IMDb RATING
4.8/10
2.4K
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An all-star comedy cast hams it up in this hilarious Biblical spoof.An all-star comedy cast hams it up in this hilarious Biblical spoof.An all-star comedy cast hams it up in this hilarious Biblical spoof.
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Featured reviews
An entertaining satirical comedy to relax and tickle you.
I really liked this movie! It's a light satirical comedy. It doesn't try to be academy award material with a heavy story, overpowering special effects, or raw suspense, that seem to be the requirement to impress critics today. This movie achieves its goal very well; a couple of hours of zany humor. The comedic acting is very good, with a notable scene by Richard Pryor as Pharaoh. I really enjoyed Dudley Moore, Laraine Newman, and James Coco in this movie. There are also several funny celebrity cameos. The directing, film editing, camera work, and soundtrack were also very good. The humor has occasional adult content. If you want a break from heavy Hollywood blockbusters, and just want to enjoy an afternoon of chuckles and light humor, I recommend this movie.
This is a movie that should have been great...but wasn't
Wholly Moses! (1980) is a movie that I recently watched on Tubi. The storyline follows a pair of tourists traveling through Israel who discover a scroll of the biblical Herschel who was the actual person behind the events in the bible that Moses received credit for. They discover Herschel's path to fame and how Moses stole all of the credit.
This movie is directed by Gary Weis (LA Law) and stars Dudley Moore (Arthur), Dom DeLuise (Blazing Saddles), Richard Pryor (Harlem Nights), John Ritter (Sling Blade), Laraine Newman (Coneheads) and James Coco (Murder by Death).
This cast is absolutely amazing - from the main characters to the side characters to the cameos, really impressive list of actors. Unfortunately, while this concept had potential, and the cast was awesome, it wasn't really that funny. There are a bunch of random and fun circumstances, and Ritter and Pryor were excellent in their roles. I just wanted this movie to be funnier.
Overall, this is a movie that should have been great...but wasn't. I would score this movie a 5/10 and recommend seeing it once.
This movie is directed by Gary Weis (LA Law) and stars Dudley Moore (Arthur), Dom DeLuise (Blazing Saddles), Richard Pryor (Harlem Nights), John Ritter (Sling Blade), Laraine Newman (Coneheads) and James Coco (Murder by Death).
This cast is absolutely amazing - from the main characters to the side characters to the cameos, really impressive list of actors. Unfortunately, while this concept had potential, and the cast was awesome, it wasn't really that funny. There are a bunch of random and fun circumstances, and Ritter and Pryor were excellent in their roles. I just wanted this movie to be funnier.
Overall, this is a movie that should have been great...but wasn't. I would score this movie a 5/10 and recommend seeing it once.
Plausible history
While touring the Middle East Harvey and Zoey get off the bus and find some scrolls in a cave. They chronicle the life of Herschel; as Harvey starts reading, we are carried back to the actual time and given a first-hand look at what took place with Herschel and Moses. Several times God speaks to Moses and Herschel is in earshot and thinks it is he being addressed.
My favorite scene is when they are both in baskets floating down the Nile and Moses gives Herschel's basket a push-off course and changes the course of history.
Dudley Moore is Harvey/Herschel and Laraine Newman is Zoey/Zerelda. Many great actors are choice picks for the characters. A shortlist: Richard Prior - Pharaoh John Ritter - Satan (The Devil) Lisa Caimano - Baby Moses John Houseman - The Archangel.
My favorite scene is when they are both in baskets floating down the Nile and Moses gives Herschel's basket a push-off course and changes the course of history.
Dudley Moore is Harvey/Herschel and Laraine Newman is Zoey/Zerelda. Many great actors are choice picks for the characters. A shortlist: Richard Prior - Pharaoh John Ritter - Satan (The Devil) Lisa Caimano - Baby Moses John Houseman - The Archangel.
Mildly comedic but still ok to watch.
This film is for people with different tastes. I actually like this movie. In fact it's the only film I like of Dudley Moores. (RIP) It has a couple amusing moments, maybe not laugh out funny, but the comedy is restrained. Anyway I do recommend this movie for a Saturday afternoon, sort of along the lines of Abbott and Costello.
7 out of 10. I liked it.
7 out of 10. I liked it.
Whats The matter with this film???
This gets such a bad rap, but it is actually an interesting and amusing flick. With a cast including Dudley Moore, Richard Pryor, Madeline Kahn, and Dom Delouise, it has ample star power to get your viewing eyes and ears through with minimal disappointment. It may not be extremely well acted or directed, but the obvious improvisation acting is superb and carries the film. This movie does something rare to stay afloat, it never takes itself too seriously, even as comedies go. Perhaps not a great, but definitely a good flick, watch it once, you'll be glad you did. It's Dudley Moore and Richard Pryor for chrissake!! How could it be as bad as this site says it is??? It can't, and it is not, check it out.
Did you know
- TriviaAccording to Wikipedia, "On the final day of shooting, Richard Pryor, who was signed to do a one-day cameo as the Pharaoh, didn't show up. With production at a complete standstill, frantic calls were made. There was even some talk of replacing him with Cleavon Little. Several hours later that afternoon, Pryor finally appeared, but then refused to play the scene as written with a trained lion by his throne."
- Crazy creditsCast members Dom DeLuise, John Houseman, Madeline Kahn, David L. Lander, Richard Pryor, and John Ritter all received 'special appearance' credits.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Hollywood: The Gift of Laughter (1982)
- How long is Wholly Moses!?Powered by Alexa
Details
Box office
- Budget
- $4,500,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $14,155,617
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $3,625,280
- Jun 15, 1980
- Gross worldwide
- $14,155,617
- Runtime
- 1h 43m(103 min)
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 2.39 : 1
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