It's hard to see any effort in the film. There's no comedy to speak of, no real drama and, worst of all.
View MoreThe movie runs out of plot and jokes well before the end of a two-hour running time, long for a light comedy.
View MoreA film of deceptively outspoken contemporary relevance, this is cinema at its most alert, alarming and alive.
View MoreThe film may be flawed, but its message is not.
With this Type of Clip-Compilation, Perfection will be a Subjective Term. Everyone will probably find something Missing or this or that inclusion They find Unworthy, but so be it. It is undeniable that this is Entertainment that is Entertaining, mostly.One Legitimate Gripe, that alienates some, is the between Scenes Commentary and Dancing from the two Biggies, Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly. As a Novelty and an Adhesive for the Clips, it could be said that it is Sweetness on top of Sweetness and that makes it a bit too Sweet. Actually there was actually no need for it and the Geezers Goofing around may be Physically impressive but also puts some unneeded weight on the already Heavy Dose of Dance Numbers that is the Forte of the Film.But the In-Betweens aside, what People came to Watch is the Incredible and at times Outrageousness that the Movie Musical could offer as, well, Entertainment. There is more of that here, as in Part 1, and one could argue about this and that being better or worse, or worthy or not, but that is a Matter of Personal Taste.Just sit back and Enjoy another Two-Hours of Scenes, Numbers, Skits, and Clips from the Movies. It really is a Thing that Sells Itself, and since Movie Lovers are here to Watch Samples of Movies, this kind of thing is really a No-Brainer, and needs no Hype.
View MoreFollowing the tremendous success of "That's Entertainment", MGM created a second compilation film for theaters--"That's Entertainment, Part II". Unlike "That's Entertainment!", this followup film is a bit different because it's not just about MGM's singing and dancing but the full range of films--with clips from comedies, westerns and dramas as well--but still the lion's share (so to speak) were of musicals. For me, this was a problem because the range was TOO broad and the rest of the films got the short end of it. In other words, you can't sum up ALL of MGM's classic films (including travelogues and comedy shorts) in only about two hours. Another problem with the film is that instead of the classic actors introducing the clips like they did in "That's Entertainment!", this time they try to entertain as well--such as Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly doing a song and dance number near the beginning of the film and some new cartoon bits later in the film. While the pair danced well for old men (Astaire was nearing 80), it also felt a bit creepy and sad--especially when Kelly tried to sing and roller skate in Paris. It took up time they could have been showing other clips plus I wanted to see more MGM stars than just these two fine dancers (and in the previous film it was narrated by several classic actors, not just two). Had the film just been a retrospective of the films of Kelly and Astaire, however, this material would have worked a lot better.It helped that I saw this film only a few days after I saw the other--so it's very clear in my head that there were problems in addition to the narration. For the most part, the dance numbers not as good in "That's Entertainment, Part II" and I assume it's because they'd put the best stuff in the first one--as they didn't realize there's be a second film. Now this isn't to say the dance clips are bad--they're just not quite as good. Oddly, however, the clips from the non-musicals also were occasionally disappointing. There weren't enough of them and represented too few films. To me, put simply, it looked a bit rushed--like they threw clips together without as much thought as in the first film or as much of a theme. Overall, worth seeing if you are a fan of Hollywood's golden age, but I think the first film AND the later documentary "MGM: When the Lion Roared" are a lot better.
View MoreThe received wisdom is that sequels don't work but against that we need to consider French Connection II, Godfather II etc. That's Entertainment II works in the sense that for musical buffs a That's Entertainment XI would work if it offered MORE clips of musical movies even of the most dubious quality. This sequel rightly makes the point that 'entertainment' is not exclusively words and music and backs up the point by including snippets of comedy and drama at which MGM also excelled. Although in my book Astaire leaves Kelly for dead, always has, always will, it was still great to see them getting the lion's share (ouch) of footage as co-hosts even if - as more than one poster has stated - they were saddled with some of the most inept and cringe-making parody lyrics. A welcome addition to the genre.
View MoreLike its predecessor, THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT II offers two hours of film clips from memorable MGM movies featuring the likes of Judy Garland, Bing Crosby, Lena Horne, Louis Armstrong, and Doris Day. Unlike its predecessor, which organized the film clips into thematic sequences introduced by different MGM stars, THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT just throws the clips out willynilly without much rhyme or reason--and saddles narrators Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly with some of the clunkiest, corniest material imaginable. In consequence, it lacks the cohesion and the excitement of the original.But it still has its charms. Many of the individual clips are knock-outs: Ethel Waters performing "Taking a Chance on Love" from CABIN IN THE SKY, Bobby Van doing the famous "hop dance" from SMALL TOWN GIRL, Judy Garland belting out "I Got Rhythm" from GIRL CRAZY. In addition to such musical treats, the film also offers a look at the Marx Brothers with the famous "State Room Scene" from A NIGHT AT THE OPERA, a sequence of famous lines from famous films (such as Garbo's "I want to be alone"), and an extended tribute to Spenser Tracy and Katherine Hepburn. Most viewers will probably feel the film drags due to the uneven way in which the scenes are introduced and edited together, but just about every one will find plenty to enjoy. Recommended with reservations.Gary F. Taylor, aka GFT, Amazon Reviewer
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