Too much of everything

Sorry, this movie sucks

It's fun, it's light, [but] it has a hard time when its tries to get heavy.

I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

Born 6 years after this film was made, I can't stop watching this movie anytime I see it. I'm 33 years old. Found myself smiling at the end scene. Such a great film with fitting songs, jokes and fantastic dialog. I call my brother Tallulah as a result.The film is timeless and suitable for adults and children to watch, yet still enjoy. When I have kids I will definitely watch this with them. But saying that, I would happily watch this on a Friday night in with a pizza! There is not much to say (IMDb wants at least 10 lines of text). Great cast - I would recommend watching YouTube after to see the actors' and director's views on the movie and what they look like now.A must watch! Timeless masterpiece!

I first saw this film in the late 70s when it was shown at my school as a Christmas treat (on a real projector and screen, no less); now, over thirty years later, I'm watching it again in the company of my son and daughter (aged 10 and 8), and I'm finding it no less entertaining than when I was a kid myself.Starring Scott Baio in his greatest ever role (yes, he's even better here than he is in Zapped!), Jodie Foster looking unnervingly sexy for her age as vampish songstress Tallulah, and a very young Dexter Fletcher as Babyface (UK TV viewers my age will know who he is), and with superb direction by Alan Parker and brilliant music and songs by Paul Williams (the man behind the tunes for one of my other favourite musicals, Phantom of the Paradise), this is one of the most enjoyable films of the 70s, particularly when viewed as a youngster.I mean, is there a kid alive who wouldn't want their own splurge gun, an over-sized pedal car, or to take part in a massive pie fight?

Alan Parker's quirky musical takes typical Prohibition-era gangster-flick tropes and remixes them into a children's comedy adventure with some seriously catchy songs. The outcome is certainly daft and often disjointed, but never dull. Scott "Chachi" Baio got his big break as the titular hero, a streetwise but stone-broke boxing promoter. He finds love interest in Blousey Brown (Florrie Dugger), while frequenting a speakeasy run by wiseguy Fat Sam (John Cassisi). The show is thoroughly stolen by Jodie Foster, as Sam's girlfriend Tallulah, who at age 13 is already showing more acting nous than many can muster by 30. Sadly, the same can't be said for the rest of the cast (all kids, a noteworthy feat) and some of the interplay is clumsy and forced. The film's real strength is in its musical numbers. You'll be humming them for days, whether you want to or not. The adult singers' voices don't always marry well with the babyfaced performers on screen, but judged by their own merits they're genuinely good and make the film well worth a look. You'll need to suspend your disbelief for an hour and a half – the film won't do that for you – but if you do, you're rewarded by an enjoyable romp that affectionately takes on a genre reluctant to laugh at itself, and opens it up to a wider audience: if you like gangster-noir, you'll appreciate the parody; if you hate gangster-noir, you'll love the deprecation. 3/5

Bugsy Malone (1976): Scott Baio, Jodie Foster, John Cassisi, Florrie Dugger, Martin Lev, Paul Murphy, Sheridan Earl Russell, Albin Humpty Jenkins, Paul Chirelstein, Andrew Paul, Davidson Knight, Michael Jackson, Jeffrey Stevens, Peter Holder, Donald Wagh, Michael Kirkby, Jorge Valdez, jon Zebrowski, Ron Meleleu, Paul Besterman, Brian Hardy, Dexter Fletcher, Bonnie Langford, Mark Curry, Vivienne McKone, Helen Corran...Director Alan Parker, Writer Alan Parker....The 1970's was still a big decade for musicals, only its musicals had become more modern in their content. Although this is not a "rock" musical that was common then (Rocky Horror Picture Show, Tommy, Jesus Christ Superstar, etc) it was instead an homage to the Roaring 20's and Gangster Movies. Far from containing violence, sex and foul language, as a standard 1970's gangster movie would have had, we instead have an ensemble cast made up of minors with their lead stars being Scott Baio and Jodie Foster. Foster had already made several movies as a child star and this was the first hit movie of actor Scott Baio who would later become famed as a TV star in the 1980's series "Charles In Charge". John Cassisi as a tough-talking Speakeasy owner and Florrie Dugger as the sweet, Hollywood-bound Blousy. With many song and dance numbers, historically accurate costumes, cars, guns and music, a lot of jokes, and pies-in-the-face, this is a movie that can be enjoyed by the whole family. It's first theatrical release earned it a G rating and although there are guns in the film and gangster wars, there is no violence. Instead of firing bullets, they fire pie cream. This film is a feel-good comedy musical that spoofs gangster movies from an earlier period such like the 1940's. The story is original but it was drawn from real life mob wars such as those in Chicago during the Al Capone Era and those in New York City in the 30's and 40's.Plot: Bugsy Malone (Baio) falls for the aspiring actress/singer Blousy Brown (Dugger)but they are both down-on-their luck until Busy works for the shifty Speakeasy owner and Mafia boss Fat Sam (Cassisi) who is currently in a gang war with his rival. But Fat Sam has Bugsy on his side and a new weapon: cream-of-pie bullets. Much attention at this time went to the maturity of Jodie Foster who plays a sultry lounge singer Tallulah. Already noticeable are the qualities she would display as an adult actress. Although this film has been dismissed as campy and nothing significant, this is still a fine family film that proves to be a hit even years later. Many drama schools still produce this musical and the role of Tallulah particularly is one some singers aspire to.