Product Description

Studio: Platinum Disc Llc Release Date: 07/06/2004

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #69518 in DVD
• Released on: 2004-08-17
• Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Color, DVD, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 120 minutes

Customer Reviews

'Sunshine' on their shoulders
Don't watch this one if you haven't seen the original, because, though funny, Woody Allen and Peter Falk are no match for George Burns and Walther Matthau. Not that they didn't try, but they were both absurdly miscast since neither of them has done in real life the sort of comedy their characters do. And it shows: their supossedly hilarious TV sketch looks so forced, the child actor in it has to fake his laughs. They all do, actually. The entire thing feels forced and embarrassed.

Besides, Falk is shown much too old and meaner than the part requires and Allen looks like a fish out of water in every routine; he's a great comedian but no vaudeville sidekick, and one just can't buy these guys were ever partners, let alone successful ones.

Still, I hope they had much more fun doing this half-baked TV remake than I had watching it. Best of luck next time, both of them, for I'm really their fan!

Really Bad Version
First off, I am a great fan of Woody Allen. I toured nationally plaing his role in Play It Again, Sam --but he is totally miscast in this version of The Sunshine Boys. There is no sparkle between him and Peter Falk. It is lifeless and disappointing. It should never have been done. As other comments attest, the movie version with Matthau and Burns is vastly superior. Sometimes ---great talents just don't work well together. That's the case here. Surely they knew it was not working when they shot it. No chemistry between them --a sad on-screen encounter with no payoff whatsoever. You'll waste your time watching it!

Tears and sunshine.
A competent remake of the 1975 version of Neil Simon's play about the love/hate relationship between two ex-vaudeville stars. The two leads are a delight to watch although not quite up to the standard of Walter Matthau and George Burns. Sarah Jessica Parker is fine in the role of the pushy niece who tries to get the stars together one more time but the real star of the film is the script. It's up there with other strong Neil Simon work such as "California Suite". In an age too familiar with relentlessly banal "comedy" scripts here is one with consistent bittersweet humour and warmth. A slim story that has been made to work beautifully. Recommended.