Customer Reviews

Rat Race (Special Collector's Edition)

5 star:		(180)
4 star:		(56)
3 star:		(29)
2 star:		(13)
1 star:		(30)

 

 

After seeing the previews, I had *very* low expectations for this movie. A friend who had already bought a ticket for me (without me knowing) dragged me along anyway, and I laughed so hard, I was crying. It's one of the funniest movies I've ever seen--and I've seen a lot of movies! The previews only show the basic premise of the movie (think Cannonball Run) and a few moments taken out of context that just don't do justice to the intricate webs of jokes that turn out to be setups for even more funny moments later.

It has a great cast--Jon Lovits, John Cleese, Whoopi Goldberg, Cuba Gooding Jr., Seth Green, Rowan Atkinson (Mr. Bean) just to name a few, and they're all at the best I've ever seen them. Sometimes movies with such a cast of well-known and diverse people, they either 1) don't have the chemistry to work well together or 2) each subdue their "type" of comedy to blend in with the others. Neither is the case in this movie. Each member of the cast totally excels at the kind of comedy they're best at. Atkinson has the zany weird thing going, Green has the physical slapstick thing, Lovits has the lovable neurotic thing, Cleese has the "Now for something totally different" thing...

It's also a great family movie. I don't really know why it got the PG-13 rating. There's no bad language, no explicit stuff, very little innuendo, not much violence. There are a few gestures here and there (not of malicious intent; you just have to see it to know what I mean), and it makes fun of Germans, so if you're radically conservative or a very sensitive Jewish person (or German, I suppose), you may be offended.

I can't recommend this movie enough. I'm afraid that because of the poor previews and the been-there-done-that premise, not many people will go to see it, and it may end up being one of the all-time highest underrated movies. Trust me, though, this is *not* an I'll-see-it-on-video-or-cable movie, it's one of the few movies out worth the money to see it in the theater!

'Rat Race' is a zany little comedy with many big name stars, and jokes that are sometimes good, sometimes just o.k. For the most part, it is a pretty funny film, and there is probably something that most people will find adequately comedic about it.

The movie starts out in a Las Vegas hotel/casino. Whilst playing the slot machines, 8 people find a coin which directs them to a secret meeting with the hotel/casion owner. He informs them that some 500 miles away, in Silver City, New Mexico, is a train station. Inside that station is a locker, and inside that locker is $2,000,000. They are all given a key, and told to "go" - whoever gets there first winning the money. The race is on, and the hotel/casino owner is keeping a watchful eye on them, as he is also taking bets as to who the winner will be. Each of the people who are in the race take different modes of transport to get to the desired location. This makes for the bulk, and the most hilarious portion, of the film. Along the way, there are jokes and running gags to do with Nazis, Lucille Ball impersonators, a crazy squirrel merchant, and more. Much of the humor is accessible and makes you laugh, or at least chuckle. Some of the humor, however, is rather crude. I still found it funny, but be warned: If you are disdainful of certain jokes whose basis lies in bodily functions, human organ dis-respect, abuse of animals, or anything along those lines - then this is *not* the movie for you. All of the aforementioned jokes, though they sound bad, are actually handled well (as well as can be expected), but they *do* make up a substantial portion of the film.

Many of the talents used in 'Rat Race' include Whoopi Goldberg, John Cleese, Rowan Atkinson (re-using many aspects of his Mr. Bean persona), Cuba Gooding, Jr., Breckin Meyer, Seth Green, and a plethora of others. There are a few surprises, and the movie takes a lot of unexpected, very funny turns.

This is a screwball comedy which simply wants to make you laugh for a couple of hours. It is fluff, but fluff in the best possible sense. Quite enjoyable. I left the cinema with a smile on my face.

Rat Race is one of the funniest movies I have seen in a while!

The Plot- A bunch of people selected by winning a special coin while playing the slot machine at casino in Las Vegas are selected to do a once in a lifetime job and race to find 2 million dollars in a locker in Silver City, New Mexico.The stars of the movie are in such a hurry to get the two million bucks,that they do some very stupid/funny things to get the cash.The whole movie is very funny and not dull or boring one part of the entire movie.

The reason I gave this DVD 4 stars is because the deleted scenes, I personally thought were not that exciting. Just remember, that's my opinion. You may love them, but I'm not that crazy about them. Everthing else in the movie was EXCELLENT!!!

