I like Black Panther, but I didn't like this movie.

Ok... Let's be honest. It cannot be the best movie but is quite enjoyable. The movie has the potential to develop a great plot for future movies

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

A clunky actioner with a handful of cool moments.

Basil Rathbone, although nasty and cunning as ever, is way out of his league in this one. Here he is a producer who tries to break up the marriage of Red Skelton and Esther Williams so that the latter can continue writing music for his water story.To get Williams back, Skelton goes to her college and the film depicts his madcap adventures there in an all-girl's school with the dean and faculty trying to get him to have 100 demerits so that he can be expelled.The water sequences are beautifully realized by Williams but to say that this is her picture is ridiculous. To me, it was Skelton's with his antics all the way.Regarding the ballet scene where Skelton dresses in a tutu and is given the works by instructor Ann Codee, wasn't this done before in another Skelton-Codee film?

The critic Leonard Maltin called this film's script "silly". So what did he expect from a Red Skelton-based comedy. After all, this is not Gone with the Wind (1939). Actually the script is quite amusing, with a promising premise—a guy (Skelton) gets into an all girls' school on a technicality so he can pursue his lady love (Williams). This allows for all sorts of opportunities for Red's brand of amusing set-ups, which he exploits to the fullest. I particularly like his pantomime of how a woman gets dressed in the morning. And get a load of the sounds of that ditzy organ player—they're like nothing I've ever heard.It really is Skelton's movie since he's in most every scene except for the poolside grand finale. I'd like to have been in on the production meetings where the honchos decided to promote this as a Williams movie instead. I suppose they realized she and her swimsuit had more than novelty act potential. After all, what other Hollywood star actually started and monopolized an entire movie genre the way Williams did with her "aqua-musicals". In fact, their popularity continued for about 10-years. Then too, not only could she play a great sexy mermaid, but she's also a good light actress as the movie shows. Anyhow, it's hard to beat this Technicolor extravaganza for sheer visual feast.I suppose my only misgiving is that they're two premier bands (James & Cugat) in addition to the other acts, which means that neither gets enough playtime. One of them should have been dropped. Anyhow. in my view, Maltin needs a refresher course on the essentials of musical comedy and why silliness is sometimes a virtue.

Then, the 1944 MGM musical comedy-romance "Bathing Beauty" is for you. This is a great example of the type of musical films made for some two decades – the 30s into the early 50s, that were prized entertainment packages for the public. Some people seem to think this film needed more of a plot. Don't worry – if you know history and/or just plain enjoy great musical entertainment, with some top drawer comedy and all-around talent, you'll love this film. Just enjoy it for how it was intended and for what it remains today – wonderful entertainment. Sure, there is a plot. It's a thin one with a simple romance and a silly premise. Voila! That was the Hollywood formula for most successful films of this genre. And here it's the basis for stringing together a marvelous run of top notch musical and dance numbers, aquatic scenes, and comedic skits. That's all these great showcases of entertainment had to have – or even should have had – in their day. And today, as well, for those of us who enjoy seeing such showcases of brilliant musical and film entertainment of the past. They aren't drama. They aren't mysteries. They aren't Westerns. They aren't war stories. They're musical comedies and that's the entertainment they delivered. The end of WW II was more than a year away when this movie came out. The DVD includes the theatrical notice about the movie going to the warfronts for troops to view it behind the lines. For our troops, as well as the people at home, this movie was a chance to see these great musical performers whom the vast majority had only heard on the radio or juke boxes before. I was born just before the U.S. entered the war, and through the 1940s and early 1950s, radios and jukes still played mostly the great swing bands. Rock and Roll came on the scene in the mid-1950s. "Bathing Beauty" is a classic film with some wonderful entertainers. All did fine with their light scripts. But it's in the "show" elements that this film excels. This is one of the finest films for showcasing a couple of top bands of the time. Harry James really wows us with his trumpet playing and some great swing numbers, and Xavier Cugat's orchestra shows why people so loved Latin music in the 20th century. Helen Forrest and others have very good song and dance numbers. And Red Skelton's comedy skits and scenes are classics unto themselves. Esther Williams seems so natural in her first starring role – even before and in between the swimming scenes. MGM gave us this first swimming musical. And was it a lavish spectacle! It remains so today. The brilliant Technicolor production really adds to the spectacular swimming, dance and musical combination. And its choreographed swimming numbers and spectacular finale are reminiscent of the great musical productions of Busby Berkeley from the 1930s heyday of grand scale musicals. "Bathing Beauty" is a fun and highly entertaining film for the whole family – especially those who love great music.

BATHING BEAUTY was never meant to be a classic. It's primarily an excuse to feature Red Skelton in some of his "routiens", like being in drag and doing lots of pantomime. Also a vehicle for showcasing Esther Williams who was just starting out in films. She does well for her first co-starring role. Red is the star in this one unlike NEPTUNES DAUGHTER where he co-stars. The film is likable enough and fun to watch for the by-gone days of the flimsy MGM musical that it is. The plot is almost non-existent and again, just an excuse for Reds antics. Look for a young Janis Paige in the best number in the film. BATHING BEAUTY is one of six titles on DVD in the Williams collection. Now if Warner's would just put out another collection which should include some her better material i.e. EASY TO LOVE; DUCHESS OF IDAHO; SKIRTS AHOY; MILLION DOLLAR MERMAID and THRILL OF A ROMANCE.