On R List of Movie Reviews

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The Russians Are Coming,
the Russians Are Coming (1966)

Rate: 4
Viewed: 5/17

RussComing
5/17: It's awkward to get through the beginning of The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming because I was thinking, "Uh, subtitles?"

Afterwards, the film somewhat improved, and it was starting to become funny. Then, I stopped laughing, and the rest of the way turned out to be a massive dud. Even the ending felt like a shameless pitch for the Nobel Peace Prize by allowing the white Americans and Russians to get along.

The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming is so dated that it's literally a product of 60's screwball comedies. Even worse is the boy and the girl falling in love with each other because they happen to be the most beautiful people in the world. By the way, the filmmakers didn't shoot the picture on location in the Eastern Seaboard as the whole thing was done in Mendocino, California. So much for authenticity.

Already proficient in speaking the language due to being raised in a Russian Jewish household, Alan Arkin may have scored an Oscar nomination, but he's just okay. He'll deserve it more for The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter and should've gotten another for Wait Until Dark. Not much of credit is given to Brian Keith who's the other shining star. It's easy to see how good of an actor he was back then.

Jonathan Winters is the most annoying of the cast. He was overdoing his part, especially the way he squinted his eyes. That's why he didn't last long in movies, having made the transition to television. Eva Marie Saint is hopelessly wasted which has been a common theme of her career. Carl Reiner is boring given the fact that he's a comedy writer.

All in all, The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming isn't a funny movie and fails to stand the test of time.