Terrible acting, screenplay and direction.

disgusting, overrated, pointless

Instead, you get a movie that's enjoyable enough, but leaves you feeling like it could have been much, much more.

One of the film's great tricks is that, for a time, you think it will go down a rabbit hole of unrealistic glorification.

Just watched this on disc 1 of The Harold Lloyd Comedy Collection: Vol. 2 which I ordered from Netflix. In summary, it's such a funny but also suspenseful and thrilling movie to watch that I not only laughed loudly at several places but also gasped in others when it looked like Harold might get hurt really bad. He's the youngest in his family which also includes his sheriff father and his two older burly brothers. When a medicine show arrives, a couple of the men in charge there take advantage of Harold's personality to get a license while his father is elsewhere. It's also in that show that a girl named Mary (Jobyna Ralston, her last as his leading lady) resides and he falls for her hard. I'll stop there and just say that I not only highly enjoyed the movie but also the commentary on it afterwards by his grandkids Suzanne and Annette and Rich Correll. And the music by Carl Davis was also perfectly scored for this version. So on that note, The Kid Brother comes highly recommended.

People purely seem to praise this movie for its comedy but if you start comparing the humor in this movie to other genre movies from the same period you must admit that this movie isn't among the best. However the movie does deserve all the praise for its sweet and great written story and its creativity, which is the reason why this movie is a '20's comedy must-see.This movie doesn't really distinct itself with its humor or timing but it does so through its solidly written comical story.I wasn't all taken by the movie its comedy. The timing and the slapstick elements aren't the best example of the particular time period and also most certainly so wasn't the directing, that was even below average in parts. There was lots of running and jumping but quite frankly it didn't all made really much sense at times. I prefer a Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton or Laurel & Hardy movie over this everyday. Thank goodness that in the end the movie still turns into a great and fun slapstick. Of course in between the movie also features some great, creative and fun moments.The story is just great and solid. Something that really wasn't common for '20's comedies. It's a sweet story that knows to create a balance between the silly humor and the romantic aspects of the movie. It are the romantic aspects that really makes this a sweet and irresistible movie to watch.I liked it, though for other reasons than its comedy.8/10http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/

In some ways it's a shame that Harold Lloyd is so associated with the film Safety Last. This is not because it is a bad film (in fact it's one of his better ones) but because it represents a style of film that is based almost completely on physical humor, whereas his best films also included significantly more plot, exceptional cinematography and a lot of heart. Among my favorites is THE KID BROTHER. It is very funny at times, but all the humor takes a back seat to the plot involving Lloyd falling for Jobyna Ralston (as he had in many previous films). The camera work is just unbelievable and just goes to show that just because this is a silent film doesn't mean it wasn't a very artistic film. A funny, sweet, beautiful and memorable film! And, because of it's gorgeous and beautifully crafted scenes, it's highly reminiscent of the best of Chaplin's full-length films, such as CITY LIGHTS. This film certainly has a lot of heart and will shock anyone expecting slapstick.So is THE KID BROTHER or THE FRESHMAN Lloyd's best film--it's hard to say. The FRESHMAN is more enjoyable and funny, but there is an elegance to THE KID BROTHER that help it transcend the genre--making it truly a work of art. As for me, I love them both and recommend you see them soon!

Even though I had enjoyed several of Lloyd's films, I never really looked at him as being on the same level as Keaton. That's changed after seeing "The Kid Brother." The last half hour is as entertaining as anything on film. Harold's resourcefulness while fighting is a thing to behold! And the monkey with the shoes? Fantastic!