Today’s quick review: The Great Race. At the dawn of the twentieth century, popular daredevil The Great Leslie (Tony Curtis) proposes a race around the world as a publicity stunt. His rival Professor Fate (Jack Lemmon) sees the race as a personal challenge and enters along with his accomplice Max (Peter Falk). Their automotive duel is disrupted by a late entrant: Maggie Dubois (Natalie Wood), a reporter who’s determined to cover the race from the inside.
The Great Race is a classic comedy with a star-studded cast and a sweeping plot. The Great Race taps into the heroism, villainy, and sense of adventure found in early 20th-century serials. Tony Curtis stars as the valiant and talented Leslie. Jack Lemmon co-stars as Professor Fate, a scoundrel who uses elaborate gadgets and underhanded tactics to win. Natalie Wood rounds out the trio as Maggie Dubois, a strong-willed suffragette who enters the race too.
The Great Race uses its globe-spanning race as an excuse to dole out slapstick in great heaps. The movie relies heavily on a comedy staple: Professor Fate and Max try to cheat to get ahead, only for it to blow up in their faces. The Great Race never goes far beyond this formula, but the race’s variety of locales and situations help keep things fresh. The movie does not offer much in the way of depth, but fans of cartoonish humor will enjoy themselves.
However, The Great Race suffers from a few issues that will narrow its appeal. The story drags on longer than it needs to, filling its time with long digressions that have little to do with the race proper, such as a brawl in a Western town, an Arctic escapade, or a case of mistaken identity in Europe. These episodes hold some amusement on their own, but they hurt the movie’s momentum and turn its premise into merely a thin unifying thread.
How much you get out of The Great Race will depend on how much you like the slapstick comedies of old. At its best, The Great Race is a spirited, comedic tribute to an era of noble heroes and dastardly villains. At its worst, it is a drawn-out slog with thin characters and repetitive situations. Those who are willing to trade nuance and concision for simple fun will enjoy the film. But its particular flavor of comedy won’t appeal to everyone.
For another classic comedy with a similar premise, try Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines. For an adventure with the same sort of spirit, try Around the World in 80 Days. For a classic madcap comedy with a more elaborate plot and a sharper script, try It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. For a long-distance race without the comedic aspects, try Hidalgo. For a period comedy with a similar flavor of romance, try The Assassination Bureau.
7.3 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.5 to 7.0 for a talented cast and some decent laughs, hurt somewhat by its slow pacing and cartoonish nature.