User reviews

Don't be put off by the talk of poor production values, bad dubbing, goofy Benny Hill-esque slapstick, and questionable acting. Once you get a look at the enormous smile on Xi's face, you'll forget all of that. This is one of the most gentle, pleasant, and likable movies I've seen in a long time (all of that in a good way).

I'd always heard about it, but somehow managed to miss it over the years. Finally saw it this weekend, and it's a real gem.

For you DVD viewers, there's a documentary with interview footage of Xi. The only problem--no subtitles! Some bozo obviously blew it on the transfer, making it possibly the most frustrating doc ever produced...Be warned!

What starts out as a simple tale of the bush turns into a wild adventure with a coke bottle, revolutionaries, a dis-enchanted office worker turned teacher, and a scientist who studies animal dung with no skills around women. Add a smart-tongued mechanic and a 4x4 called the antichrist, and you have one of the funniest movies ever to come out of South Africa. You laugh as much at the ludicrous nature of some of the situations as much as what they want you to laugh at. You may never look at Africa the same again.

It seemed simplistic, yet it was so brilliant in its execution that it ranks as one of the more interesting films of the last century. Unique and different, this film showed a different side of Africa and introduced one of the few genuine characters in the African Bushman. Highly recommended for anyone who has not seen this film. If you can find it, rent it.

This movie must have cost $1.98 to make. There are no special effects to speak of. Everybody in this movie is an unknown. So why do I LOVE this movie? All I can say is the whole time I was watching this, I had a smile on my face. The concept was then and even now, unique. You connect right away with the hero, and root him on to the end. I will not tell you what the film is about, because You must watch it with no preconceptions or political bias. Just go rent the tape or download it, and you will watch a really special movie.

Watching "The Gods Must Be Crazy" is to see an artifact of American culture given new life in the Kalahari Desert of Botswana. It's not a Coke bottle I refer to, but silent comedy of the Hal Roach and Max Sennett variety, brought to second life by director-writer Jamie Uys.

Uys pulls every Roachian trope he can think of, whether it be a terrorist slipping on a banana peel or the strains of "Rockabye Baby" with people falling asleep. Cars with a mind of their own drive in reverse while one poor fellow can't move five feet in without tripping or getting a face full of flour. Somehow it works, and "The Gods Must Be Crazy" winds up being a pretty good time.

When a Coke bottle is thrown out of a passing airplane and lands amid a tribe of Ju/wasi (also known, apparently not as respectfully I've learned, as Bushmen), the strange object is found so useful that it stirs up jealousy and unrest. Thinking it a gift from the Gods, a most unwelcome one, a tribe member named Xi (N!xau, a real Ju/wasi) sets off to find "the end of the earth" so he can respectfully return it. On his way, he runs afoul of civilization's mad rules and finds himself in need of help from mechanic M'Pudi (Louw Verway) and biologist Andrew Steyn (Marius Weyers, the guy with the flour on his face). Steyn's got his own problems.

"When I meet women, my brain switches off," Steyn explains. "I turn into a complete idiot." When escorting the fair schoolteacher Kate (Sandra Prinsloo) to a Botswana village, he keeps falling on top of her trying to rescue her from wild animals only he (and the audience) sees. "You get these sudden urges and then you come up with warthogs and rhinoceroses," she sneers.

There are those who see in "Gods" socio-political comment about the then state of South Africa, where the film was made, with blacks and whites adjusting to one another in chaotic fashion. Others may see a comic Koyaanisqatsi, of life's balance being restored by Xi, the only true-sighted man amid many who are confused. But the film plays so hard for laughs it feels chary to look past the slapstick surface for anything more than a funny story.

In fact, I think it works against the film to attach too much thought to watching it. Clearly there's a bit of awkwardness to the notion of the Ju/wasi lifestyle being presented so idyllically, as if subsisting on rainwater residue really compensates for adequate refreshment. The sad fate of N!xau, who lived out his days a wretched shell from tuberculosis, suggests a more uncomfortable reality than presented here.

