Oliver! 1968 Review

Overall 5.00 of 5 (by 1 user)

ChrisJarmick
Seattle, WA

Audience pleasing big screen musical - Great Kids Films

a movie guru, very picky about Kids films

Pros

Ron Moody, Oliver Reed, Jack Wild, choreography

Cons

Mark Lester is too sacharine

JUN

2007

Once upon a time Charles Dickens wrote a masterpiece of a novel, eventually it was turned into a lousy 1933 Hollywood film and then a superb 1948 British film directed by David Lean starring Alec Guiness, Robert Newton and Anthony Newley. And then it surprisingly became a Broadway musical with big rousing musical numbers. Lionel Bart's Broadway smash was turned into a big budgeted British and Hollywood musical, directed by Carol Reed. Mark Lester may be a bit too precocious for some but Ron Moody, Jack Wild and particularly Oliver Reed are very good. The musical numbers and the choreography became classic stuff and won several Oscars. It's going to be a bit too syrupy and corny for some I realize... but if you are in the right mood it works beautifully.

It's the story of a young orphan boy getting in with Fagin and his brood of young pick-pockets in Victorian England.

Besides, you'll laugh a lot more when you understand the choreography for the Monty Python number (Every Sperm is Sacred) in their Meaning of Life is direct satiric riff from this Oliver! (No you don't want kids under 15 anywhere NEAR Meaning of Life).

This one however does make a great entertaining family film.

Oliver 1968 Directed by Carol Reed

Oliver! 1968 is recommended by ChrisJarmick

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Oliver! 1968
Movie Title	Oliver! 1968
Format Type	DVD
Key Information	Directors Carol Reed Stars Shani Wallis Actors Kenneth Cranham Genre Musical & Performing Arts Subgenre Thieves • Musical • Social Issues • Essential Cinema • Children • Family Film • Musicals • Theatrical Release MPAA Rating G (MPAA) Available Formats DVD: Back to Back Giftset with CD Premium UPC 043396590236 Release Date 1968 Running Time 2hr 33min
Languages	Original Language English
DVD Editions	DVD Editions DVD: 30th Anniversary Tribute Edition; Closed Caption2hr 33minSony Pictures Home EntertainmentAugust 11, 1998G (MPAA...
Credits	Screenwriter Vernon Harris
Professional Reviews	Professional Reviews (03/01/2001, p.104, Paul Roland): "...[Reed has] one of the juiciest roles of his career as the murderous Bill Sykes..."
VHS Editions	VHS Editions VHS: 30th Anniversary Tribute Edition; Clam Shell Duracase2hr 33minSony Pictures Home EntertainmentAugust 11, 1998G (MPAA...