Of any comedy troupe that has ever made films, I'm maybe least familiar with the works of The Three Stooges. Even as they brand of humor bears much in common with predecessors and contemporaries, they always seemed a bit more low-brow, with more of a mean streak coursing through. Still, all the hallmarks are here: situational comedy, plenty of gags, witty dialogue, and particularly in the case of the Stooges, slapstick galore. Throw in some abject silliness, a tinge of whimsy, and the stars at the latter end of their career, and you have 1962's 'The Three Stooges meet Hercules.' It's too far to say this rises to the same level as other comedic icons like Laurel and Hardy, the Marx Brothers, or Harold Lloyd, but with swell flavors of sci-fi and adventure added into the mix, this is reliably fun throughout its length, and worth checking out if you have the chance.
As one well expects from most any fare, and period pieces above all, the sets and costume design are gorgeous, not to mention the hair and makeup. Even being a tad older at this point, Moe Howard, Larry Fine, and Joe DeRita bear terrific energy in this iteration of the Stooges, complemented with like vitality from co-stars including Samson Burke and Quinn Redeker. As has been true elsewhere, when editing is employed to speed up footage the result is a tad gauche, and some moments generally are perhaps allowed to linger too long - but by and large the stunts and effects are splendid, including even those added in post-production, and there's no shortage of cleverness amidst all the hijinks. From Edward Bernds' firm direction to Scotty Welbourne's able cinematography, this is well made in every regard (even if I don't always agree with a particular choice).
Producer Norman Maurer wrote a fantastic, ridiculous, somewhat ingenious story playing fast and loose with classical Greek history, culture, and mythology, and the notion is filled with potential that arguably isn't even fully met here. Elwood Ullman's subsequent screenplay is a joy, too, with abundant anachronisms in the dialogue and scene writing, and every last iota is built purely to entertain with zest and cheekiness to go around. I do think the writing is the chief issue troubling the feature: it's not that anything here is bad, but there comes a point where the conglomeration just starts to wear thin. It bears repeating that some scenes and sequences are allowed to linger too long, wearing out their welcome, and select other instances are just sheer raucousness for its own sake, which never comes off well. These are echoed in the overall tenor of the picture, for after a time I was sad to realize that there was a lot of movie that kept going, and the enjoyment had just rather stagnated. If the writing had been tightened, and as much as ten to fifteen minutes left on the cutting room floor, I think 'The Three Stooges meet Hercules' would have been stronger as a whole.
I enjoy this, certainly, and I'm glad I watched. I'm glad for those who get more out of it than I do. I appreciate so much about these ninety minutes, and everyone who worked on it did a fine job. Still, sometimes less is more, and if the vibrancy the title boasts at its best had been concentrated into a slightly smaller length where excess had been trimmed away, the end result would surely have come off even better. It's worth watching if you have the opportunity, and it's definitely suggested most for those who are otherwise fans of the trio. Otherwise 'The Three Stooges meet Hercules' isn't something that demands viewership, but it's a nice diversion all the same.
As one well expects from most any fare, and period pieces above all, the sets and costume design are gorgeous, not to mention the hair and makeup. Even being a tad older at this point, Moe Howard, Larry Fine, and Joe DeRita bear terrific energy in this iteration of the Stooges, complemented with like vitality from co-stars including Samson Burke and Quinn Redeker. As has been true elsewhere, when editing is employed to speed up footage the result is a tad gauche, and some moments generally are perhaps allowed to linger too long - but by and large the stunts and effects are splendid, including even those added in post-production, and there's no shortage of cleverness amidst all the hijinks. From Edward Bernds' firm direction to Scotty Welbourne's able cinematography, this is well made in every regard (even if I don't always agree with a particular choice).
Producer Norman Maurer wrote a fantastic, ridiculous, somewhat ingenious story playing fast and loose with classical Greek history, culture, and mythology, and the notion is filled with potential that arguably isn't even fully met here. Elwood Ullman's subsequent screenplay is a joy, too, with abundant anachronisms in the dialogue and scene writing, and every last iota is built purely to entertain with zest and cheekiness to go around. I do think the writing is the chief issue troubling the feature: it's not that anything here is bad, but there comes a point where the conglomeration just starts to wear thin. It bears repeating that some scenes and sequences are allowed to linger too long, wearing out their welcome, and select other instances are just sheer raucousness for its own sake, which never comes off well. These are echoed in the overall tenor of the picture, for after a time I was sad to realize that there was a lot of movie that kept going, and the enjoyment had just rather stagnated. If the writing had been tightened, and as much as ten to fifteen minutes left on the cutting room floor, I think 'The Three Stooges meet Hercules' would have been stronger as a whole.
I enjoy this, certainly, and I'm glad I watched. I'm glad for those who get more out of it than I do. I appreciate so much about these ninety minutes, and everyone who worked on it did a fine job. Still, sometimes less is more, and if the vibrancy the title boasts at its best had been concentrated into a slightly smaller length where excess had been trimmed away, the end result would surely have come off even better. It's worth watching if you have the opportunity, and it's definitely suggested most for those who are otherwise fans of the trio. Otherwise 'The Three Stooges meet Hercules' isn't something that demands viewership, but it's a nice diversion all the same.