable lessons about car bombs, but to talk about that would require a spoiler alert.
preppy-3
"Comedy" about two warring Mafia gangs in Brooklyn.Purportedly the original book is hilarious and this movie has a great cast--but something went wrong. The jokes aren't very funny and the cast just seems to be unable to put across the punchlines. Flat direction doesn't help either.I'm only giving it a 3 for Leigh-Taylor Young and Robert DeNiro (who are both very good and play a very appealing couple) and Jo Van Fleet who has the movie's only funny lines in a very broad, over the top, amusing manner.But, all in all, this really isn't worth seeing.
roshike
Excellent comedy. this movie features bobby in a very different role. In short this movie is about the travails of a Italian Cyclist(Bobby) who is lost in NY. Jerry is extremely convincing as the floundering gang boss. Bobby is extremely funny in the sequences where he impersonates a priest in order to collect money. On the whole a must for all De Niro fans.
AD
