everything you have heard about this movie is true.

I wanted to like it more than I actually did... But much of the humor totally escaped me and I walked out only mildly impressed.

It is interesting even when nothing much happens, which is for most of its 3-hour running time. Read full review

The joyful confection is coated in a sparkly gloss, bright enough to gleam from the darkest, most cynical corners.

One of the most consistsntly funny movies of all time. WHat more can I say? It's everything you'd want in a movie and then some. Has some of the funniest stars like Milton Berle, Jonathan winters, don knotts, etc. everyone has chemistry, and I can tell 100000000% of effort was put in every frame. O can even nitpick and find a flaw in it

I just had rotator cuff surgery and this is one of my first film reviews post-surgery. So, although the movie is 3 1/2 hours long, I am being very brief because I just don't have the energy to write longer AND because they are already a ton of reviews for the movie.The story involves a group of seemingly normal people who go crazy due to greed and quickly become unhinged at the process of sudden wealth. In addition to this core group, you have many cameos (many of which could have been used better) of very famous comedy actors of yesterday such as The Three Stooges, Jack Benny, Joe E. Brown and many others.So is this film a brilliant comedy? Not exactly. Subtlety certainly is NOT something you see in the film and Ethel Merman's performance is ridiculously over the top (no one is THAT obnoxious). Instead it's more a turn off your brain and just enjoy sort of movie. Funny, high energy but rarely brilliant or clever...it's well worth seeing and holds up well but also isn't a film that makes the best use of its many stars.

Just about every comic actor in the business showed up for this film. It's fun as a kind of period piece, but it doesn't help make this a well constructed film. It centers around a search for buried treasure, but that's about it. Spencer Tracy is the centering factor as his policeman investigates what's going on and then becomes part of the process. Unfortunately, there is mostly a lot of shouting and perpetual motion, but most of the bits aren't all that funny. Everything concludes in an unremarkable way. I've always felt that the comedies of the sixties were rather uninspired (dull would be a better way of putting it). My friends and I liked these movies when we were in junior high, but these things don't really stand the test of time.

When director Stanley Kramer assembled the cast for "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World", the comedians were standing in line for a chance to appear in the film. The result is a veritable Who's Who of comedy from silent film days to 1961. (Check out "Rat Race" (2001) for another comedy with a large ensemble.)I saw IAMMMMW at a drive-in on its first release. I enjoyed the film, with its cartoonish action and characters. It was like watching Wile E. Coyote and the Roadrunner (and friends) played with human actors. Over time, it has not become dated. In fact, I enjoy it more today. As an older viewer, I can better appreciate the subtleties of the performances (even within the slapstick) and the quality of the script. Also, even though I knew who most of the actors were back in 1961, I now have a greater respect for and knowledge of their abilities and careers.There are so many talents in this film, both as leads and as supporting actors and in cameos. But there are a few who really drive this comedy. Jonathan Winters, for example, plays a manic character who is like an unstoppable force. Dick Shawn portrays a kooky, west coast surfer dude like no one else can. Ethel Merman--surprisingly--is like a walking punchline, giving all of the actors something to play off of--like an MVP. And Phil Silvers always makes me laugh, with his "Why I oughta" snarkiness.For cinema fans, this is a film that should be watched for its record of comedic talent. Consider Milton Berle, Buddy Hackett, Mickey Rooney, Terry Thomas, Don Knotts, Jimmy Durante, and Jerry Lewis, just to name a few. The jokes come from every direction.The stuntwork and car chases are also a lot of fun. That this piece of cinematic history is also so much fun to watch is just a bonus.