But the film impresses me with its winning amiability and clever set-ups, the way Uys never lets a scene go more than a minute without finding some amusing payoff. Even a gang of terrorists shooting up the countryside, actually killing and being killed, feel more in tune with Laurel & Hardy than "The Dogs Of War". Uys is merely updating the movie conventions to more modern sensibilities, without losing the mojo that made classic comedies so rich and lasting. Despite some atrocious dubbing, there is even some good wordplay to be had. I like especially the name of Steyn's romantic rival, "Jack Hind", as I realized it must be a play on the classic "Jack Ass".

Okay, maybe the charm wears off a bit after the credits roll. You couldn't really make films like silent Hollywood did, not in 1980 and especially perhaps not in a part of the world as hard-bitten by life's realities as southern Africa. But "The Gods Must Be Crazy" comes pretty close, and when you add some of the most gorgeous scenery ever filmed, it makes for a more fulfilling entertainment than most of today's more "socially relevant" comedies while it runs its mad, inspired course.

I was not sure what to expect, just channel surfing and got mesmerized by the randomness of each story within the movie. Even today the jokes land well, quirky and entertaining. Give it a try.

A unique film with a brilliant combination of slapstick, subtle humour, wonderful music, brilliant wildlife and scenic shots, all beautifully woven into a piece in an almost "road-style" movie around the adventures of a bushman.

Like any story, there are some aspects which are slightly unbelievable if you stop to think - but the skill of the film is that it is sufficiently convincing to suspend such unbelief whilst you watch.

The message of the film is brilliantly presented, subtly challenging the belief that white civilization has all the answers, gently poking fun at many of our western assumptions (no idea why anyone thinks it's racist - it may be the opposite)!

Some of the high points for me personally were the scenery, the wildlife, and the African huts, children and music. Having lived in Africa for 3 years it was absolutely true to life, and brought back fond memories. This is a classic that will bear watching time and time again, and so different from the run of the mill films generally churned out.

A classic - 9/10.

This movie is very silly! Apparently the Kalamahari have never made contact with civilization, but they make great actors! This movie is half documentary, half romantic comedy, and if you can keep yourself from screaming "reality check!" every 5 minutes, this movie is definitely entertaining. No belly laughs here, but lots of chuckles. I gave it 7 out of 10.

(And do rhinos really put out fires??)

My wife says "If you want a little lightness in your life, this one's a gem.' This South African film was written and directed by Jamie Uys, who also plays The Reverend. The film is in English with some Afrikaans and a little of the dialogue is in Xhosa, a language with many consonants which are different clicking sounds; it is an interesting experience just to hear it.

In his travels, a bushman in the Kalahari desert, find a Coca-Cola bottle that was thrown from an airplane. Thinking it a gift from the gods, he takes it to his village where it becomes a very popular item but also creates grave problems (hence the title of the film). In his quest to get rid of the bottle by throwing it off the end of the world, he encounters civilization for the first time; we hear his puzzled thoughts through a narrator, and we are able to see ourselves through the eyes of an innocent. In a separate story, a beautiful schoolteacher, Kate (Sandra Prinsloo) is assigned to a remote village and has to deal with a shy scientist, Andrew Steyn (Marius Weyers), who becomes a total klutz in the presence of a pretty woman. These two hilarious stories converge with even more hilarious results. The sequel was no match for the original.

This beautifully-crafted film contains subtle comedy, farce, romance, drama, action and believable slapstick (equal to Chaplin's best). The film played at the Capitol Theatre in Toronto for over a year, getting considerable repeat business: those who loved it would later bring their friends. You too will love these warm, wonderful characters and boo the villains.

This is a good movie. It's funny and smart, but the pacing could have been better. Still worth watching.

I don't know that I've ever seen a movie that had such innocent joy - I'm not sure if any other movie I've seen had any innocent joy, for that matter.

Perhaps what true joy I've seen in movies is civilized and therefore self-conscious.

Anyway, you can look at the crazy civilized world through the eyes of these innocents and have joy about it instead of cynicism. Can ordinary pain relievers do that?

The premise is how one empty Coke bottle in the garden of Eden could corrupt it. They do a totally believable job of it, too.

