Search - The Mad Adventures of Rabbi Jacob on DVD

Very funny movie; rather basic DVD.

Edward M. Curtis | Morgantown, WV USA | 10/05/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"A coworker recommended this movie to me, and I rented it. I am so glad I did. It is very very funny, and (except for a bit of gunplay) it is CLEAN! Well OK there is some mess with bubble gum, but that's not the kind of clean I mean. ;-) Definitely one of the better comedies I have seen over the last few years, and I may soon be adding this to my collection.

I would recommend, however, that you NOT pay full price for this DVD; rather, see if you can snag a used copy from an Amazon Marketplace seller. As others have pointed out, it is a rather barebones disc, and the poor grammar in the cast bios (putting PAST events in the PRESENT TENSE) along with the clunky navigation have caused me to reluctantly deduct a star from the rating. The picture quality is excellent, however."

Just one of many great Louis De Funès films.

E. Belianski | Toronto, CANADA | 09/30/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I must say, I disagree completely with whoever it was who said that because of Louis de Funès' extraordinary performance in this movie that this is the only movie for which he is well known in the English-speaking world. He's indeed very funny in this movie, but this is not his best film. Why his other classics, such as La Grande Vadrouille, L'Aile Ou La Cuisse or others are not released with english subtitles is quite beyond me!
This movie gets 4.5 stars from me; it goes by quickly and it has many incredibly funny parts, but it doesn't quite seem to flow as smoothly as those other De Funès films that I've seen (while on my vacation to Russia, where they're shown all the time on tv). The ending, in particular, is chaotic and confusing.The DVD, however gets 3/5 from me. The quality might be a BIT better than a VHS, and the picture is clean, but it's still not nearly as sharp as most DVDs out there. Also, there is no option to turn off the subtitles (which are pretty good, although not everything is translated and a few puns such as "Pivert" vs "pervert" took a while for me to sink in).Frankly, they have no excuse for the lack of effort on the DVD. This DVD is currently pretty high on the Amazon.ca sales rankings. Louis de Funès' most popular movie, La Grande Vadrouille, is even higher (~136) and was chosen for "Le meilleur de l'année 2003" ("The best of year 2003"). So it REALLY baffles me why nobody is bothering to release any of this comedian's other movies for English speaking audiences, in GOOD DVDs; the market is certainly there. PLEASE, PLEASE release more Louis De Funès DVDs!Anyway, those of you who're English-speaking and who've never seen a Louis De Funès film should buy this DVD without a second thought; you won't regret it, it's very entertaining, and not just if you're French!"

Nice job on the dvd, Facets!!

The Gort | Columbia, MO USA | 07/18/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The madcap slapstick adventure won't appeal to everyone, but there is much that is original and funny.I must say, though, to those reviewers who have been whining about the DVD, that you're way off base. This is a 1973 film, remember, that has a lovely widescreen non-anamorphic DVD transfer with a rich, accurate color palette and excellent sharpness throughout. It is clearly NOT from a VHS original, and is one of the better looking 1970's DVD's you will see. Thirty years after the fact, with a film that will not sell a million copies, you cannot complain about the lack of special features. Thanks, Facets, for giving us a clear look at a forgotten classic!"

A Genuis Of Comedy

mobby_uk | London United Kingdom | 02/04/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"'I have become an actor so I can bring a smile to the children and their parents in these sad times'..so said Louis de Funes, one of the greatest comedians ever, and who is still to this day, even with the huge boom in the DVD market and the increased interest in 'international' films, largely unknown outside France and the francophone countries, even after having 145 films to his name from 1945 to 1982, a year before his death.
Like Chaplin and Sellers,De Funes is one of the very rare breed of comedians who had a distinct talent and total dedication to his craft, and who knew how to make people laugh,not through the written script only but also through his interpretations and character. All three giants of comedy have had such a complex and interesting personalities, both on and off screen, that always added another dimension and depth to their acting.
To watch any De Funes film is to be totally captivated by a unique style that none of his contemporaries in French and world cinema were able to come near: The expressions on his face and his very French theatrical,dramatic and sometimes over the top body language is legendary, so is his ability to dominate every scene without overshadowing his co stars,something not very easily achieved!
The characters he played over the years, especially in his later films post 60s remind me somehow of Wayne Mitchell's Arthur in Brit 70s sitcom Till Death Do us Part: nasty, sexist,racist, and bitter..But like Mitchell, his is a lone voice that is portrayed in such a way as to make it one that belongs to a minority older generation not quite in tune with the changes the world has seen,and as such is never quite offensive or threatening but totally hilarious.
In Adventures of Rabbi Jacob, one of his most successful films (along with such classics like Le Corniaud, La Grande Vadrouille, La Zizanie, Oscar, L'Aile ou la Cuisse and others), he impersonates a rabbi, along with an Algerian fugitive, running away from assassins, and goes to New York and is mistaken for a very important rabbi.
In this film as in other De Funes movies, he is thrown in a adventure by being in the wrong place at the wrong time, and is forced to face his prejudices head on, in this case against both Jews and Arabs, and becomes a different man as a result.
It is a very funny film in the De Funes unique tradition, and although the script might be uneven at times, it is his performance that makes up for any flaws: a twitch of a nose, or some incomprehensible mumblings transforms the scene totally!
Louis De Funes is an actor that should at last get his dues in the US and UK and the wide recognition he deserves,(by releasing his most famous films on DVD and soon) for denying large number of viewers of his comedies is depriving cinema lovers of a true genuis with a great personality and undeniable class."