Customer Reviews

Nuns on the Run [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.2 Import - Netherlands ]

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

A very enjoyable movie - not exactly high brow humor, or not typical off beat Pythonesque humor (Eric Idle of Monty Python fame is Brian, and Robbie Coltrane of the Cracker series is Charlie). Brian and Charlie are gangsters who after stealing some drug money from the London triad, and avoiding a double cross from their boss, take 'sanctuary' in a convent. They do this by hiding as drag-Nuns; Sister Euphemia and Sister Inviolata (to see Robbie Coltrane in a nun's habit is a howl).
Brian and Charlie manage to have a positive effect on the nunnery, and they even repent (of a sorts) - but without returning the money of course (The good guys win - according to Brian's logic - when drug money is used for good works!).
There is some light hearted making fun of Catholicism here, but it is not mean spirited, so it shouldn't offend anyone. Charlie - who grew up Catholic - defends the church a few times while discussing religion with Brian.
Break out the popcorn, and fire up the movie and enjoy!

If the last Pope was John Paul. Why isn't the new one George Ringo?

Irreverent Catholic humour abounds in NUNS ON THE RUN (Anchor Bay), a low brow romp that follows Eric Idle and Robbie Coltrane -- two crooks with loot taken from bigger crooks -- into a convent where they don habits and pretend to be nuns assigned to teaching young girls.

I laughed out loud at these desperate, inept, ugly nuns and their silly complications.

An early film of Robbie Coltrane (Hagrid of Harry Potter fame) is a fantastically humorous film, especially if you are or know something about Catholicism. Robbie's explanation of the Holy Trinity will have you in stitches. And the method he uses to remember the proper way of making the sign of the cross is still the way I remember it. Buy this film!!!

The above statement comes from when Charley aka Sister Inviolata of the Immaculate Conception is explaining how that because of the Doctrine of Original Sin you have to keep on sinning so you can be saved and go to heavan. That's why Christianity suits so many people!

And that's just one line from this really funny movie!

The plot of this movie revolves around two extremely inept gangsters who decide to steal a large sum of money off a gang boss and end up dressing up as nuns and hiding out in a convent!

Everybody, especially the two main characters, Brian Hope aka Sister Euphemia of the Five Wounds, Five Wounds for short and Charley MacManus, is quite mad! Needless to say they make some seriously ugly nuns.

Which brings me to a point that I had a few nuns as teachers in grade school and some of them looked a lot like Charley! LOL!

I digress! If you like slapstick British Comedy, you'll like this movie.

It's hard too find an action movie wherein the female lead is someone I'd want for a friend. And, yes, I know the actor playing Faith was at leat 20 years younger than Eric Idle.

But!!! How many action/comedy women get subtext? Faith is working her way through college, by holding 2 jobs, and we get a glimpse of her family life, and, when she is ___justifiably___ angry with her boyfriend (Idle) the movie doesn't dismiss what she has to say.

Not for people into total escapism--raises too many points, and by the way it pre-empts "Analyze This" by many years in stating, humorously, that the gangster's life is stressful.

That said, the movie made me laugh--I went to Catholic school; I didn't find it offensive--if you are so devout that you can't question your faith at all, you're not really thinking, and then no, you won't enjoy this movie. (Don't see Life of Brian, either.) "Of COURSE it doesn't make sense--that's why you gotta have faith." That's almost what the nuns told me--except I wasn't allowed to laugh.

I'll watch anything Robbie Coltrane is in because he is so good, and Eric Idle's Pythonesque timing is totally on. The writing has good pace, going from believable but funny to silly but fathomable to so silly you just have to suspend your disbelief just at the right moment.

Nuns on the Run is an excellent comedy for those who almost died laughing at the Monty Python flicks and wanted to get in a few more chuckles before the era completely went away. Though not a Python film, it does have subtle hints of that flavor; after all, it does star Erik Idle. This is by no means a rib cracker, but the plot is silly enough to enjoy and the humor is adequate to get the viewer from one scene to the next. I rated it four stars because it is such a darn funny concept whether it was fully developed or not. My favorite scene was when the hit men were being questioned by their crime boss after losing the two "nuns" in a three-way gang shoot-out. They stood at his desk like idiots answering, "I don't know," then, "I don't know," then, "I don't know," then...well...you get the idea, to all of his inquiries. It doesn't sound like much in a review, but the scene is quite humorous. Take this comedy with a grain of salt and expect 3 star entertainment. Personally, I rated it a little high, and I do hope it finds its way to DVD.

Brian and Charlie are a couple of small-time crooks who liked things better in the old days. In the old days, crooks didn't carry guns and nobody ever got hurt. Now, they work for a young psycho who doesn't trust anybody. Bank robbers carry guns and guys who try to quit the gang disappear without a trace. When their boss sets up a caper to rob a rival gang (a Chinese bunch known as The Triads), Brian and Charlie decide to keep the loot for themselves and escape to Rio. Things get complicated, however, when they bungle the escape and find themselves hiding out in a convent. On top of that, Brian realizes he's in love with Faith, the extremely near-sighted waitress he's been dating.

This movie is loaded with laughs. See Charlie and Brian, dressed as nuns, buying face powder and men's razors in the drug store across from the convent. Or there's Brian (Eric Idle) teaching a class on the "Trinity" (people have been arguing that one since the 4th century) in a classroom full of girl students (and they're not little girls). And, along with funny scenes, there are plenty of funny lines. The cast is good, too. Idle and Coltrane work nicely together and are very funny, the actress who plays Faith is delightfully ditzy until the chips are down, and there are some funny characters among the nuns, as well.

"Nuns On The Run" won't go down as one of the funniest comedies on film, but it's better than average and has lots of laughs in it. I really like it and I recommend it to folks who appreciate good comedy (especially of the British variety).

I know this movie may offend some people but I thought it was really great. I saw it twice on TV and just bought the DVD. Eric Idle has become one of my favorite comedy actors - Suddenly Susan with Brooke Shields, Splitting Heirs with Rick Moranis, and Monty Python to name a few.

Nuns on the Run is nonstop fun, I enjoyed it the first time I saw it, and now again. The story has some quirks, Camille Coduri as the shortsighted
girlfriend is hilarious and Eric Idle is at his best, I like him ever since I saw him in the Life of Brian.
Everybody who doesn't take Religion too seriously, will enjoy this film.

eric idle and robbie coltrane make a hilarious pair, in habit and out. their misguided adventures in the dangerous world of crime are inspired. throw in a gambling nun,the triads,two greasy henchmen- not to mention a legally blind girlfriend- and you have quite a busy time. by the time sister liz sorts it all out, it really is "every nun for himself"! enjoy!!