Lots of laughs, kids loved it. I saw it in the theaters in the mid-80's and am glad I saw it again. You'll like it. It will lighten your heart.

But execution is not so much. Film itself is no good in every aspect. But intro and the idea behind the movie is really good and interesting. If the movie focused on the difference between civilized and uncivilized more, movie would be much better.

"The Gods Must Be Crazy" is a Comedy - Adventure movie in which we watch a Bushman traveling in the end of the world when he gets involved with modern civilization. He does not know anything about it so, a lot of crazy situations occur.

I found this movie simply amazing because it had a very clever plot, full of funny scenes and the narration of Paddy O'Byrne was equally good. The direction which was made by Jamie Uys who is also the writer, it was very good and he combined very well adventure with comedy while the narration added a new aspect in the movie. The interpretations of N!xau who played as Xi, Marius Weyers who played as Andrew Steyn and Sandra Prinsloo who played as Kate Thompson were very good. To sum up, I have to say that "The Gods Must Be Crazy" is a nice comedy movie to spend your time with and I recommend everyone to watch it because I am sure that you will laugh a lot and you will have a great time.

this movie was crudely filmed. but it gave you a look into the life of a bushman. the comedy scenes were very good. that land rover has to be seen to be believed. i would watch it over and over again. a good movie for someone who likes something different.

This is not a great movie but it uses the differences between the civilized white man against the uncivilized Bushman and with that simple tool it becomes hilarious. Civilized in the white man's eyes, I must add to that. This is one of those movies where every gag works, no matter how simple and silly it is. Most of the time the movie is slapstick comedy the way we see it in Chaplin- or Laurel & Hardy-shorts. We even have the fast forward sequence where people are running away from something.

The movie opens with a look on the Bushmen and a narrator (Paddy O'Byrne) tells us what kind of people they are; friendly and without any knowledge about the world not that far from their Kalahari desert. When they see a plane they think it is a strange bird or even a god. One day a pilot throws a glass bottle out of his airplane and the thing is found by the Bushmen. They have never seen anything that is a smooth and hard as this object and they find it very useful. They think it is a gift from the gods. The problem is that the gods have given only one object and for the first time they have to share something that is very hard to share. For the first time they feel emotions such as anger and jealousy. It is decided that the thing is an Evil Thing and must be thrown of the earth and Xixo (N!xau, a real Bushman) is the one to do that. These early scenes give a very funny view on how the civilized white man has become what he is today.

In the meanwhile we have met Andrew Steyn (Marius Weyers) who does field research not far from the Bushman and Kate Thompson (Sandra Prinsloo) who was tired of her job and now wants to do something with children in Botswana. Steyn must pick up Kate and bring her to the village and this is where the slapstick begins. Steyn is a man who gets very nervous when is around women and with Kate he must be the most clumsy guy there is. We have also met Sam Boga (Louw Verwey) who wants to do a coup but fails and he is now running for the police. We know how all these stories will come together but that is not a bad thing. It only uses the story to show us differences between people, to show that the white man is not necessarily the civilized man and it does this with great comedy.

‘The Gods Must Be Crazy' with its simple humor works a lot better then most of the modern comedies. The way the Bushmen talk is funny enough to like this movie. Fortunately there is so much more including a little message.

It's a funny a movie with a jit of philosophical perspectives

I remember the first 5 times I saw this movie I was laughing so much that tears rolled down my face. This movie was very well done and I have nothing bad to say about this movie. I definetly recommend this movie to anyone who wants to laugh.... and if it doesn't make you laugh then you better check your pulse.

This is not bad. An untouched tribe discover a glass Coca Cola bottle that they believe was sent by the gods. The bottle starts to cause tension between the tribe because everyone wants it. They then decide that the bottle is evil and one tribesmen goes off on a quest to throw the bottle of the edge of the world. Most of the comedy relies on the naivety of the tribesmen as you would expect and the comedy that does not is very 1970s ITV sitcom style. The parts that are narrated as if it was a wildlife documentary add depth.

