Rating: 
Summary: Defines hilarity.
Review: Peter Falk and Alan Arkin are at their very best comedic form in this classic comedy. (The general is excellent too!) The timing of the movie is unbeatable, with one laugh following another at a perfect pace; just enough so that by the time the movie is over, your stomach muscles will be hurting. All the actors play it straight, which only adds to the viewers' initial puzzlement as to what kind of movie this is. And I must say, I've never seen a bunch of finer comedic straight-men in one place before. Which is more amazing to me because I'd never thought of any of these guys as comedic actors until this movie. Excellent, imaginative script-writing and directing contribute greatly. A fine film for audiences of all ages!
Rating: 
Summary: A fine comic romp
Review: Three reasons to watch this movie:first,Andrew Bergman's screenplay,which contains some inspired lines (and,by the way,Bergman's book,We're in the Money,is well worth reading);second,Peter Falk,close to the top of his form;and,third and most important,Alan Arkin,who gives the kind of performance that should be studied by any prospective - and established - comic actor - in every frame,in every scene,as close to faultless as you will get (watch,especially,the early scenes,such as at the dining table,to see how beautifully judged every glance and sound of Arkin's is - wonderful,wonderful acting).
Rating:
Summary: My Citizen Cane
Review: I am amazed that this film isn't part of the canon of cinema. It is as flawless a zany wacko comedy as can be constructed. It's as a targeted and flawlessly timed as anything else you'll ever see, in any genre.
Rating:
Summary: Arkin and Falk Steal the Show
Review: When it comes to making a comedy that "works" (read: Generates some real LAUGHS), if you start with a polished script, plug in the right actors and find a director with some insights into human nature, a good sense of timing and enough experience to know just when to push which buttons, you can win the gold. Well, in 1979, a trio of producers-- which along with William Sackheim included the director, Arthur Hiller, and one of the lead actors, Alan Arkin-- started with a polished screenplay (by veteran screenwriter Andrew Bergman), plugged in the right actors (Alan Arkin and Peter Falk) and found a director (Hiller) with plenty of insights into the human condition, an impeccable sense of timing and a resume that included experience working with the likes of Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau, Bette Midler, Steve Martin, Dudley Moore, Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor, and-- you guessed it-- they struck gold, big time, with "The In-Laws," an hilarious comedy that examines what happens when an ordinary guy is placed in an extraordinary situation. And it all begins simply enough with the impending marriage of his daughter, and the day he meets the people who, for better or worse, are about to become her in-laws, as well as a part of his own extended family. With the emphasis definitely NOT on the "better."Sheldon Kornpett (Arkin) is a dentist with a successful practice in New York, a loving wife, Carol (Nancy Dussault) and a daughter, Barbara (Penny Peyser), who is engaged to Tommy Ricardo (Michael Lembeck). The wedding is less than a week away, and the Kornpett's have yet to meet the Ricardos, due to the fact that Tommy's father, Vince (Falk), purportedly the owner of something called Trans Global Enterprises, is rarely around or home long enough for the soon-to-be-related families to have that all-important get-together. Finally, however, it's all arranged, and the Kornpett's anxiously await the arrival of Vince and his wife, Jean (Arlene Golonka) to their home for dinner. And though Sheldon doesn't know it yet, it's a night that is going to change his life forever; and by the day of the wedding, he will have done things and been to places he wouldn't have imagined in his wildest dreams, all courtesy of his newest and best friend, Vince Ricardo. The film opens with a glimpse into what appears to be the covert existence of Vince Ricardo, for whom Trans Global is obviously a front of some kind. So the viewer already has a leg up on Sheldon, who at this point has no reason to take Vince at anything other than face value. Until they meet and spend an evening together, during which time Vince relates a most bizarre story and has his penchant for taking concealed phone calls in such places as the basement revealed, which raises more than a few questions in Sheldon's mind. It's a scene worth it's weight in gold, which Hiller uses to establish the nature of Sheldon and Vince's personalities, as well as the relationship between the two strangers who in a few days will be family. And in that one hilarious scene, you realize instantly that you're dealing with a cinematic incarnation of an odd couple that's going to rival Neil Simon's Felix and Oscar. Bergman's dialogue is incisively witty, and Hiller emphasizes the contrast between the two men to great effect, parlaying it all into some of the most memorable