Rotten Tomatoes

Movies / TV

    Celebrity

      No Results Found

       View All       Movies Tv shows Shop News Showtimes

      To Be or Not to Be

      PG Released Dec 16, 1983 1h 48m Comedy LGBTQ+ List
      55% 22 Reviews Tomatometer 75% 2,500+ Ratings Audience Score Frederick Bronski (Mel Brooks) and his adulterous wife, Anna (Anne Bancroft), are a pair of hammy actors running a low-rent theater in Warsaw, Poland. When the Nazis invade, the Bronskis find their theater becoming a makeshift refuge for local Jews and a gateway to the Polish underground. Using their limited acting skills, the members of the theater troupe attempt to deceive the Nazis and lead an escape. Meanwhile, a Polish pilot (Tim Matheson) thinks he has found a spy in England. Read More Read Less

      Audience Reviews

      View All (207) audience reviews
      Stephen C LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/25/23 Full Review andy f Probably prefer it to the Jack Benny version (I love Jack Benny but he was just too hammy). Brooks adds a little more gravitas (and that's saying something for Mel Brooks!) but it's Anne Bancroft that steals the show - she's wonderful. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review kevin c Mel Brooks and Anne Bancroft star in this comedy about a theatre group in Poland on the verge of being invaded by the Nazis and their madcap way of escaping Poland by using their acting chops to portray themselves as Germans. Amusing for the most part with fun turns from Charles Durning and Tim Matheson. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review s r It seemed like they were trying too hard. It didn't measure up to the original. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Terry S Brooks and Bancroft are irresistible in another Mel slapstick extravaganza ! Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 10/10/20 Full Review steve d Ok comedy stolen by Charles Durning Rated 3 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

      Cast & Crew

      Show Less Cast & Crew Show More Cast & Crew

      More Like This

      View All Best Movies to Stream at Home
      97% 86% Victor/Victoria 91% 81% Tootsie TRAILER for Tootsie 94% 92% Young Frankenstein TRAILER for Young Frankenstein 47% 40% The Man With One Red Shoe 50% 66% Royal Flash Discover more movies and TV shows. View More

      Movie News & Guides

      View All Movie News & Guides

      This movie is featured in the following articles.

      13 Essential Jewish American Films

      Photos

      View All To Be or Not to Be photos

      To Be or Not to Be

      To Be or Not to Be (1983) To Be or Not to Be (1983) View more photos

      Critics Reviews

      View All (22) Critics Reviews
      Gary Arnold Washington Post A klunky, tacky-looking color reproduction of the original. Mar 3, 2019 Full Review Harry Haun New York Daily News Frills notwithstanding, the film is faithful in its frenetic fashion. Jan 18, 2018 Full Review Variety Staff Variety Bancroft's sustained delights are not matched by Brooks, who seems to be trying too hard. Mar 26, 2009 Full Review Michael Lasky Bay Area Reporter To Be or Not To Be is not an unlikable film. It's just not a particularly good one. It's too self-conscious in its attempts at cheap laughs to be anything memorable. May 12, 2023 Full Review Bruce R. Miller Sioux City Journal The first feature doesn't cry out for a remake. The second doesn't justify it. May 12, 2023 Full Review Diego Galán El Pais (Spain) Bad imitations are loathsome. [Full Review in Spanish] Feb 5, 2020 Full Review Read all reviews

      Movie Info

      Synopsis Frederick Bronski (Mel Brooks) and his adulterous wife, Anna (Anne Bancroft), are a pair of hammy actors running a low-rent theater in Warsaw, Poland. When the Nazis invade, the Bronskis find their theater becoming a makeshift refuge for local Jews and a gateway to the Polish underground. Using their limited acting skills, the members of the theater troupe attempt to deceive the Nazis and lead an escape. Meanwhile, a Polish pilot (Tim Matheson) thinks he has found a spy in England.
      Director
      Alan Johnson
      Producer
      Howard Jeffrey
      Screenwriter
      Thomas Meehan, Ronny Graham, Edwin Justus Mayer
      Distributor
      20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
      Production Co
      Twentieth Century Fox
      Rating
      PG
      Genre
      Comedy, LGBTQ+
      Original Language
      English
      Release Date (Theaters)
      Dec 16, 1983, Original
      Release Date (Streaming)
      Jul 1, 2017
      Runtime
      1h 48m
      Sound Mix
      Surround, Stereo