Crazy, goofy, and silly are the three most operative words to describe "The Gods Must Be Crazy". But the movie is also very original. It's appropriate that the word crazy is in the title because this is the craziest movie I've ever seen. "The Gods Must Be Crazy" is a South African made comedy that was made back in the early 1980s but didn't get released until 3-4 years after shooting was completed. It became a surprise hit in the U.S. after it was released in 1984, and it did very well in other countries too. "The Gods Must Be Crazy" features three separate stories that get tied together towards the end. One story is about a bushman who goes on a journey to return a Coke bottle that he found to the Gods after the bottle starts causing harm to some of his family members. Another story revolves around a war that breaks out in Central Africa. And the other story centers around a clumsy scientist who tries to take a pretty South African woman to her new job as a schoolteacher in a small African village, and does everything wrong. This is my favorite part of the movie. The scientist is played by Marius Weyers, and he gives an inspired slapstick comedy performance. Some of the things that he does in the film had me exploding in laughter. The scenes with the jeep that he drives are priceless. Sandra Prinsloo is a good foil as the schoolteacher who unfortuneitly has no choice but to put up with his clumsiness. When Weyers and Prinsloo are on screen, "The Gods Must Be Crazy" is at its funniest. The other two stories are good, but not great. Nevertheless, there are some unusual scenes in these parts of the movie too. But the scenes involving the scientist and the schoolteacher are the best parts of "The Gods Must Be Crazy". It's too bad that they didn't turn up in the dull sequel. I think these parts of the movie alone is enough for me to recommend "The Gods Must Be Crazy".

*** (out of four)

"To be honest this movie have a very bad and terrible acting but what it makes me like this movie because this movie is very entertaining, enjoyable, hilarious, and funny, there's a lot of absurd things here, i love when they try to make a stupid and funny things but very naturally and smooth, this is another movie that will never made again nowadays, it's a very rare experience and it's good"

I first saw it in San Francisco in 1984. At the end of the movie the entire audience stood and applauded. I was astonished, as I'd never experienced this in a movie theater. I was so delighted that I went to see it again the very next evening. Exactly the same thing happened: the audience - a completely different one, of course - again stood and cheered as the movie reached its unexpected conclusion. I was exhilarated, enchanted, and had tear-lined cheeks from laughing more than I have at any other movie I have ever seen before or since. Go to the ends of the earth to see this unique and hilarious commentary on human nature. After years of trying, I tracked down a used video to treasure; and may it someday be released on DVD.

While flying over a desert in Africa a careless pilot throws out a Coke bottle. It's found by a tribe of happy innocent Bushmen (they think it's a gift from the gods)...but starts causing them trouble. One of the tribe called Xi (N!hau) takes the bottle away to throw it off the end of the world. Also white microbiologist Steyn (Marius Weyers) tries to court a beautiful schoolteacher (Sandra Prinsloo)...but he's unbelievably clumsy. Then there's the evil thief and his gang...

This was unreleased in the U.S. until 1984 and became a BIG cult movie and a sizable hit. It's far from perfect however. It's badly directed, has horrendous dubbing (I've seen Godzilla movies with better!) and has some bad jokes. But the story moves quick, there is some truly funny slapstick involving the characters and the movie has an innocent feeling to it. I can't quite explain it but it makes you FEEL good! It's also perfect for the whole family. There is some casual nudity and minor violence but nothing that will bother anyone. It's a light, charming, very sweet and (again) innocent movie. Yeah, it has its debits but it's still worth seeing.

This absurdly popular South African comedy offers little more than a gentle slapstick poke at civilization, following a chance encounter by an innocent Kalahari bushman with an empty Coca Cola bottle tossed from an airplane window. Believing it to be property of the Gods, he decides to walk "to the edge of the world" and throw the mystic talisman off, encountering along the way enough subplots to fill three separate films. Director Jamie Uys isn't above getting laughs by having his characters slip on banana peels, but elsewhere he shows a fertile comic imagination, even if his ideas are occasionally spoiled by crippling miscalculations: silly, speeded up photography; poor dubbing; a TV sit-com music score; and irrelevant voice-over narration, constantly belaboring the obvious. But it's a difficult film to dislike: the jokes are too good-natured, and the large cast of characters all too well equipped with human frailties.