Rating: 
Summary: Laurel & Hardy join the French Foreign Legion for fun
Review: "The Flying Deuces" gets its name from the final sequence where Laurel & Hardy escape from a firing squad in an airplane. The boys get in this predicament because Ollie is jilted by his girl friend (Jean Parker) and wants to commit suicide. Despite Stan's more than willing help the attempt fails and the boys end up joining the French Foreign Legion instead. Needless to say, Stan and Ollie are not very good soldiers, hence the appointment with the firing squad. The comedy routines in the film are okay, but there is nothing special. The best moments are the more musical ones, especially a nice soft-shoe routine and Stan playing a prison bedspring like a harp. This 1939 seven-reeler was directed by Edward Sutehrland for RKO and co-stars Charles Middleton, james Finlayson, Reginald Gardiner, Jean Del Val and Clem Wilenchick. One of the writers receiving screenplay credit for "The Flying Deuces" was Harry Langdon, the great silent comic who was just a notch below the celebrated triumvirate of Chaplin, Keaton and Lloyd.
Rating:
Summary: Vintage Laurel and Hardy
Review: "The Flying Deuces" (1939) was the only non-Hal Roach production in which Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy maintained a fair amount of creative control -- a quality largely absent from most of their 1941-45 output. After leaving Roach in 1940, the team's brilliance was tarnished by Fox and MGM's assembly-line approach to visual comedy. It's a shame that independent producer Boris Morros and RKO didn't retain Stan and Ollie's services after the success of "The Flying Deuces," which is a minor classic in their filmography. Though lacking the high production values of the best Roach features, this Foreign Legion escapade remains a fast-paced romp with plenty of memorable routines and some charming musical interludes. Because of its public-domain status, "The Flying Deuces" is the most accessible Laurel and Hardy feature. As a result, there are numerous video releases that utilize re-edited, badly duped prints. The recent Alpha Video DVD is far from pristine, yet it offers the complete 69-minute feature. For once, the print quality is better than average while the soundtrack is fully synchronized. When you consider the plethora of budget DVDs on the market, the Alpha disc is among the better offerings. Hopefully, a first-generation 35mm print of "The Flying Deuces" will emerge on DVD in this lifetime.
Rating:
Summary: This is THE only "Flying Deuces" to own!
Review: "The Flying Dueces" has always gotten a bit of a short shrift over the years from critics and fans alike but I have always thought it deserved better praise than it has gotten.
And finally KINO has released the best print of this movie I think I've ever seen to date.The French company Lobster films from whose archives this release comes from (and many other titles from Kino;check out their 'Slapstick Emporium' series!) obtained a very good 35mm negative in Europe and through some remastering in picture and sound have released this picture as close to its' original look as I think any of us has seen since its' debut in /39.The sound is improved and the contrast has been totally restored.It is not the washed out thing we've been used to seeing ad nauseum on release after wretched release on video and DVD here in North America.
Also included with this is a couple of short reels of their English /32 trip,the "This is Your Life" show from /54,The "Stolen Jools" from /31 and "Tree in a Test Tube" from /45.All this material is from better than average to good prints.I thought they could have done alot more with them considering the technology now but they are at least better than I have seen any of them previously.
Also included is a brief statement about "Flying Deuces" from the president and co-founder of Lobster films.And the original French trailer and various pictures of the North American and European posters for it.
In conclusion I recommend this DVD very highly.It has alot of extras but the main attraction hands down is the print itself.A revelation.
Rating: 
Summary: Hilarious!
Review: Another downright funny Stan Laurel-Oliver Hardy classic that will keep you laughing so hard you'll barely be able to watch the show. Ollie, heartbroken, drags Stan with him to the French Foreign Legion, where it quickly becomes clear that they weren't meant to be soldiers. Hardy ends up making a horse of himself. Funny scene: the boys try to fly an airplane (with predictable results).
Rating: 
Summary: A COLLECTOR'S ITEM
Review: Apparently when this film was being made,L&H were both battling serious illnesses.It shows in the film itself.Stan is very thin and sick looking.He looks to be in no condition to make a movie.Oliver is heavier than ever.Three hundred pounds overweight.They both gave me the willies at first glance.However,this being their final film kind of makes it a collector's item for me.I hadn't realised they had been around as long as from the roaring 20s until 1950.Amazing!Another thing that never seems to be mentioned,is the storyline's remarkable simularity to Gilligan's Island.
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Summary: finally
Review: I am happy to see a remastered "flying deuces" being released here in the states as the fans know here in america we get screwed out of most of thier movies on dvd because ther companies are just too lazy to release them,but now things are slowly changing for the better with this release and the hallmark releases being released next year,a little at a time is better thn nothing at all,although "flying deuces" have been released over 100 times by different companies this is the first time we get a "remastered" version right from an early master,the other versions that have been released in the past have been pretty bad to pretty good but nothing great and in some cases they were so bad I can't see how they got it out on dvd......you won't have to buy the cheap crappy versions anymore now that this version is being released...
Rating: 
Summary: NOT ONE OF THEIR GREATEST
Review: I was quite disappointed when I first viewed this film.Inspite of the impressive openning and closing credits,where L&H are seen in cartoon form,Oliver's beautiful musical number of"Shine On Harvest Moon",and the climactic airplane scene,the film is not one of their funniest.I personally find the film somewhat depressing somehow.Definetly not one of their better films.
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Summary: Note that this item from Kino is the RESTORED EDITION
Review: Just an FYI: I notice a lot of reviews from earlier editions of "Flying Deuces" are turning up here... I just want to reiterate that THIS new version from Kino is RESTORED-- you won't see a better print of this movie unless one turns up after this is released. Ignore the reviews here that mention "Madacy," "Platinum," "Good Times," etc. ... this is the NEW Kino RESTORED version, and you're gonna' love it! :)
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Summary: Foreign Legion comedy is a typical Laurel & Hardy outing
Review: Mr. Hardy, disappointed in romance, joins the French Foreign Legion, and takes Mr. Laurel with him! A reworking of an older, similar comedy (BEAU HUNKS), this has more action and a faster pace. Highlights include Stan trying to console Ollie as clumsily as possible, a song-and-dance routine featuring "Shine On, Harvest Moon," and a wild airplane ride. If you like Laurel & Hardy, you'll like this.
Rating:
Summary: Finally, an excelleent print of this film!
Review: There are many versions of "Flying Deueces" on the market since it is a public domain film. They range from atrocious to just okay. Finally, Kino does all U.S. Laurel & Hardy fans a service by releasing a stunning print first released a few months ago on DVD by a French company. I highly recommend it!The film itself is fast-moving and highly amusing, as you'd expect from Laurel & Hardy. It has an interesting history-- the team did it away from their home studio in the midst of contract negotiations, and Hardy met his future wife while shooting-- she was a script girl on the set. It's one of my favorites. Also included are two Laurel & Hardy rarities: "The Stolen Jools," which was an all-star short featuring Laurel & Hardy as well as Edward G. Robsinson, Buster Keaton, the Our Gang ("Little Rascals") kids, Wallace Beary, Joan Crawford, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. and more. The other rarity is "Tree in a Test Tube," one of only 2 films the team made in color (the other being the lost feature, "The Rogue Song"). This was a wartime short done for the government about the importance of wood. With so little Laurel & Hardy available on DVD in the US, this is a welcome addition. Pick it up if you're looking for laughs, smiles and a bit of cinema history! :)
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