Rating: 
Summary: A bad idea whose time has come!
Review: Easily a match for (and predating by about six years) the Spinal Tap movie, this video is a must-have for fans of the Beatles (if they have a sense of humor) and the Python boys alike. The jokes are plentiful, but may not produce rollicking laughter until the third viewing or so--which is okay, because like the Monty Python films, this movie does not get old! The Rutles are, quite simply, a bad idea whose time has come! Hilariously funny.
Rating:
Summary: A correction
Review: This movie was a complete mockuentary of The Beatles by the people from Monty Python, not Saturday Night Live. I love the movie and thought that this should be corrected.
Rating: 
Summary: Idle Treatment of the Beatles
Review: It's more of an affectionate tribute than a parody of the Beatles. Neil Innes's music so perfectly captures the Beatles style that, even when he's not directly lifting one of their songs, the music's verisimiltude is dazzling. He's really the whole show here, despite Eric Idle's dual role, because his songs contribute all the highlights and the most enjoyable moments. It's clear that the four "Rutles" and their guest stars - most of the late 1970's SNL crew, Mick Jagger, George Harrison, and Michael Palin - are enjoying themselves. But the film isn't very funny and the script isn't too relevatory. It's amusing in the sense that children telling jokes or playacting are amusing: we enjoy watching the actors enjoy themselves (they're acting out a fantasy of playing the Beatles and got their own Beatles music to boot) - I smiled throughout but never laughed.
Rating:
Summary: One of my all time favorites!!!!
Review: The Beatles meet Spinal Tap. What can I say? One of the best ever. The writing and the acting are superb. Then again, what would you expect from a collaboration between Eric Idle, Lorne Michaels, and the original cast of Saturday Night Live? Any doubts? Just go back and find the link to the cast list. Enough said, now go and enjoy this laugh filled romp w/ the Pre-Fab Four.
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant!
Review: The stars and planets must have been aligned just right when Eric Idle and Neil Innes got together to make this brilliant movie. With an in-depth knowledge of the Beatles, Idle (who plays the McCartney-esque character, Dirk) satires the history of the Fab Four. Innes (Nasty, the John Lennon-like character) demonstrated an uncanny ability to write songs that both make fun of and pay tribute to the Beatles. As mentioned by other reviewers, his songs stand alone admirably. Without the combination of great story line and songs, the movie would have flopped.
This movie is not a "mockumentary", just as Neil Innes is not Weird Al Yankovic. Despite the satire, there is an aura of respect for the Beatles that shines through. The deleted scenes with Mick Jagger and Paul Simon illustrate this point; when you watch the interviews, although they say the word "Rutles", you know that they are thinking "Beatles".
There is a joyful vibe that permeates the entire film. It looks like it was a joy to make. And despite being made in 1978, it is as timeless as the Beatles themselves. I highly recommend this movie to all Beatles fans.
One last thing: For you older SNL fans, look for a cameo by a youthful Al Franken.
Rating:
Summary: So Realistic It's Perfect!
Review: I assume Beatles fans have seen this, but if you haven't, you won't believe it. So many in-jokes and references that hard-core Beatle nuts will get, and the way it's filmed would fool anyone who doesn't know it's a parody. The song "Goose Step Mama" filmed in what's supposed to be The Cavern, is so funny it's worth it alone. You'd swear this was a real documentary of early 60s British Invasion bands. Even if you're not a Beatlemaniac, you'll still enjoy this, as the song parodies are brilliant, and watching Idle as an interviewer chasing the camera is priceless. Having a real Beatle, George, and others in cameos was great. This is simply the best parody of anything ever, makes This Is Spinal Tap look like a Fleischer cartoon. Get it!!
Rating:
Summary: "I'm Dancin' in My Underwear and I don't Care!"
Review: This is a warm, affectionate, funny tribute to a wonderful band who bear an uncanny resemblance to another famous 60's Liverpool band, the name of which I can't recall at the moment.
I'd love to have seen some input by the other members of that other band, and a commentary by Neil Innes would have been great. Nevertheless, it is a very enjoyable film, and the commentary by Eric Idle adds a lot of background information on the making of it, as well as to the actual events that inspired it.
