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17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Umm...okay, May 27, 2004
This review is from: All the Queen's Men (DVD)
All The Queen's Men isn't a bad movie but it isn't a very good one either. It's kind of like an extended sitcom that picks up nicely at the end and in so doing redeems itself a little bit. It's a fairly simple story about a team of spies who go undercover as women in Nazi Germany to steal a codebreaking device. Obviously most of the humor comes from the cross-dressing concept but it actually does provide somewhat of a clever action plot once the plan gets under way. Eddie Izzard is great as always in a role that seems to be tailor-made for him. Matt LeBlanc is funny but it's hard to believe that anyone would ever be convinced that he's a woman. And not for nothing, but how can this man be a spy inside Germany when he doesn't speak German? What's frustrating and ultimately detracting from the film is that there are numerous opportunities for sub-plots and themes that would add enormously to the story but they are not used to full advantage, except for the one involving Izzard's character's German male lover. There are some isolated moments of cleverness involving the mission, typical of what you would see in a well-crafted action film. There are a handful of laugh-out-loud moments but don't set your expectations too high.
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Overall a good movie, February 29, 2004
This review is from: All the Queen's Men (DVD)
It depends on what you are expecting going in. A war thriller it is not, and not really a comedy in the sense that most people would think. If you are a fan of Eddie Izzard, you will love it. He is very funny in his role, and i would buy the DVD based solely on his musical number in the film.
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11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Surprisingly good (and sensitive) film, November 27, 2003
This review is from: All the Queen's Men (DVD)
ALL THE QUEEN'S MEN could have easily fallen into the ranks of the "let's dress men in drag for laughs" films that followed THE BIRDCAGE and usually end up being unfunny and at times less than dignified slapstick. With excellent direction from Stefan Ruzowitzky and a strong ensemble of actors this film about the Brits sending a team of men to capture the Enigma machine from a Nazi factory that only employs women in Berlin (hence the need to be in drag) succeeds with grace and warmth and tenderness - and humor. Eddie Izzard is hilarious as a cross-dressing entertainer who is assigned the duty of transforming a team of macho guys into credible women (which he succeeds in doing!). The team is ably led by Matt LeBlanc and includes David Birkin and James Cosmo, each with their own personal stories that make the story more believable. Their 'contact' is the German spy Nicolette Krebitz and with her help and a lot of surprises the mission is 'accomplished'. Yes, this is a comedy with many good belly laughs, but it also is a tender rendering of how men and women (and children) relate under the stresses of war. The cinematography is first class without blowing the story out of real proportion. Recommended for the whole family.
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