The DVD feature's include: Widescreen version,Dolby Digital surround sound, English Subtitles, Interactive Menus, Scene Selections, Theatrical Trailer, Exclusive Interview with Director Jerry Zucker and Writer Andy Breckman, Deleted Scenes, The Making of Rat Race, Gag Reel, Outake Scene, "Jerry and Andy Call the Actors"

It's often said that "everyone sees a different movie". One thing is clear from reading the reviews here, this is a "love it or hate it" film. Hollywood has released no good comedies in a long, long time. I almost didn't see this one because I expected it to be as bad. Was I glad I was wrong! There will never be a 'chase' movie as good as "It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World", but Rat Race comes closer than any so far. Take a look at the other reviews and you'll see that not everyone likes dumb comedies. If you like to turn off your brain for two hours and just laugh, this is for you. If you are interested in what movie critics are looking for: character development, believability, I suggest you look elsewhere. Everyone in this movie is just fantastic, especially Jon Lovitz. I recently saw him live on Broadway in Neil Simon's "The Dinner Party" and I was amazed how he could bring the house down with just one expression. He does the same thing here, especially in the Hitler scene which is the film's highlight. Another nice surprise is how well Cuba Gooding Jr. does comedy. I never really cared for him before and thought he over-acted in movies like "Instinct". The nicest thing about this movie is it's completely unpredictable. You never know what to expect. I for one didn't expect to find a movie so good that I would see it in the theatre three times in one week, something I have never done before. This is a fun movie to see with a group of friends who want to have a good time. How about a sequel?

The race is on in "Rat Race," the latest screwball comedy about a group of people given the chance to win two million dollars, depending on who arrives first. The setup is hokey and the jokes run from strained to laugh-out-loud funny, and when the final scene finishes, what you have is a good time at the movies that isn't the most satisfying of all comedies, but is no failure.

The film starts out in Las Vegas, where eight people play eight different slot machines and each receive a gold coin as an invitation to a dinner hosted by hotel owner Donald Sinclair (John Cleese). There's the Cody brothers, Blaine (Vince Vieluf) and Duane (Seth Greene), mother/daughter duo Vera (Whoopi Goldberg) and Merrill (Lanei Chapman), play-it-safe Nick (Breckin Meyer), vacationing family dad Randy (Jon Lovitz), former football referree Owen (Cuba Gooding, Jr.), and quirky Enrico (Rowan Atkinson).

They are given the offer, and off they go, racing to reach the jackpot before the others can beat them to it. It's a ridiculous setup, of course, but the the jokes are enough to keep the movie at a commendable comedic high rather than drown it in one-liners we've all heard before.

There are moments that fail in tickling our funny bone, of course; no comedy is without them. Blaine recently pierced his own tongue, requiring that he speak awkwardly and without coherence at times. This is funny at first, but seems to get old when Duane must re-utter everything he says.

But the moments that do work are pure gold, a treasure chest of slapstick gags and humorous jokes that are worth the price of admission. Goldberg and Chapman are a hit as the mother/daughter group who become sidetracked when they decline to purchase a squirrel from roadside vendor Kathy Bates, who guides them in the wrong direction, and off a cliff. Randy and his family are a complete knockout when they arrive at a Barbie museum, only to discover that it is run by Nazis who have ruined their van. In turn, they steal Adolf Hitler's car, and the results are side-splitting.

Cuba Gooding, Jr. proves his worth in a comical film as Owen, who made a bad call in his last football game and keeps running into people who recognize him. His adventure lands him on a tour bus filled with Lucille Ball look-alikes on their way to an "I Love Lucy" convention. I was surprised most especially by how funny he can be; his mark as a great actor is his ability to play drama and comedy to perfection.

The real stars of the show are Rowan Atkinson, who is delectably goofy and wired-up as Enrico. His bouts of narcolepsy cause him to come to sudden halts for long periods of sleep, while his miscomprehension of the English language hits home. When he hitches a ride with a medic transporting a vital donor organ for transplant, at all goes downhill for them, with wacky results.

In closing, "Rat Race" is not a movie you pick apart for plot development and story coherence. It barely seems to matter, and if you try to look for them, you miss out on the laughs, the fun, and the comedy in one of the funniest films of the summer season.

