What a waste of my time!!!

The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

This is a dark and sometimes deeply uncomfortable drama

The tone of this movie is interesting -- the stakes are both dramatic and high, but it's balanced with a lot of fun, tongue and cheek dialogue.

Am a big fan of Charlie Chaplin, have been for over a decade now. Many films and shorts of his are very good to masterpiece, and like many others consider him a comedy genius and one of film's most important and influential directors. From his post-Essanay period after leaving Keystone, 'The Adventurer' is among the very best of his early output, one of his best from his Mutual period and one of his first classics. As said with many of his post-Keystone efforts, it shows a noticeable step up in quality though from his Keystone period, where he was still evolving and in the infancy of his long career. The Essanay and Mutual periods were something of Chaplin's adolescence period where his style had been found and starting to settle. Something that can be seen in his final Mutual effort 'The Adventurer'. The story is slight and slightly too simple but is at least discernible and is never dull, and does it while not being as too busy or manic.On the other hand, 'The Adventurer' looks good, not incredible but it was obvious that Chaplin was taking more time with his work and not churning out countless shorts in the same year of very variable success like he did with Keystone. Appreciate the importance of his Keystone period and there is some good stuff he did there, but the more mature and careful quality seen here and later on is obvious.'The Adventurer' is one of the funniest and most charming early efforts of Chaplin. It is hilarious with some clever, entertaining and well-timed slapstick and the charm doesn't get over-sentimental. It moves quickly and there is no dullness in sight. The second half is both hilarious and enchanting. The sliding doors gag is uproarious.Chaplin directs more than competently and the cinematic genius quality is emerging. He also, as usual, gives a playful and expressive performance and at clear ease with the physicality and substance of the role. The supporting cast acquit themselves well, with a charming Edna Purviance, their chemistry is sweet to watch, and Eric Campbell being both amusing and formidable.On the whole, great. 9/10 Bethany Cox

While The Adventurer (1917) may not be the strongest of Charlie Chaplin's shorts in terms of plot, characterization, or coherence, but by God, is it a fun romp. Ably supported by the lovely Edna Purviance and the deliciously villainous Eric Campbell, Chaplin gets into all sorts of trouble by the sea and in a seaside resort. The gags come at the viewer nonstop and all are inspired. The whole thing is a breathless bit of fun, effortlessly transitioning from one set-up to the next without ever feeling choppy.Of course, Chaplin would move on from Mutual after this. I cannot think of a finer finale to that phase of his career.

Whereas the other eleven shorts Charlie Chaplin made for Mutual Films, having for the first time full artistic freedom to develop his VERY own style, all had some serious or even tragic elements in them, this last one of them (and the biggest box-office success) gives us just plain, simple comedy that reminds us of his beginnings at the Keystone Studios - only with more wit and artistic ambition; and with quite an unusual protagonist, too: Charlie (who usually wasn't on the best of terms with the police in his movies, anyway) is a convict here who, just with the beginning of that wonderful 25-minute short story, escapes from prison in the most hilarious way! (He'd do the same thing 6 years later in "The Pilgrim", but in a different style that time...) So we see him running and hiding from the cops with his usual, inimitable movements; only not in his 'tramp' apparel this time, but in prisoner's clothes... We see a whole bunch of policemen hunting him, shooting at him, and yet ending up rolling down hills or being tricked out by the little fellow in some other way! And then - something entirely different happens: down at the beach, where he's finally found rescue, he's got to save a mother, daughter and her fiancée from drowning; and the thankful family, of course, take him to their home and dress him like a real gentleman! And of course, our hero develops tender emotions very soon for the lovely daughter (a blonde Edna Purviance this time) and vice versa, while he and the big fat fiancée (Charlie's friend Eric Campbell at his best once again) pick on each other with every opportunity - until the jealous suitor sees Charlie's 'WANTED' picture in a newspaper... Well, from that moment on, of course, the chase continues!So, for all those who keep accusing Charlie Chaplin of being 'too much of a sentimentalist': they should SURELY watch "The Adventurer", to see that Charlie could also be just plain funny - and INGENIOUSLY funny, for that matter! Even after almost 100 years, this wonderfully crazy, fast-paced short FULL of unbelievable ideas still looks as fresh and entertaining as the day it first reached the movie theaters!

Certainly, in my opinion, the Greatest comedy short of all time. Charlie, an escaped convict, saves life of rich woman and is taken in by her family(and jealous Eric Campbell - who tragically died in an automobile accident a year after). How long will it be till the law catches up with him? There's an absolutely SUPERB sequence as him dodging the law using sliding doors, it will leave you laughing loud. This film alone demonstrates Chaplin's unique and incredible talent. Many people get turned off by Chaplin's shorts as they are silent. It's a shame as some of them represent his best work.