Review of History of the World: Part I (1981) by Bill S — 11 Mar 2015

Once again, Mel Brooks has the potential to outdo himself, and he does so in this film. While it is filled with language, sexual references and a chase scene involving drugs, it is used merely for good fun, and most of the jokes pay off, with some minor misses.

It is interesting how Mel Brooks takes a series of historic events (including the French Revolution) and takes them to a rather loony level, an example of this being Caesar (Dom DeLuise), made into a mannerless slob, who actually lives in the casino called Caesar's Palace. In the end, Mel Brooks is the one actor who surprisingly carries most of the film as the main star, and he certainly doesn't disappoint when he's on screen most of the time, especially during the 'Spanish Inquisition' chapter. And it was also amazing that he could get Orson Welles to narrate throughout the film.