Take the Money and Run

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Dan F Sometimes funny. Very fragmented and episodic. Very low budget. Almost feels like a student film. Probably most interesting as an artifact of Woody Allen's early career. Flashes of his comic genius interspersed with more mundane attempts at humor. Lacks much of a story or much in the way of character development. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 10/14/25 Full Review Marco L (CASTELLANO) Hay películas que te atrapan de niño y no te sueltan jamás. Toma el dinero y corre fue la primera comedia de Woody Allen que vi —tenía unos diez años— y me marcó para siempre. Recuerdo reírme sin parar con aquel tipo de gafas grandes, nervioso y torpe, metido en líos cada vez más absurdos. Años después, volví a verla y la magia seguía intacta. Fue mi puerta de entrada a su cine, y todavía la considero una de sus películas más frescas y alocadas. Contada como un falso documental, la historia de Virgil Starkwell no tiene una gran trama, pero tampoco la necesita. Lo importante es la sucesión de gags, el humor absurdo y ese ritmo imparable que no da tregua. Desde la escena de la fuga con la pistola tallada en jabón hasta los interrogatorios, todo está lleno de momentos que hoy serían virales. Allen mezcla la parodia, el slapstick y el humor intelectual con una soltura que desarma. No intenta ser sofisticado; solo quiere hacer reír, y lo consigue con creces. Virgil, ese delincuente de medio pelo con alma de perdedor, ya anticipa al personaje neurótico y entrañable que Allen desarrollaría en el resto de su filmografía. Pero aquí no hay reflexiones existenciales ni diálogos sobre Kant: hay carcajadas, chistes visuales, entrevistas absurdas y una voz en off que remata cada situación con ironía. Y, aun con esa ligereza, hay un tono melancólico de fondo que lo hace especial. Porque Allen se ríe de su personaje, sí, pero también lo quiere. A lo largo de los años, el director ha pulido su estilo y nos ha dejado obras más elaboradas, pero pocas tan puras y directas como esta. Tiene ese encanto de las primeras veces, cuando todo es juego y descubrimiento. Quizá por eso funciona tan bien: no pretende impresionar, solo divertir. Y en ese intento, acierta de pleno. Reírse a carcajadas con algo que has visto mil veces no es fácil. Con esta película, sigue pasando. (ENGLISH) There are films that grab you as a kid and never let go. Take the Money and Run was the first Woody Allen comedy I ever saw — I must’ve been around ten — and it left a mark on me. I remember laughing nonstop at that nervous, clumsy guy with big glasses getting into increasingly ridiculous trouble. Years later, I watched it again and the magic was still there. It was my gateway into Allen’s cinema, and I still think it’s one of his wildest and most joyful works. Told as a mockumentary, the story of Virgil Starkwell doesn’t have much of a plot — and it doesn’t need one. What matters is the constant barrage of gags, absurd humor, and that relentless rhythm that never lets up. From the escape with a soap-carved gun to the police interrogations, it’s full of moments that would go viral today. Allen mixes parody, slapstick, and sharp wit with disarming ease. He’s not trying to be deep here — just funny — and he nails it. Virgil, the small-time crook with a loser’s soul, already foreshadows the neurotic, lovable characters that would become Allen’s signature. But here, there are no philosophical ramblings or talks about Kant — just laughs, visual gags, absurd interviews, and a voiceover that lands every punchline with irony. And somehow, beneath all that silliness, there’s a touch of melancholy that makes it even more charming. Allen laughs at his character, yes, but he also cares for him. Over the years, Allen has refined his style and given us more sophisticated films, but few feel as raw and direct as this one. It has that special energy of a first attempt, when everything feels like play and discovery. Maybe that’s why it works so well: it’s not trying to impress — just to entertain. And it truly does. Laughing out loud at something you’ve seen a dozen times is no small feat. This one still delivers. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 06/15/25 Full Review SICKS6SIX S this film gets 100% from me as im an Allen fan, who isn't, but he is my opinion one of the greatest comedians ever, his dead-pan flat comedy looks so natural it seems effortless, and possibly is for Allen, as for this film its done in a docu-fly-on-the-wall style that just works great, some of the parody is so true to fact for many incompetent criminals who should probably be playing in a philomonic orchestra instead of robbing banks, made in 1969 its is at least 30 years ahead of its time, its is so 1999+ its hard to believe when it was made. a great film for all the family, it will work for everyone in many ways on many levels,, just looking at Allen makes me laugh and when he speaks its to much, one of the very comedians who can make me laugh, Allen and this film are worth watching any time, Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/20/24 Full Review Valquria G Muito bom 👏🏼👏🏼🥰 Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 11/25/23 Full Review Audience Member Dated now, still funny bits. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/17/23 Full Review william d I re-watched this movie about 50 years after I first saw it in the early 70s. It cracked me up back then and it cracked me up now. Allen would go on to make better movies, but this one is worth watching for some good laughs. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Read all reviews

Take the Money and Run

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