Wonderful character development!

Just so...so bad

The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

This film is so real. It treats its characters with so much care and sensitivity.

When I saw the DVD cover, I figured this was a super-low budget film. But it is not. It is as full of elaborate site gags as Naked Gun. It has as much physical humour as The Three Stooges or the Pink Panther. It has a huge cast, dozens of horses with guards in full regalia, helicopters, an airport. It mostly is in French.The plot is utterly insane with various groups of people chasing each other, mistaken identities all over, and a businessman trying to pass as a rabbi to avoid the bad guys killing him.I have never seen a movie with so many continuity breaks. I eventually presumed they had to be intentional.Some of the funniest humour is generated as various people fall into a vat of green chewing gum. They take that premise and run with it in dozens of imaginative ways. (Subtle it is not).Some the humour is just so strange, I did a double take. The businessman explains his name by pantomiming a bird with strange sound effects, and pecking noises with his fingers, but with completely straight faces on everyone.The main actor looks to be about 65 years old, but he is as sprightly as a teenager. I did not figure out his actual age.Frantic pace, rough, impossible to follow plot.

In USA, Rabbi Jacob (Marcel Dalio) and Rabbi Zeiligman are traveling back to Paris after a long absence far from his hometown. Meanwhile the bigoted French Victor Pivert (Louis de Funès), who is the owner of a factory, is traveling by car with his Jewish driver Salomon (Henri Guybet) to France to the marriage of his daughter Antoinette Pivert (Miou-Miou). They have a car accident and Pivert fires Salomon and walks on the road looking for help. He stumbles with the Muslin rebel leader Mohamed Larbi Slimane (Claude Giraud) and unintentionally saves the Slimane from assassins that want to kill him. Slimane abducts him and they head to the Paris airport, chased by the killers and the police. They meet with Rabbis Jacob and Zeiligman that have just arrived in France in the toilet and they impersonate them to escape from the pursuers. When they meet the Jewish community that is welcoming Rabbi Jacob in the airport, they have to proceed in the farce getting in more confusion."Les Aventures de Rabbi Jacob" is one of the funniest comedies of cinema history, with a complex screenplay entwining the lives of several characters without coincidences but hilarious situations. The story makes fun of polemic themes, like religion and prejudice, and with government economical interests, but is never disrespectful. Louis de Funès is fantastic with a top-notch performance, considered by fans of the French king of the comedy as his best ever. Unfortunately the studios do not make movies like this anymore. My vote is nine.Title (Brazil); "As Loucas Aventuras de Rabbi Jacob" ("The Crazy Adventures of Rabbi Jacob")

Like so many other Europeans of my age I split my sides with laughing when I saw Rabbi Jacob the first time 30-35 years ago. So I was very curious how it would hold up today. And I was not disappointed.Sure, the movie drags a little here and there, especially in the opening scene (Rabbi Jacob leaving New York). Several others though are so fast paced that modern flicks are put to shame. The first example is the ride that end with the car floating in the lake upside down. Also note that the shoots with visual jokes are kept very short, like the patient locked up in the wardrobe. The spectator has hardly started laughing or immediately follows a rude comment. The result is literally breathtaking.There is more. De Funes' pantomime scenes are as great as I thought them back in the 70's. Perhaps the most hilarious one is when he impersonates a traffic agent.Some of the dialogues are awesome. Claude Gensac at the airport is an absolute match for the De Funes.In general I am not that fond of De Funes' movies. The Gendarme ones for instance rely way too much on cheap double meaning jokes. Rabbi Jacob though should be a classic example for any aspiring - and many experienced - comedy director.One lesson to be learned: comedies greatly benefit from treating controversial subjects. Indeed (French) racism and Arab/jew antithesis are subjects not spoofed enough in my opinion. That makes the comparable Don't mess with the Zohan tolerable, but Rabbi Jacob is way superior. Adam Sandler obviously hadn't studied it.

My grandfather, as well as my father were both of them fans of french cinema. I grew up watching this film in our Beta video (oh yes, way before VHS existed and DVD wasn't even thought of) and now, 20 years later I see it again in an anniversary edition. I can say I remember almost every gag from the film... every scene. I just watched it on DVD with my father again and was a blast from the past for both of us, he had seen it with my granddad 35 years ago in the cinema and with me and my brothers several times on video. I am saving this film to watch with my kids too in the future, they'll grow up with it too.Such a great time...and so many memories