scenes you'll ever see in a comedy. The one, for example, that takes place on a remote airstrip (suffice to say that Sheldon has been roped into something he'd rather not be a part of and would just as soon forget about as soon as possible); bullets are flying, Vince and Shelly (as Vince calls him) are pinned down and they have to make it across an open space to a car, but running straight away isn't an option. "Serpentine, Shell, serpentine!" yells Vince, in what turns out to be an uproarious classic from amongst all of the classic scenes from any of the best comedies ever made, one that puts the laugh meter through the roof. There may be a touch of "Columbo" in Vince, but overall this is one unique character and Falk plays him for all he's worth. On the surface, Vince is a screwball who is seemingly forever off in some Never-Never Land of his own devising, a guy who is hard to pin down, harder to read and seems to lack the focus necessary to get from point A to point B without the help of some kind of divine intervention. But underneath he's a sly one who never gets rattled and knows exactly what he's doing at every step of the way. So what initially appears to be a broadly sketched character is in reality concisely drawn and steeped in nuance. As portrayed by Peter Falk, Vince is a guy you're not likely to forget any time soon. It's Alan Arkin, then, who chimes in with a character who is the perfect counterpoint to Vince. In Sheldon Kornpett, what you see is what you get. Arkin delivers a wry portrayal of a man to whom routine and normalcy is the barometer of life, a guy who fixes teeth for a living, provides for his family, has a nice home, a nice car and believes in a future for all that holds promise, with no reason to think otherwise. Until he meets Vince, that is. And he suddenly finds himself cast into a world he would deny to his last breath even existed. Arkin's performance is brilliantly understated, and the humor of the film evolves naturally and directly from the way he plays it SO straight, as well as the way he and Falk play off of one another. With precision timing and especially the performances of Arkin and Falk, "The In-Laws" is a memorable comedy that's going to have you literally on the floor, laughing until it hurts.
Rating:
Summary: One of the best comedies of all time
Review: One of the best comedies ever! Anyone who even tries to give this movie 4 stars should be sent to work with Vince Ricardo for a week. In the 1970s some movie makers still took the time to build an audience's interest in the characters and the film. In this case the action moves oh so slowly at the beginning as you have absolutely no idea what is going to happen. And when the action does get going, it's one of the most originally scripted movies you will ever see. And one of the best car chase scenes you will ever see. If you haven't seen it, watch it! If you have seen it: "I don't know why they took away my drivers license Shel." "Serpentine Shel, serpentine!" "Flames! My car has flames!"
Rating:
Summary: An all-time classic!
Review: Finally! This is available on DVD. I doubt there will be more than one pressing of this classic original since most people gravitate toward the new version for some inexplicable reason, so I'd snap this one up as soon as possible. I laughed my hind-end off years ago when I first saw this. It was an understated example of comedic timing and brilliant acting, and to my mind (though I haven't seen the remake, since I can't figure out why anybody would remake something that's already perfect, much like the new "Psycho") this is the only version worth owning. This is shown in widescreen format, thus preserving the entire picture you'd see in the theater, with nothing cropped off the sides to magnify the center part to fill the entire TV screen. For any widescreen 'newbies' out there, this is the only way to see a film. You don't know what you're missing until you compare a full-screen film to a widescreen version. With full-screen sure you get a bigger picture, but the sides are cut off in order to do it. There, I got that off my chest. Anyway, I was glad to see this release is in fact widescreen. There's also a commentary track featuring Peter Falk, Alan Arkin, Director Anthony Hiller and Writer Andrew Bergman. This feature alone is worth the (very reasonable) cost of admission and provides tons of insight behind the scenes. Truly a must have for any collection!
Rating:
Summary: All time favorite comedy
Review: What more can I add to all the previous glowing reviews here. I just reread all 53 reviews and laughed so hard remembering all the gags in the movie my sides hurt. I have just one correction to make to some of the reviews: The pre-flight safety briefing given to Shel on Wong Airlines was conducted in Cantonese, not Mandarin. Since I happen to understand Cantonese (and also Mandarin), that scene is even more hilarious because Bill (?) Hong is giving a real safety briefing in all seriousness, with the exception of the line about Mae West. If you've not seen the original In-Laws, do so of you'll regret it.
