Rating: 
Summary: Fun to watch
Review: Great fun, especially if you're a fan of Monty Python or the old Saturday Night Live.
Rating:
Summary: Hail Eris!
Review: I do not believe this movie is to be seen in a straight forward manner with actors, a story, etc. This is a psychedelic-symbolic film depicting discordian experimentation with capitalism using humor and not-so-subtle inferences to motivate the viewer to see things their way. If you are looking for linear narritive with quick modern MTV style cuts and action, you will be sorely disappointed. If you are looking for a strange series of vignettes exploring the outer limits of capitalism with iconoclastic and psychedelic humor... then you've found your film.
Rating: 
Summary: Dated but fun
Review: I enjoyed "The Magic Christian," although I don't think it's an especially great film. Much of the cinemetography (such as a scene on a train in which things suddenly start flipping out and we see strobe lights and random weird images) seems rather dated now, and some of the humor that was shocking in its day (such as a Shakesperian actor doing a striptease) do not seem all that shocking today. There is a frustrating lack of dialogue and organized storytelling, problems which somehow the Monty Python films managed to avoid even though they too were mostly collections of sketches. Be all this as it may, Peter Sellers is his usual brilliant self as an eccentric billionaire who goes around getting people to do absurd things simply to prove that everyone has their price. Some of this is simply cruel, but some of it (especially when they get on board a cruise ship) is quite funny indeed. Ringo Starr plays along in an easy deadpan role. There are many (very brief) cameos by other stars. In the end, after this series of cynical vignettes, we are treated to a suitably sixties suggestion that "there must be an easier way," which is quietly uplifting even in the midst of all this absurdity. Worth seeing once.
Rating:
Summary: The Magic Christian is a Wild Ride!
Review: I first saw "The Magic Christian" on WGN TV when I was a boy of about 9. Of course, it was butchered by editing, but still was a lot of fun. It took forever for me to get my hands on a rental tape of it when I was 22, and finally purchased a copy of my very own copy on DVD recently. The uncut version is much more fun! The Plot. Peter Sellers stars as Guy Grand, the richest man in the world. He finds a bum in the park, played by Ringo Starr, and adopts him as his only son and heir. He announces this to his company, and then fires all of the board members after showing them a silly cartoon of his new product, the giant car. From here on out, Peter Sellers and Ringo set about the show us all that everyone in the world has his price, and can be "bought", and bribed to do anything he asks. Some of the funniest scenes ever put to film are acted out before your very eyes, including these examples: The Hunt: Guy Grand and son go on a hunt with some of the rich boys of the country club, and after a bit of discussion about the shotguns they all use, and the dogs go on point, Guy Grand calls in the artillery and flame throwers to make "a quick kill", much to the astonishment of the sportsmen hunting pheasant. The Nazi Scene: On a Guy Grand train, Guy Grand and son play some nasty tricks on a former Nazi, to the extent that he questions his sanity. The Auction Scene: Just before the auction at Sotheby's, a Rembrandt painting is purchased, and they mutilate the painting, cutting out the nose and throwing out the rest. Then they go on to the auction, where Peter Sellers bids in some very unusual ways. The Roman Polanski and Yul Brenner scene: This one is so weird, Yul Brenner, dressed up as a woman, serenades the now exiled Polish movie maker. The Hamlet Scene is also a favorite, you will never think of "To Be or not to Be", in the same light again! Of course, the reason it is called the Magic Christian is because the two book passage on a cruise ship's maiden voyage from England to the USA, the "Social Must of the Season". Many more zany and weird adventures occur here, and drive the passengers crazy to the point of revolution, and they wish to smash capitalism. A surprise is awaiting them when they wish to leave the ship. The entire musical score is by Paul Mcartney, and the music is very fitting. One more note about the cameos, here they are: Raquel Welsh, Yul Brenner, Richard Attenborough, John Cleese, Graham Chapman, Roman Polanski, and Laurence Harvey. See this movie, it is so weird and funny, you won't believe it!
Rating:
Summary: Magic Christian Review
Review: I LOVED THIS MOVIE! I AM GOING TO BUY IT! YAY
Rating: 
Summary: If You Want It....Here It Is...Come And Get It
Review: I saw this movie for the first time just a few days ago. First of all, I do like the Beatles and their music. I did like Yellow Submarine etc...
However, although this movie is making a commentary on greed and money etc..., the film comes across as a bit dated. It is pretty disjointed and choppy.
I would give this film 2 1/2 STARS. It is basically for the Ringo/Sellers fan and not for the casual viewer. It is worth watching once, but that's about it. I wouldn't keep it as part of my DVD library. My suggestion is to rent it or check it out of you public library and give it a viewing before purchasing because you're either going to like it or completely hate it and find it a waste of your time.
