it is finally so absorbing because it plays like a lyrical road odyssey that’s also a detective story.

A film with more than the usual spoiler issues. Talking about it in any detail feels akin to handing you a gift-wrapped present and saying, "I hope you like it -- It's a thriller about a diabolical secret experiment."

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

A Russian submarine gets stuck on a sandbar after getting too close to Gloucester Island, Massachusetts. Lieutenant Rozanov (Alan Arkin) leads a group to find a motor boat to pull the submarine back out into the ocean. New Yorker musical playwright Walt Whittaker (Carl Reiner) and his family had rented a house and are the first to encounter the Russians. As rumors spread, fear and chaos ensue. Police Chief Link Mattocks (Brian Keith) tries to keep calm despite his bumbling deputy Norman Jonas (Jonathan Winters). To make matters worst, old-timer Fendall Hawkins organizes a riled-up militia.It's a lot of people yelling and talking over each other. It's a lot of misunderstandings and not-listening. It adds up to a mad-cap comedy of mostly annoying people. This era of comedy is not always that funny to me. It's half-funny and half-frustrating. There are very few appealing characters but there is some idiotic fun.

Norman Jewison directed this cold war comedy about a Russian submarine that accidentally runs aground on a New England coast after they were sightseeing. Needing help, Lt. Rozanov(played by Alan Arkin) tries to enlist the locals to help them dislodge the ship, but instead manages to convince them that they lead an invasion. Carl Reiner and Eva Marie Saint play a married couple who raise the alarm, getting the attention of the police chief(played by Brian Keith) and his hysterical assistant(played by Jonathan Winters). How can they come to an understanding, and prevent WWIII? Some funny scenes cannot save this strained and contrived farce that becomes increasingly absurd as it goes along, leading to a most unrealistic resolution. The talented cast does its best.

How well I remember seeing The Russians Are Coming The Russians Are Coming way back in theater and enjoying this wonderful satire on Cold War paranoia. Norman Jewison put together a great cast of scene stealing players and it's great to see these guys try to top each other.A Russian submarine keeping an eye on our naval movements off the American shore runs aground on the shore of eastern Long Island which is quite like it was in 1966, sparsely populated with small towns. Non speaking English Captain Theodore Bikel sends Lieutenant Alan Arkin ashore with some men including young seaman John Philip Law without any real instructions.People spot these Russian speaking sailors and the panic starts. Arkin arrives at the house of Carl Reiner who is a composer with wife Eva Marie Saint and son Sheldon Collins and niece Andrea Dromm. Law makes his own separate peace with Dromm. Nice piece it is too.Arkin and Reiner are great together, Arkin with his fractured English and Reiner trying to both be civilized and live up to his son's expectations of killing the dirty Reds who've invaded.When word gets out Brian Keith as sheriff and deputy Jonathan Winters have to compete with Paul Ford at his blusteriest who is ready to form a militia on the spot. What an advertisement for Second Amendment absolutists.Lots of funny stuff involving these Russians stuck in a place they've been taught to fear as enemies and the Americans who've been cut off in this remote part of Long Island who are paranoid over an invasion. Let's say a humanitarian situation brings this part of the Cold War to a complete thaw.But I will say that I doubt in those days there was a Soviet equivalent. Is there a film out there called The Yankees Are Coming The Yankees Are Coming. This is still a very funny film.

"We have... GOT... to get organized!"This is the story of a Russian sub running aground somewhere in New England, at the height of the cold war. A small party of sailors is sent on a mission to "infiltrate" the town, get a boat and tow it out of it's predicament. Comedy ensues.As far as comedies go, this is one of the more entertaining ones. It features a lot of great actors, a great script, good music and beautiful cinematography. The situations are funny, the story follows the rules of drama, starting small and growing and growing until it explodes out of all proportion. It is a fun movie to watch, even if it might not be the laugh-out-loud type.The directing is great. Norman Jewison does an excellent job, the camera work is very good, the angles are well chosen, the framing is perfect, even if he tends to use a lot of tight shots. Some of the scenes could have used a little more room to grow.The actors are great and the languages they speak are hilarious: American, Russian and body language, they all are great (even if no self respecting Russian would ever speak that way). Alan Arkin excels at using his body language and his impersonation of a soviet officer is memorable. Carl Reiner, Brian Keith and Jonathan Winters are hilarious. The music is good, funny and witty.As with other movies made by Mr. Jewison, this one has a message: people do not want to hate each other; it is a waste of time. And talking about time, the movie is a bit too long, at a little over two hours. Problem is I wouldn't know which part to leave out.The Russians are coming. A very entertaining comedy from 50 years ago, with one of the most hilarious trailers I have ever seen. 9/10.