Road to Utopia

How does this zany mid-1940's comedy/musical rate in the year 2003? I'm going to venture a guess and suggest that it probably doesn't rate as high with viewers as it may have when it was originally released. Some of the gags and one-liners seem to be about pop-culture that is obscure in the new millenium. I had a strong sense that parts of the movie were originally funny but that the humor is lost on viewers who were not alive in the 1940's.

Notwithstanding, there are some very funny bits and one-liners in this film. Here and there throughout the film, the comedy clicked and I found myself laughing out loud. On the other hand, I have watched the film twice and both times that I watched it, I was growing tired of the endless one-liners to the point that they were becoming annoying. This film definitely seems to lose quite a bit of its comic sparkle by the end, and the ending is truly idiotic.

On the other hand, I did truly enjoy several of the songs in this movie. Two that stand out are Bing Crosby singing "Welcome to My Dream" and Dorothy Lamour singing "Personality". Unfortunately, some of the good songs, especially "Welcome To My Dream" seem a bit out of place in this zany movie!

Hillary Brooke, a fine 1940's actress who appeared in a couple of Sherlock Holmes movies is totally wasted in this comedy. She looks as though she is sleepwalking through her part. Her on-screen performance comes across as if she doesn't want to be participating in this move. She is far more competent as an actress than this movie would lead you to believe.

This movie is not for all tastes. Bob Hope and Bing Crosby fans may enjoy it, but time has not been kind to this movie. I give it a 7 out of 10 points.