t_atzmueller Having grown up with his movies (them being brought regularly on German TV), I always had the impression that Louis de Funes and his films got better with age. The films progressed with plain, harmless slapstick to slapstick, that often had a serious core or issue. Perhaps one of the best examples is "The Mad Aventures of Rabbi Jacob". Sure, the jokes come fast and often fly rather low, but at heart it's also the story about bigotry, anti-Semitism and how a little laughter often goes a long way to overcome prejudices. We must also remember: despite being filmed in 1973, the last war still lingered in the minds of many Europeans and that, when Germany invaded France, most of the Parisians who welcomed Hitler did not raise their right arm in protest, but for an entirely different reason.That said, "Rabbi Jacob" has all the elements of your typical de Funes film: At the beginning we get the usual hyped-up de-Funes-persona, with all the trademarks. But the performance becomes a little more subtle when de Funes character reluctantly goes into hiding as 'Rabbi Jacob'. Those scenes are the true highlights of the film, including a short, catchy Klezmer-dance-routine. Despite some jokes being by today's standards far from 'politically-correct', the jokes never go at the expense of any of the subject (maybe with the exception of the stereotypical Arab goons, but here we shouldn't forget that upon the films release, the wife of an Arab embassy-worker had hijacked a plane in protest, because she found the film to be too "pro-Jewish"; the lady was dully gunned down by security, which reminds us that some stereotypes are unlikely to change any time soon).If you enjoyed this film and particularly that mix of French farce and Jewish humour, I would highly recommend you "Train de Vie" ("Train of Life"), which was filmed a few decades later.8/10

Roedy Green When I saw the DVD cover, I figured this was a super-low budget film. But it is not. It is as full of elaborate site gags as Naked Gun. It has as much physical humour as The Three Stooges or the Pink Panther. It has a huge cast, dozens of horses with guards in full regalia, helicopters, an airport. It mostly is in French.The plot is utterly insane with various groups of people chasing each other, mistaken identities all over, and a businessman trying to pass as a rabbi to avoid the bad guys killing him.I have never seen a movie with so many continuity breaks. I eventually presumed they had to be intentional.Some of the funniest humour is generated as various people fall into a vat of green chewing gum. They take that premise and run with it in dozens of imaginative ways. (Subtle it is not).Some the humour is just so strange, I did a double take. The businessman explains his name by pantomiming a bird with strange sound effects, and pecking noises with his fingers, but with completely straight faces on everyone.The main actor looks to be about 65 years old, but he is as sprightly as a teenager. I did not figure out his actual age.Frantic pace, rough, impossible to follow plot.

Sgt. Schultz It's really hard to make good comedies. Usually they revolve around people being stupid or incompetent. That's why this one is so amazing -- it's not only hysterical, the laughs are non-stop from start to finish without relying on "formula". And for that, you can mostly thank the incomparable Louis de Funes. His physical comedy, delivery and facial expressions are all sure to keep you laughing the entire film.With its theme of Jews & Arabs (and Frenchmen), I was wondering how this would hold up after 9/11. Well fear not, it's still as funny as it ever was.Even if you're not generally a sub-title fan, watch this film when you're looking for something funny. Just be prepared to laugh for 90 minutes straight!

LeRoyMarko One of the best movie featuring Louis DeFunès. He's such a good actor, funny to the extreme, and all natural! In this one, he plays Pivert, a French industrialist who's all surprise to learn that his assistant, Salomon, is Jewish! From there, the fun starts and keeps going right up to the final large scale "dénouement". I've seen this movie maybe a half-dozen times, but never got tired of it. Another great comedy by Gérard Oury.Out of 100, I gave it 81. That's good for *** out **** stars.Seen at the Toronto Jewish Film Festival, at the Bloor Cinema, on April 24th, 2002.