Take the Money and Run: Amazon.ca: DVD: DVD

Product Description

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Woody Allen's feature-film debut, Take the Money and Run, a mockumentary that combines sight gags, sketchlike scenes, and standup jokes at rat-a-tat speed, looks positively primitive compared to his mature work. Primitive, but awfully funny. Allen plays Virgil Starkwell, a music-loving nebbish who turns to a life of crime at an early age and, undaunted by his utter and complete failure to pull off a single successful robbery, continues his unbroken spree of bungled heists and prison breaks even after he marries and raises a family. Narrator Jackson Beck, whose stentorian voice of authority makes a perfect foil for Starkwell's absurd exploits, lobs one droll quip after another with deadpan seriousness. Though spotty, Allen tosses so many jokes into the mix that it hardly matters and when they hit they are often hilarious: the chain gang posing as cousins to their old-woman hostage ("We're very close," Virgil explains to a dim cop), arguing with a dotty movie director who is supposed to be their cover for a bank robbery, Virgil's escape attempt with a bar of soap. Allen spoofs decades of crime films, everything from I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang to Bonnie and Clyde, but you don't have to know the movies to enjoy this goofy, sometimes clumsy, but quite clever comedy. --Sean Axmaker

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Customer Reviews

28 Reviews

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

Average Customer Review

4.3 out of 5 stars (28 customer reviews)

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars No, that's an "n". It's G-U-N. That's "gun.", July 8 2004

By

K. Gittins (CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

This review is from: Take the Money and Run (DVD)

"Take The Money and Run" is presented as a biographical documentary of Virgil Starkwell (Allen), a petty criminal.

He has a difficult childhood, and plays the cello in a marching band (but sitting on a chair and trying to keep up with the others). He begins a life of crime by robbing an armored car, but is quickly caught. In prison, he models a fake gun and tries an unsuccessful escape. Later, in exchange for a pardon, he volunteers for an experimental vaccine, the only side effect is turning him into a rabbi for a few hours. From time to time, his parents are interviewed (wearing Groucho Marx disguises). Finally released, he rents a room. He then begins another life of crime with purse snatching and small robberies.

Intending to steal her purse, Virgil meets a young woman, Louise, who is a laundress, and is smitten. He narrates his nauseous nature when in love. He robs a soda machine for money and goes to dinner on a date with Louise. Now he is in love. Virgil tries to rob a bank - but can't write a legible holdup note, and gets arrested and put back in prison, where he gets visits from Louise. Although she says she will wait for Virgil, he plans an escape. The warden gets wind of the plan, so the escaping group calls it off but forgets to tell Virgil, who tries it alone, and improbably escapes.

Virgil and Louise get married, and of course later Louise gets pregnant. Virgil wants to go straight and tries to get job as insurance agent, but is hired instead as for the mailroom. He is ferreted out by a coworker and is blackmailed. Virgil contemplates murdering her, but is unsucessful in every attempt, including stabbing her with a turkey leg, but finally is accidentally lucky with the exploding candlesticks.

Petty crimes follow in his life on the run. He thinks up another bank robbery plot, and unwittingly tell some cops about it but is not arrested. When it comes time to rob the bank, his group are confronted by rival robbers. They are caught, and Virgil gets put in a chain-gang. The group manage to escape while chained together with help from Louise. They are off on a life of crime again, and Virgil makes the "Gangster of the Year" award. He unwittingly robs a former marching band member, who is now a cop, and is arrested again. He is interviewed in captivity, while working on his next soap-gun.

While a little rough around the edges, the movie has some charm and a few giggles. The narrator delivers his lines in a serious manner, even when the subject matter may not be. Decent acting by mostly unknowns.

The DVD has the full-screen movie, chapters and subtitles only.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Howlingly funny and inventive early Woody Allen, April 13 2011

By

K. Gordon - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Take the Money and Run (DVD)

A brilliant mock-documentary on the life of a criminal - played by
Allen - with some of the funniest lines and sight gags I've ever seen
in a film. It's important to remember that 'mockumentaries' weren't
common when Allen made this, and it was actually seen as quite
experimental in it's own crazy, low budget way.

This isn't the deep, brilliant film-maker of 'Annie Hall', etc, but an
amazingly smart and funny young Allen capturing the spirit of cinema
anarchists like the Marx Brothers.

The only small drawbacks; a sometimes cloying musical score and a
couple of slow sections around the love story. But these are very small
flies in the great ointment.

A minor point - there's a some debate as to whether the correct aspect ratio is 1:66
or 1:85. From what research I could do (as well as old fading memories of seeing the
film in theaters) I think 1:66 is actually correct.

There are various releases floating around in full-screen, 1:66 and 1:85.
Probably not a life or death difference, but worth noting
for purists.

Like many of Allen's film's this now seems to bizarrely be out of
print. So while it's available used, you might want to grab a copy.

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4.0 out of 5 stars Hilarious film - Not so good DVD, July 18 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Take the Money and Run (DVD)

As others have written, this is a hilarious Woody Allen film. However, for DVD fans and film purists, be warned: the original widescreen format has been chopped down to full screen. This is a gross injustice as other films in his catalog are given better treatment and maintain their original aspect ratio.

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Most recent customer reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome, funny, silly and the best Woody Allen's movie ever
I can't stop laughing whenever I remember this movie. Have seen it dubbed in Persian language too and it was even more hilarious. Read more

Published on Dec 5 2008 by Winston

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Funny
The counter scene when Allen's character says he is robbing the bank and has a "gub". That is hilarious!! Many more humorous scenes! Read more

Published on July 13 2004 by J. McAndrew