However, my favourite feature is the Play Songs Only option, and it's the songs which really elevate this above other pop music parodies. Neil Innes is apparently an extremely gifted and underrated songwriter/performer, who, for the most part, managed to create songs in the various styles of Lennon and McCartney without actually copying them. For instance, the lyrics of his song Let's Be Natural echo the song Mother Nature's Son, whilst the guitar sounds are similar to the song Dear Prudence. Actually, all the songs stand up very well on their own merits, as well as heightening ones appreciation for the originals that inspired them.
The 'historical' segments work quite well within it's limited budget and look fairly authentic in spite of some obviously late 70's hairstyles and a parked VW Rabbit in one shot.
The recreations of some of That Other Band's films are spot on, especially the Tragical History Tour, which looks like it was lifted directly from Magical Mystery Tour, but is in fact much more fun to watch!
This is a fun picture throughout, and although the humour can at times seem a little strained, the songs will undoubtedly still be playing in your head long after you've stopped watching.
Rating: 
Summary: A Magical Mystery Tour...
Review: Still surprisingly effective and the template for its far more popular and successful successor, "This is Spinal Tap", "All You Need is Cash" is its own magical mystery tour... a bizarre journey through the Beatles' story that twists & turns between the inspired and the downright silly but which, in the end, gets you there.
First off, Eric Idle's opening narration leaves you feeling that you're on some kind of second-rate Monty Python jaunt but, pretty soon thereafter, you hit the first of Neil Innes' brilliantly written and performed pastiches of Beatles' songs and things get much more impressive. And, from here on, it's a roller-coaster ride through some hilariously good and other, fairly weak re-workings of the Fab Four's career including brilliant send-ups of "Magical Mystery Tour", the Apple Corps debacle, "Yellow Submarine" and the "Get Back" rooftop session. But what makes this whole weird & wonderful ride hang together is the music... inspired, "tongue in cheek" gems that are so good that it's often difficult to remember they're not in fact original Beatles recordings. And, finally, the DVD's additional "deleted scenes" from the film's interviews with Mick Jagger & Paul Simon add fascinating insights into how The Beatles impacted on them while providing some wonderfully unintentional entertainment as they both struggle to remember that they should be talking about "The Rutles" rather than the real thing.
But what makes the film really interesting is that it's much closer to the reality of what actually went on than you may think. George Harrison's involvement as an actor in it, coupled with his close association with Eric Idle and the Monty Python team suggests that a great deal of "insider knowledge" was involved... how much remains a mystery in itself but the hand of someone "in the know" is most definitely there, making this flawed but highly entertaining film more than just an enjoyable spoof.
Rating:
Summary: A Collector's Item!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Review: When I first saw this about 25 years ago, I had only recently discovered Monty Python and was captivated by the mature, wry humor prevalent in their work.
The Rutles, a mockumentary which takes a rather satiric look at the phenomenon known as the Beatles, is an excellent vehicle for Eric Idle with a stellar supporting cast from some of his Monty Python pals as well as some American comedians.
It is obvious that the Beatles are the object of Idle's scorn but it is by far one of the funniest parodies to come along in a long time. I was thrilled to see it has been released on DVD and if you are a fan of wry, British, humor coming from the likes of Idle, you are definitely in for a treat!
A must have!!
Rating:
Summary: great songs; moderately funny film
Review: Beatle fans tend to regard The Rutles very warmly--and no wonder: the whole project is plainly a love letter to the Beatles phenomenon. It should be said, though, that the best thing about the whole thing is the brilliant and funny musical pastiche by Neil Innes--not the film itself, which some will find a little tepid.The problem is that the film is just not as funny as it wants to be. So, you feel like all the cues are there for you to laugh: there's Eric Idle's goofy face, there's the pause before the punchline, there's the inevitable joke. But the clever touches are somehow only halfway clever enough, so there's very little oomph to the laugh. The overall concept is fine; one can only wish that Idle had put the script and gags through a couple more drafts to get the most out of his material. So, my advice, for what it's worth, is to buy the first Rutles CD (which is wonderful). But rent the film before you buy it. -
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