Well, I admit that this wasn't the fun movie, I expected it to be but it still was a good watch and you of course also need to put it in perspective.

Back in 1960 this movie was really something new. You have to give the movie credit for breaking some of early film-making patterns. This movie definitely feels more modern than the usual 1960 production and must also be part of the reason why this movie has become sort of a classic.

But really, the movie is not as slick or fast paced as you perhaps would expect. I was actually surprised how long the movie took to set things up. 30 minutes into the movie, it is still busy setting up its characters and the heist hasn't really come into play yet. Not that the movie ever becomes boring, after all there is always something going on but it does let the movie drag at parts and also takes away some of the fun.

And it's not like the actual heist is being all that spectacular to watch either. It's fun to see how it plays out but it actually is more fun to see what happens afterward. This was when the movie really started to take off and became a truly good and interesting little crime-comedy.

It's all still good to watch. I mean, it's an harmless, enjoyable movie, made for simple entertainment purposes only, that besides got well made and acted out.

Frank Sinatra never had been the most impressive actor but he plays simply a good role in this movie! Other well known actors such as Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Angie Dickinson, George Raft and Cesar Romero also show up, as well as Red Skelton in a small and pointless cameo appearance.

It's not a smooth, fast paced movie but it still offers plenty of entertainment and therefore also remains perfectly watchable today.

7/10

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(Review originally written at 8 November 2006)

There are a couple of reasons why this movie is in my opinion better than the average MGM musical movie.

One is the story. Of course it features a love-story but the movie takes an original approach and takes a couple of nice turns with the love-story. Who is falling in love with who always remains a surprise in the movie.

Another reason is an obvious one; Frank Sinatra and Gene Kelly. Not only are they great genre actors but they're also great together. Especially Kelly delivers one fine performance. The female cast is also impressive by the way, with Esther Williams as the female lead.

Another important reason why this movie is so great is the cheerfulness of the whole movie. The songs are cheerful and never really too sappy or just plain awful. The movie has some great comedy moments and is also definitely helped by its fun main characters.

The movie sort of pays a great homage to the early days of baseball in America. The settings and premise work out fine for the genre and make the otherwise still somewhat formulaic storyline still come across as original.

The production values are also good and everything combined makes sure that this is a good pleasant bright musical comedy that is perfect to kill some time with and have a good time with at the same time.

8/10