WHAT'S UP, DOC? (3+ outta 5 stars) A very funny homage to the classic screwball comedies of the '30s. This is a *true* homage... that is to say it's not merely a ripoff of a specific film but a distillation of the essential elements of the entire genre. Usually these attempts to copy a long-ago style are unbearably awful but director Peter Bogdanovich understands what made those movies work in the old days as well as what works for modern audiences (at least he did in 1972). Ryan O'Neal takes a lot of flack for being somewhat of a wooden actor... but when called upon to play a certain type of role he was extremely good. This is one of those times. He has to play the straight man while everyone else gets to overact wildly. To do this and not get totally lost amidst the lunacy is extremely hard to do. Also, to make fun of his famous role in "Love Story" in the final moments of this movie shows that he was a lot more grounded and self-aware than most '70s stars. Barbara Streisand plays her goofiest and probably her most likable character... basically a female Bugs Bunny... deflating the pompous and encouraging everyone to loosen up and have a good time. Lots of great slapstick gags, especially the chase finale. (My favorite moment is the guy who gets chased down a hilly street by a pair of rolling trash cans. My least favorite moment is when Madeline Khan is erroneously send to a seedy part of town and comes across a vicious beating... the tension seems a little too *real* for a lark of a movie such as this.)
Review of What's Up, Doc?
