Customer Reviews

All the Queen's Men

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

I love Eddie Izzard. Can't help it - the man is a genius. I bought this movie just because he was in it, and he completely dominated the movie. Just loved him in it. Ok, not that it's a great movie - it's plenty entertaining, but not sure someone who doesn't like Eddie (can't imagine who) would enjoy it like I did.

I really liked this movie; I know others might have found it dumb and stupid and all that stuff, but I really really liked it. As far as I am concerened, the best character was Tony (Eddie Izzard's character), but then again, his being in the movie was the soul reason why I bought it.
If you like this kind of humor, than I suggest you at least rent it to see if you like it, but if not, rent it anyways! Give this movie a chance I think; it's very odd humor.

I first heard about this film before it came out, as I am an Eddie Izzard fan. Disappointingly, it was in such a narrow release, that there wasn't a single theater for 200 miles playing it -- not even in Dallas! Then it closed out very quickly and took nearly 6 months to come out on DVD. Needless to say, I was rather anxious about the possible quality of the film.

I was not disappointed. The film was great! With my degree in history (concentration in fashion), I'm one to sit through an entire film (like, oh, Gladiator) and complain about the accuracy. This was spectacular! The clothes were great, even the hideous "formal" that LeBlanc wears in one scene. It's attrocious but it's not wrong. And I too noticed the "I'm 21" line. Keep in mind that the drinking age varied from state to state until the late 70s/early 80s. And that the voting age at that time was 21. My mother informs me that when she was in college in 1960, the drinking age in OK had just been changed the year before from 21 to 18. So, it is possible that is not an inaccuracy...

I will agree that LeBlanc is a weak point to this film and that I would have liked to see more of the transformation time (a la Miss Congeniality). But, I have watched this film twice already and I expect to watch it many more. If you're willing to stop thinking about what could be improved and take the film for itself, it's a fantabulous time. If you can't, well, make your list and watch it twice.

There are only two reasons to watch "All the Queen's Men": Eddie Izzard as a bisexual drag queen and Scotland's James Cosmo as an older family man and inadvertent mommy. Izzard is both funny and touching as a man who will go to any length to be with his love, and Cosmo is downright heart-tugging (in an honest way) as he uncovers emotions he would've never encountered under normal circumstances.

Matt LeBlanc is badly miscast as Bruce Campbell, er, Special Services Agent O'Rourke. It's a pity he has no charm in this role, nor does he have any chemistry with the equally wooden Nicollete Krebitz. Rent it, if only to see how damn good Eddie Izzard can be as an actor, and how James Cosmo displays such wonderfully subtle emotion, especially in the German bombing scene. If the whole movie had been as excellent as that one scene, it may have lasted a LOT longer in the theaters.

"Running, jumping, climbing trees...putting on make-up when you get there" is how Eddie Izzard describes his life as an Action Transvestite. And it's true, in this movie, you get to see Eddie running around in heels and a gown, carrying a big gun. In all honesty, he is the most skilled, of the cast, in heels and dresses. And it seems like the perfect combination of major topics from his show "Dressed to Kill," World War II and Nazi Germany, Great Britain defending itself, slap dash army make-up, there are even shades of "The Great Escape."

But this movie is definitely a "renter." I don't care how much you love Eddie Izzard, don't buy it. Matt LeBlanc is tepid at best, and there's not enough time devoted to the supporting cast to save the film. Interesting in its own way, but even bargain basement prices couldn't entice me.

I bought this DVD from the previously-viewed bin at my local video store. The only reason I picked it up was for Eddie Izzard. The fact that Matt LeBlanc was in it scared me. I found that the movie, though full of plot holes, was actually much better than I feared. For fans of Eddie Izzard, it definitely is worth watching, and I would also say it is worth buying, if you can get it used.

"All the Queen's Men" is far far better than it should be. The acting on all levels (especially Matt LeBlanc) is simply enchanting and situation perfect. The topic (locating the Enigma machine during WWII); the plan: (dress in drag to infiltrate the only German manufacturing plant making these machines whose workforce must be the women left behind). The funny and the fear here are mixed wonderfully. The supporting cast is dead-on...this is a movie, again, that is far far better than it should be. I don't watch many films over and over...but this is one that gets a pretty good workout when the hour is late, the mind is still buzzing and one needs to remember that great things can be accomplished by incredibly ordinary people.