It's hard to accurately rate this unusual film, since I cannot honestly say I'd consider it "good movie-making," but it certainly still can be fun here and there, which is the whole point. It was rather haphazardly strewn together by The Beatles themselves as a self-made project not long after their manager Brian Epstein died in August 1967. It was originally shown on British television in December of that year but was harshly criticized and has always bore the notorious distinction of being the Beatles' first and only flop. It didn't help matters any that this very colorful psychedelic mind bender was incorrectly broadcast in black and white at that time, either. These days, however, MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR has aged a lot better as a piece of sixties history and a look back on those wild and exuberant times.
There isn't any plot to speak of here; we see Ringo Starr and his ever-quarreling fat aunt Jessie boarding a special tour bus consisting of the three other Beatles and a zany cast of misfits and oddballs. From there, things get crazier and crazier as the bus travels from one absurd situation to the next. Some of the highlights involve Ringo and his tubby aunt's constant bickering, which is amusing to watch, and a surreal dream sequence written by John Lennon which has himself in the part of a maniacally grinning restaurant waiter who literally shovels heaps of spaghetti onto the table of the overwhelmed fat woman. One thing that may always be counted on within any Beatles movie are great songs, and here we're treated to early MTV-like vignettes of John's I AM THE WALRUS, Paul's FOOL ON THE HILL, and George's BLUE JAY WAY. In truth, the I AM THE WALRUS segment along with a special grand finale featuring the four Beatles spoofing it up by doing a dance routine down a ballroom staircase to the tune YOUR MOTHER SHOULD KNOW are worth the price of admission alone. **1/2 out of ****
There isn't any plot to speak of here; we see Ringo Starr and his ever-quarreling fat aunt Jessie boarding a special tour bus consisting of the three other Beatles and a zany cast of misfits and oddballs. From there, things get crazier and crazier as the bus travels from one absurd situation to the next. Some of the highlights involve Ringo and his tubby aunt's constant bickering, which is amusing to watch, and a surreal dream sequence written by John Lennon which has himself in the part of a maniacally grinning restaurant waiter who literally shovels heaps of spaghetti onto the table of the overwhelmed fat woman. One thing that may always be counted on within any Beatles movie are great songs, and here we're treated to early MTV-like vignettes of John's I AM THE WALRUS, Paul's FOOL ON THE HILL, and George's BLUE JAY WAY. In truth, the I AM THE WALRUS segment along with a special grand finale featuring the four Beatles spoofing it up by doing a dance routine down a ballroom staircase to the tune YOUR MOTHER SHOULD KNOW are worth the price of admission alone. **1/2 out of ****