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant Comedy Classic
Review: A recent Hollywood effort starring Michael Douglas and Albert Brooks attempted to remake the classic 1979 Alan Arkin/Peter Falk film "The In-Laws." I questioned why we even needed a remake of this hilarious film. It's an insult, I think, to even attempt to improve on the first version; I didn't even need to see the remake to know it was nowhere near as funny as the original. How could it be? Arkin and Falk possessed the type of chemistry that is rarely reproducible. My awareness of the new version planted in my mind the necessity of once again viewing the original film, and again Arkin and Falk made me laugh repeatedly at the pointless shenanigans perpetrated onscreen. If you have never seen "The In-Laws," go to the video store or buy a copy of the DVD right away. This film is a clean, family oriented comedy (rated PG, but it does include a flag with some nudity which is so hilarious you can let it pass) that so rarely appears today. It proves that you don't need profanity or adolescent toilet humor to bring up the belly laughs. "The In-Laws" opens with an intricate armored car robbery, as a group of thieves steal currency engravings from the United States Treasury Department. The leader of the gang then takes the engravings to Vince (Peter Falk) as part of the plan. Vince cannot finish his dealings with the thieves because his son will soon marry the daughter of Sheldon Kornpett, a dentist living in a beautiful house near New York City. In fact, Vince must go over to Sheldon's house that very evening for dinner in order to meet the bride's parents for the first time. Everyone Vince knows, including his family, thinks he works aboard as a businessman, but he is really a CIA operative. When Vince encounters some difficulties in his latest operation, he enlists the unwilling and unknowing Sheldon as his co-conspirator. The two men bumble through a series of madcap adventures in New York and Central America before finally arriving just in time for their children's wedding bearing the most unusual of gifts. Nearly every scene in "The In-Laws" contains hearty laughs. Alan Arkin does a great job as the nervous Sheldon Kornpett, a man whose life is finally where he wants it and who isn't about to tolerate any disruption to his well ordered schedule. Peter Falk riffs off his Columbo character in his role as Vince, a guy who always seems to fly by the seat of his pants but who is actually an intelligence operative of the highest competence. Watching the two verbally spar with each other is pure joy, especially since Sheldon spends most of the movie trying to figure out what new nightmare awaits around the corner while Vince constantly strokes and soothes his unwilling partner's personality. Ed Begley, Jr plays a CIA section chief and Richard Libertini turns in a short but truly brilliant performance as General Garcia, an off his rocker leader of the small Central American country where Vince and Sheldon must go in order to stop an evil that threatens the United States. There are so many uniquely funny moments in "The In-Laws" that it is difficult to discuss them because they depend so heavily on the context for their humor: Bird-like Tsetse flies and the Guacamole Act of 1917. "My car has flames!" Any scene with Senor Pepe ("Aw, look Shel; he wants a drink of water"). Benny and Billy, the beloved pilots flying the plane to Scranton, Pennsylvania. Recognizing a trip to Scranton, Pennsylvania shouldn't involve traveling over the ocean. "General, can we get a sedative for Shel?" And of course, the most memorable scene in "The In-Laws," the one scene everyone remembers long after watching this film: "Serpentine, Shel, serpentine!" The first time I watched this comedy classic was with a friend in the 1980s. For weeks, even months afterwards one of us would randomly shout out "serpentine," which caused the other person to engage in a rapid series of erratic running maneuvers. We would laugh at the quizzical expressions on the faces of others who watched us without knowing where we got the shtick. When I saw that the DVD release came with a commentary track from director Arthur Hiller, writer Andrew Bergman, Alan Arkin, and Peter Falk; I listened to the remarks on only two scenes: those involving General Garcia's alter ego Senor Pepe and the serpentine bit. It is nice to know these guys still found this stuff funny all these years later, and the commentary also cleared up a question I had for years about this movie: were Arkin and Falk really close to laughing out loud at Libertini's antics? The answer is a resounding yes, that Richard Libertini did play his role with a view to cracking up his co-stars. "The In-Laws" really is a great way to spend a couple of hours. Creating a remake of this movie was an exercise in futility since the original is readily available for viewing. The picture transfer looks great, the sound is good, and the addition of the commentary and a trailer for the movie make this version a no-brainer. Get out there and watch the 1979 version of "The In-Laws." You will be glad you did, and you will learn the importance of proper serpentine techniques, too.
Rating:
Summary: Classic Comedy
Review: This is, as you have read in other reviews, a great movie. My reason for writing this review is not to review the movie, you can read that in other reviews, but to let you know that the DVD is so much better than the VHS (I bought the VHS copy a couple of months before the DVD was available for pre-order, because I didn't think it would be coming out on DVD). That said, the banter between the Peter Falk and Alan Arkin is really great, and at some point, you will find yourself quoting parts of the movie. My wife, who does not like "these kinds of movies" laughed throughout the entire film. Anyway, get the DVD and give the VHS away, that's what I did.
Rating:
Summary: I thought I was the only one!
Review: If you go to the middle of Central Park on a sunny day, when it's crowded, and yell, "Did we hit the small boy on seventh avenue?" someone within earshot is sure to yell back, "Nah, we had a good foot, foot and a half to spare." (That scene features David Paymer as a taxi driver even scarier than Robert De Niro's!) I've been an evangelist for this movie since I saw it as a kid in the movie theater when I was 12, and I used to make guys watch it before I would determine if I would date them seriously or not... then I realized EVERYONE loves this movie, so it doesn't rule anyone out!! Hey, if you love Alan Arkin like I do, you've got to rent Simon. He's at his understated, straight-faced comic best.
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