Review of It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963) by Blake P — 17 Aug 2011

The most exciting comedy movie ever made! When an old man (Durante) drives his car off a cliff, as he lays dying, he tells a group of strangers that he has $350,000 buried under the "big W" at Santa Rosita Park.

Then we find out this group of strangers (to mention a few: Milton Berle, Ethel Merman, Mickey Rooney, Jonathan Winters) is pretty darn eccentric and will do anything to get their paws on the stolen loot.

The race goes on to see who will get it first, but a veteran cop (Tracy) is stalking their every move, giving them different charges along the way. "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" is considered to be the most massive, the most genius, and one of the funniest comedies ever made.

I consider this to be the best epic comedy of all time. Why? This is a hilarious trip into insanity throughout, and the fact it is so well acted adds a lot. I giggled at Jonathan Winters, laughed at Milton Berle, chuckled at Mickey Rooney, and died at Ethel Merman, and I don't regret it.

Spencer Tracy isn't half bad either, and he isn't even usually that good in comedy! I knew somehow this movie would be pretty darn good when you have groundbreaking director Stanley Kramer directs.

He made classics like "Judgement at Nuremberg" and "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?", so it really proved to me this movie would work out in his capable hands. And honestly, he exceeded my expectations.

Despite the craziness going on here, he somehow makes it seems REALISTIC, which was something I was not expecting to see. "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" deserves to make the "AFI's Top 100 Movies" list, so go on ahead, watch it, and see if you agree with me.