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      Mack the Knife

      PG-13 1989 2 hr. 0 min. Musical List
      20% 5 Reviews Tomatometer 50% 100+ Ratings Audience Score London highwayman Capt. Macheath (Raul Julia) woos the beggar king's (Richard Harris) daughter in this version of "The Threepenny Opera." Read More Read Less

      Audience Reviews

      View All (6) audience reviews
      Audience Member Surprisingingly,I liked it a lot! The early Berlin recordings of Threepenny are still my Dave,and I like the storyline of the Pabst film version better,but this movie is extremely entertaining,and this version of the music is invigorating. Sure,the over the top Broadway style seems a bit silly at first,but it really is a thrilling film to watch. The vast majority of Threepenny interpretations I find unlistenable ( it should not be performed as a LITERAL opera,in my opinion) but I get a kick out of this. Wish it were on dvd, and wish it had English subtitles,however! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/19/23 Full Review Audience Member The most exciting thing about this is the fact that it exists at all - an adaptation of "The Threepenny Opera" from the director of "The Apple" starring Raul Julia and Roger Daltrey? Rated 2 out of 5 stars 01/25/23 Full Review Audience Member I'm so disappointed, this is one of my favorite musicals and the movie just doesn't work! The London setting looks like the set from The Muppet Christmas Carol (in fact Jenny kind of looks like a Muppet with that hairdo), and there's this uneasy blend of theatricality and realism that just makes me want to yell, "Make up your MIND!" The scenes are chopped up within an inch of their lives, we don't get to know the characters, yet we want to know them because they seem to live in a fully realized world, but we just get generic ideas of characters--it's like they took this show and MTVed it up or something. Very sad. Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 01/20/23 Full Review Audience Member An entertaining movie adaptation of Bertolt Brechts and Kurt Weills 'The Threepenny Opera" with speed, fun and a notable cast with outstanding performances by Julie Walters and Richard Harris as Mr. and Mrs. Peachum. I did not like the dance numbers though. But overall I'm surprised of the films quality. I found it hidden in the library for 50ct. "Laughable!" Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/25/23 Full Review Audience Member Definitely, this film should be released on DVD. It's the only version worth watching in English. It should not be compared to the original Pabst version, but this is mpore light hearted and musical. It features Marc Blitstein's adaptations of the lyrics and a full orchestra. Raul Julia plays Mack the Knife and Richard Harris is Peachum. Rodger Daltrey is the Street Singer and carries "Ballad of Mack the Knife" so much better than Sammy Davis Jr. did in the 1960s version. The ending dragged a little and was much too trite, but it stayed true to the Kurt Weill music. My suggestion would be just to start with the soundtrack for this film and if you still want to see it, you wpn't be dispappointed. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/21/23 Full Review Audience Member Awesome cast. Great orchestrations. Cinematography could be better and the script needs shortening, or the excised songs should be returned...but overall, the only English language version of Threepenny Opera worth seeing. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/21/23 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

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      Mack the Knife

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      Critics Reviews

      View All (5) Critics Reviews
      Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times The movie is finally just a slog through a half-digested plot, involving half-understood characters who bear the names, but not the meanings or the spirits, of the Brecht and Weill originals. Rated: 1.5/4 Jan 1, 2000 Full Review Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com Rated: 1/5 Jun 29, 2005 Full Review Daniel M. Kimmel Worcester Telegram & Gazette Rated: 3/5 Feb 8, 2004 Full Review Philip Martin Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Rated: 2/5 Jul 30, 2002 Full Review David Poland Hot Button Rated: 2/5 Jul 26, 2002 Full Review Read all reviews

      Movie Info

      Synopsis London highwayman Capt. Macheath (Raul Julia) woos the beggar king's (Richard Harris) daughter in this version of "The Threepenny Opera."
      Director
      Menahem Golan
      Executive Producer
      Yoram Globus, Menahem Golan
      Screenwriter
      Menahem Golan
      Production Co
      21st Century Film Corporation, Golan-Globus Productions
      Rating
      PG-13
      Genre
      Musical
      Original Language
      English
      Box Office (Gross USA)
      $16.1K