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History of the World, Part I
Director: Mel Brooks
Year: 1981
TRT: 1:32

Reviewed: 9/3/2024
VIDEO REVIEW

Some quality-ish Mel Brooks comedy. The verbal puns and gags are aplenty, for sure. So many skits, from 20 million years ago to the French Revolution. Mel has fun romping through history via a modern lens and mixing current-ish references within the old frameworks, taking some liberties as to how things just might have played out.

From caveman times, the dawn of man. Orson Wells narrates with the deepest of conviction and sincerity as we watch some silly scenarios over the course of time play out. Rome is so classy. The Last Supper is a fun take. And those Frenchies. Oh, so adorable with their funny accents and dead rats! And King Louis does have the good sense to have some midgets in his employ. So inclusive, even back then!

Yeah, there’s some funny stuff here. A bit of the kitchen sink approach, you throw it all up there and see what sticks. Some do, the rest is mildly amusing. A bit of a throwback to the old-school production and musical extravaganzas with tongue firmly planted in cheek. Can’t fault Mel’s enthusiasm, it definitely has its charm. Great turns by Gregory Hines, Madeline Kahn, Harvey Korman and even Dom DeLuise gets a few good ones in as Cesar. And some interesting history lessons as it plays out. Who knew the Spanish Inquisition was so much FUN! Oh, good times, history. Good torturing and guillotiney times!


Great Scene: The Inquisition musical number? A little gay. But it is a catchy tune.

Part II Notes: While the end bit of including a “Part Two” includes some funny gags, they apparently returned to the well with a 2023 series on some web channel. I can’t bring myself to even look up or watch what that entails. The joke’s been played. Now? I am hard-pressed to see what comedy they can wring from this rock.


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