Good movie but grossly overrated

It's funny watching the elements come together in this complicated scam. On one hand, the set-up isn't quite as complex as it seems, but there's an easy sense of fun in every exchange.

Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.

This is one of the best comedies I have ever seen. I don't remember to laugh so hard at another movie (except Begnini's scene from Night on Earth). Luckily I saw it on DVD, because in the second half of the movie (especially the last two shows scenes) I laughed so hard that I had to stop the movie several times (laughing so hard that my tears were flowing). Highly recommended, there are no movies like that anymore (unfortunately).I don't know why they don't make anymore comedies who cam make you laugh :) . I personally don't remember to see anything like this one for at least ten years (maybe twenty).

I first encountered Noises Off... being performed by an amateur dramatic society at my local theatre.It starts off in a way which will be familiar to many theatregoers - a housekeeper is looking after the house of a wealthy couple who are away from England in tax exile. The estate agent who is dealing with letting the house arrives for an assignation with his girlfriend. Then the couple themselves arrive back unannounced and secretly. The estate agent's girlfriend works for the tax authorities.... and her father is a burglar... All the ingredients of a (to be frank) not very good stage farce are introduced. Then it becomes clear that we are not watching a farce, we are watching the final dress rehearsal for the first night of a professional company taking a farce on tour. As well as meeting the first act of the farce - its plot, dialogue and characters - we also meet the actors playing in it, the director, and the stage manager - and their various relationships.The second act of the film meets the company in mid-tour. They now have the farce performance slickly nailed down, but relationships between the company are disintegrating. The genius of act 2 is that it takes place behind stage - much of it is performed mute - we hear the dialogue of act 1 of the farce taking place on the other side of the scenery flats: despite personal problems, the play is still being performed with great professionalism (except by the alcoholic playing the burglar).By act 3, which is act 1 of the farce yet again, seen from the audience once more, the play has reached theatreland (the West End / Broadway), but relationships between the cast have deteriorated to the extent that they are now sabotaging each others' performances.This is a sparkling play - brilliantly clever, and screamingly funny on so many levels. The film, too, captures the best of the play, with a sparkling cast all performing at the top of their game.The play - and the film - are a delight, and are highly recommended.

I have seen this movie a number of times but I never left my feedback. But I have to say something on one of the most creative and innovative movies ever to be made. How they all can remember not only their lines, but direction and substance is phenomenal! Whether you want to get into theater or films you should, no, you HAVE to see this movie! It is amazingly scripted, acted and a laugh non-stop masterpiece! Ritter, Reeves and Elliot who are no longer with us (a crying shame for the entertainment industry) was impeccable, even when they mucked up. I wonder how much rehearsal and takes it took to get it right? Being an aspiring actress myself this will definitely go in my vault of favorites. Run, don't walk to your closest video store and BUY this movie! I PROMISE you, you will NOT regret it!

There's no sense arguing over whether something's funny or not, but let me at least cast my vote that "Noises Off" was a disappointing bore when I saw it on the Broadway stage (and I generally love British comedies), and it's equally unfunny as a film. Anyone who finds this movie amusing may be a sweet, well-meaning, decent human being, but they could never be my friend, because they clearly have no sense of humor. The surprising thing is how awful almost everyone in the cast is. Michael Caine, Julie Hagerty, Marilu Henner, and Denholm Elliott do what they can -- I mean, I didn't have to look away when they were on -- but Carol Burnett? Amazingly, she's not funny at all in this tiresome farce. She's positively grim. Whatever happened to her gift? John Ritter? Close to unwatchable. And Christopher Reeve? Totally miscast, a complete embarrassment. (It's painful to say this, considering the tragedy that befell him, but he was always a terrible actor, stiff and awkward and artificial in every role, and had no comedic ability at all. The only movie he was creditable in was a 1987 thriller called "Street Smart," in which he was very well cast as a naive Ivy League doofus.) The single genuinely enjoyable thing in "Noises Off" is Nicollette Sheridan, who's beautiful and sexy as she runs around the stage in her white underwear. God bless her. (Note: If you want to see a really superb comedy written by Michael Frayn, try "Clockwise" starring John Cleese and a lovely ingenue named Sharon Maiden; it's virtually unknown in the States, but it's delightful -- which makes the tedium of "Noises Off" all the more mystifying.)