There is a quick glimpse of John Lennon and Yoko in the film. It is difficult to determine if it is really them or actors protraying them. The Golden Retriever Book of Reviews lists Lennon as part of the cast, but the credits on the movie has no mention of Lennon.
My suggestion is to just rent it to make up your mind. 2 1/2 Stars
Rating: 
Summary: 30 years may make a difference
Review: I think I first saw "Magic Christian" in the early 70s. I thought it was philosophically interesting, funny and fun. I watched it last week and kept waiting for the good parts. Even the good parts I remembered weren't as good as I remembered them, and the slothly pacing made me restless as a kid in church. I watched the first hour then ejected the disk. There are better things to do.
Rating:
Summary: Great Cameos (esp. by Chris Lee, Raquel Welch); So-So Film.
Review: I've always enjoyed watching this film but I really don't know why. For a comedy it isn't really all that funny (especially considering John Cleese and Graham Chapman of "MONTY PYTHON" contributed some bits to the screenplay). I guess it has a lot to do with the "guest stars" that pop up now and then, like director Roman Polanski, Lawrence Harvey, Spike Milligan, Yul Brynner, Richard Attenborough and (best of all) British horror legend CHRISTOPHER LEE and the beautiful RAQUEL WELCH. Lee is a vampire (what else?) on board the "ship" The Magic Christian near the end. He looks very elegant stalking the corridors, his long black cape billowing about him as goes. And Rocky (er, Miss Welch) is the Priestess of the Whip, in charge of the top-less female galley slaves rowing in the engine room. Dressed in her Amazon garb, she is breath-taking to behold! Confronted by a male passenger who demands to know what is going on, she flicks her whip at him, he rips his shirt open and kneels before her and begs her to do that again. These two cameos are very brief, but they are the best parts of this rather meandering and dull comedy. The DVD is a bare bones disc. No notes, no trailer. No extras to speak of. But on the back of the box it lists the "SPECIAL FEATURES" as the full screen version, the interactive menus, scene access and then states that these SPECIAL FEATURES are "NOT RATED". Not Rated? There are no special features to rate! Otherwise, the digitally remastered picture is nice and the film sounds good. Oh yeah, and the songs are very good (Paul McCartney's "COME AND GET IT" and Badfinger's "CARRY ON" heard under the main titles). So, I can't really recommend this DVD, unless you like Mr. Lee or Miss Welch (as I do) and must see every movie they make. Anyone else, stay clear.
Rating:
Summary: Best with open mind (420)
Review: In the same manner that the film "Slacker" takes on a whole new meaning after altering ones point of focus, "The Magic Christian" also helps with some deep mind conditioning. I saw the film when I was too young to understand it, but I read the book years later and loved it. I then saw the film again, and really loved it. I loved the 'twist' that the film gave the story - a great use of a visual media to convey a different perspective than the original. Speaking from experience, this is not the very best 'first date' kind of film - even if you want to show off to your date how cool you are that you would know about and appreciate such a rare cinematic gem (unless, of course, your date is also a film nerd). However, it is good to read the book first so that when you are with your friends, you can be howling in laughter at the most poignant moments. Usually, my rule of thumb is that one should see a film first, then read the book. That way, you're almost sure to enjoy the book more because it will fill in all the little details of the film that didn't make sense when they condensed 10 hours of material into 1.86 hours of film. Otherwise, if you read the book first, you have this very rich view of how the events played out and it is almost always disappointing to see the film version. This long tangent was necessary to say that this is a film that actually adds to the book in many ways. Yes, there are some hysterical moments of the book that were left out, but perhaps to leave something for the first time reader? It would almost be worth to remake it in a contemporary American setting with new actors, but it would really be hard to out do Peter Sellers. I say this mostly because it will be forever locked into the time genre of a 1960s film, especially by its final scene. We miss you Peter!
Rating:
Summary: Sometimes love means never havng to say "It's awful".
Review: It will be difficalt to advise other film fans about the MAGIC CHRISTIAN. It isn't like many other movies. It doesn't have a linear plot. It wasn't made with great attention to production values. It seems to have been shot wildly - for fun - and then brought back for sorting out in the editing room. It is steeped in a bygone culture no one practices anymore (if they ever did).
But I find it interesting sometimes to see what other people do with a movie camera. Like a guilty pleasure, I like it even though I admitt it isn't "good". I like the way it makes you question the value of "good".There are a few funny jokes and a theme but I guess I like it becuase it isn't like many other films, has no linear plot, was shot wildly as if for fun, ignores production values and is steeped in a bygone culture that no one practices anymore, if in fact they ever did.
Worth a look if you're into film and have an open mind. Two stars for conventional merit - four stars for being cool with the two stars.
"Come and get it"
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