Sold Out. American Pie II had been sold out. So I asked the ticket seller what I should see instead ... he recommended Rush Hour 2. My friend had seen it so we took a chance on a preview for a movie entitled Rat Race, thinking that maybe we would sneak into APII. Unfortunately for APII, this title was so much funnier. Fresh humor and a well orchestrated interplay of the hilarious and unique characters that are thrust into an environment motivated by complete selfishness make for the best intelligent comedy that I've seen since, well, I can't remember. Don't watch the preview! The movie is genius and does not recycle jokes from other comedies. I predict awards. Check it out!

Any movie bold enough to feature Kathy Bates reprising her "Annie Wilkes" character* selling squirrels roadside must be worth a look! Throw in John Cleese wearing Peter Cooke's teeth (see DVD extras), Cuba Gooding driving a bus full of Lucys (as in "I Love..."), a blond Whoopie Goldberg, an airborn cow, plus Mr. Bean and Seinfeld's Newman chasing a dog to retrieve a human heart, then you know there are going to be laughs to spare! RAT RACE is no Gone With The Wind but it's fun! If one gag doesn't work for you then wait for the next! The movie itself is not 5 stars but more like 3.5 which means it's a good film.

Now, why 5 stars on this review? Because the DVD is top notch. If you like the movie you should buy it in this format. A funny movie to watch is only part of it. Do some poking around and you'll find outtakes (the wrestling scene should've stay in the final picture), bloopers (love the giggles) and interviews. Including a terrific alternative to the normal movie commentary that's on most DVDs. The director and writer call most of the stars - from John Cleese and Roman Atkinson to Cuba Gooding and Jon Lovitz - and do candid interviews over the phone. Gooding and Lovitz had me laughing harder than I did while watching the actual movie. Brillant stuff! This is how to do a good DVD. I was a little disappointed that no commentary sound track was done for the film but they seem to indicate it was planned but scapped in favor of the phone interviews (or did I miss it somehow?). Not a bad trade off.

Now, when people ask you - and people will ask you - if RAT RACE is funny you should ask them if IT'S A MAD MAD MAD MAD WORLD is a concept that has been gathering dust for too long in Hollywood's attic. RAT RACE is not a ripoff of MAD but a wonderful updating. Sure it's not perfect (might be a little too long) but you'll have a fun time with the DVD.

* the character Bates won an Oscar for in Stephen King's Misery.

Shades of It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World! Rat Race takes an all-star cast, meshes it with an unbelievable reward, and sets them both loose on a crash-course with comedy. When casino owner Donald Sinclair (John Cleese) places a $2 million reward in front of a group of people, the results are both predictable and unpredictable at the same time. It's easy to guess that everyone will do everything short of murder in order to get to the money first. But what is pleasantly surprising is that the laughs and twists in the plot are so frequent and refreshingly original. Never before have Lucille Ball impersonators, orphan squirrels and flying cows been so entertaining!

While the ending is a slight let-down, the rest of the movie is more than entertaining; in fact, I would rate this among the 10 funniest movies I have ever seen. The biggest treats are Vince Vieluf as a tongue-pierced mumbler, Seth Green as his conniving brother and Rowan Atkinson as an outrageous Italian with a case of narcolepsy. Kathy Bates makes a very funny unbilled appearance as a crazed squirrel-peddler. The DVD has some very interesting and original features, including surprise phone calls to the stars and a hillarious outtake featuring Vieluf and Green. If you're looking for comedy, you won't do much better than Rat Race.

THIS IS THE FUNNIEST MOVIE EVER!!!!!EVER!!!!! It only got rated I think two stars, so at first I was reluctant to even see it.....of course when you watch alot of movies (as I do) you eventually get around to watching the movies you swore you would never see ;-) I was really surprised how great - great - great! this movie was - it has the best actors - they are SO SO SOOOO FUNNY!!! John Cleese, Jon Lovitz, Whoopi Goldberg, Mr. Bean (aka - Rowan?Atkinson), Seth Green, and many many other great actors - it was so extremely, extremely funny. I am not one for watching a movie more that once - but I can honestly say that I LOVE TO WATCH THIS MOVIE OVER AND OVER - and it's great for everyone of all ages, you can even sit down and watch it with your family. THIS MOVIE IS ONE OF MY TREASURED GEMS IN MY MOVIE COLLECTION! I don't want to tell you anything that happens in the movie - because it is to good to spoil!
Sit back, relax and enjoy the show :-)

This was the oddest, wierdest, strangest, dumbest, movie in the world! I LOVED (...) It was really stupied some of the things that happened like one of the guys found a bus full of I Love Lucy impersinators to that whole "Squirrel thing." But it's an awesome, hilarious movie and I loved it.