(Review originally written at 14 May 2008)

What an incredibly great and powerful movie this is about a common man who becomes a victim of the prison system.

It's a social critical movie that's right in the alley with movies from the same period such as "All Quiet on the Western Front" and other pre-code movies that weren't afraid to show the ugly side of society and show its imperfections and flaws.

The movie shows a WW I veteran who wasn't a criminal in the beginning but had to become one after his escape in order to survive, after being wrongly convicted and was forced to serve in a brutal chain gang system. So you can say that prison turned him into a criminal. This especially perfectly shows in the end of the movie, which is quite a legendary and effective ending and certainly something you wouldn't expect from a 1932 movie. I like how this movie subtly picks to social critical approach without ever getting preachy or anything about it.

It's an early '30's movie, so it's not just a movie for a tastes though. Some sequences and style of acting could today be described as being laughable but once your familiar with some different early '30's movies and its style of film-making this obviously shouldn't bother you.

Paul Muni does a great and powerful job with his performance of James Allen. He's not heroic, he's no angel, he just is who he is, which really makes the character such a compelling one. Muni also received an Oscar nomination for his performance in this movie, which was his first and also wouldn't be his last and he would eventually also win one in 1935 for his role in "The Story of Louis Pasteur".

A great powerful movie. And yes, I consider this to be a better prison movie that "The Shawshank Redemption", which always is being considered to be the ultimate prison movie.

9/10

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(Review originally written at 16 February 2008)

Now this is actually a movie that lives up to its reputation. It's a greatly fun musical comedy, with a good story, fun characters and great musical moments. It features some true classic musical songs.

It's next to a musical also really a comedy. Not the usual slapstick '30's style of comedy but the more sort of 'fun' comedy, with good comical dialog and character's chemistry. And then considering that the movie is set in- and involves a story around the great depression of the '30's. What makes the fun level of the movie work out so well are the girls. They are really the main characters of the movie and all have some good chemistry together and all an own great strong and entertaining personality.

The acting is quite good, especially considering 1933 standards and despite not having any real big names in it.

It's a really well made movie, with lots of pace and class. It makes the movie effective on many levels. It's very effective on the musical level due to its fine musical numbers and grand looking choreography of it all. It's also very effective on its comical level and also with its story it is trying to tell, as well as all of its romantic aspects involved. It also makes this an effective movie about the great '30's depression. The movie is basically a great combination of all of these effective elements and there is a great balance between all of it. So there is basically something for everyone to enjoy.

Delightful, entertaining, sparkling musical comedy!

9/10

(Review originally written at 23 May 2007)

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

This is a rather enjoyable WW II about the Doolittle-raid on Japan, made during WW II itself, that however is given more credit for than it really deserves.

Just like basically with every '40's movie is the case, the first halve is formulaic and drags on for too long. The second halve is far more powerful, original and gripping, although in this case the movie also starts to drag again toward the ending, when the movie starts to go on for far too long. The movie easily could had been 45 minutes shorter by cutting some from its beginning and let the movie end way earlier, after they crashed down in China. The movie of course also has a love-story in it to add to the drama. It's typical and formulaic but lovers of '40's movies shall probably not complain about it.

The build up of the movie just takes too long. It provides the movie with some good and likable characters but however those get hardly featured again in the second halve of the movie. Basically the only truly real successful part of the movie was the raid itself. It had a good build up and was shot well, with the help of some tremendously good looking miniatures. In this part only the tension and action works out well and the movie starts to grab you and becomes emotionally effective. All of the other moments in the movie around that are well made but just nothing original, gripping or dramatically effective. It's just too average all. So that's also why I can't really consider this movie as a truly great genre movie.

The movie is made during WW II, so it obviously has propaganda elements in it. It however isn't anything too disturbing but nevertheless it's a big laughable because it's so obvious. Such as when the air force and marine's constantly say how much they respect and admire each other's work, or when the Americans start to say how much they admire the Chinese and that they would be honored to fit along their side against the Japanese.

It was WW II, so more than anything big Hollywood names were more than happy to be in a movie for the good cause. The movie features Van Johnson in the main lead and Spencer Tracy as general Doolittle. and Robert Mitchum in small role. Too small because he probably is the best actor of the bunch. But nevertheless, Van Johnson really wasn't a bad pick as the main lead of the movie.

A good movie but I guess it's more fun and powerful to watch when you're an American yourself.

7/10

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(Review originally written at 18 December 2006)

This movie is a well made and entertaining early gangster movie about the rise and fall of an ambitious criminal played by Edward G. Robinson.

OK so this movie may not be "The Godfather" or "Scarface" but its a good gangster movie on its own nevertheless. The movie has a solid story even though the storytelling itself is lacking at times. The movie often takes jumps in the time-line and some moments feel rather hasted. But this is sort of fitting for '30's cinema standards.

It's a movie that is mostly carried by its characters and actors rather than its events. The movie has many characters in it, which does make the movie seem well constructed and written. Most of the actors go extremely over-the-top in their roles, it's perhaps the only reason why the movie does feel quite dated. The only one who seems to play his character in the right way was Edward G. Robinson. He really was superb. He also went over-the-top but in a good and positive fitting way for its character and story. He carried the movie mostly on his own and makes the movie worth seeing for his performance alone. Douglas Fairbanks Jr. also plays a good role but his role is limited down a bit too much to really leave a lasting impression.

The movie features most of the typical gangster clichés. The movie is filled with a whole bunch of tough backstabbing wise-guys, who each want to profit from another and go up the criminal ladder. The movie follows one of those characters. It provides a good and entertaining look into the organized crime of the 20's/30's, during the infamous prohibition. The movie has some good and typical violent gangster moments, complete with shootouts and tough talking and looking gangsters.

It all in all makes the movie a really good early gangster movie that obviously inspired many other later genre movies. For that reason alone it's already a bit of a must-see.

8/10

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