Buy posters from this movie

By this point, Jamie Uys was known mainly for his amusing nature documentary entitled Animals are Beautiful People (1974). Following that success, Uys spent the next 3+ years working on "Gods," which was completed in 1980 and spent four years overseas before making it stateside. And what a solid little coup it was for the folks at Jensen Farley Pictures, a now-defunct distributor which generally dabbled in product like Joysticks, Madman and Chained Heat.

The Gods Must Be Crazy was one of those "dinner party" movies that you simply HAD to see if you wanted to participate in all the buzzing. As always, it's reassuring to realize that just about ANY movie can become a success if the audience feels enthusiastic enough to spread the good word.

Though initially broken up into three distinct plot threads, The Gods Must Be Crazy slowly and amiably pulls each one closer until it all fits together quite well.

Thread 1 introduces us to a South African bushman who aims to throw a Coke bottle off the edge of the world. Recently arrived on their land by a careless pilot, the bottle initially represents some type of modern convenience. But once the tribe members start getting mad at whoever's 'hogging the magic item', the decision is made: edge-of-the-world time for this pesky gift from the gods.

Thread 2 covers a monumentally clumsy (yet entirely likeable) inventor/scientist who's been asked to escort a lovely new school teacher to her arid new lodgings. This particular plot thread is heavy on silly schtick and frequent pratfalls. Still, there's good fun to be had.

Thread 3 (thankfully) earns the least of the screen time, and it's got something to do with a violent political uprising and machine gun-toting mercenaries.

The ambitious Jamie Uys seems to throw whatever he can into this silly stew: broad comedy, cutesy romance, political intrigue, nature documentary footage, action sequences and social commentary all buck for your attention - resulting in a movie experience that's as admittedly odd as it is perpetually intriguing. If one section doesn't work for you, just wait five minutes and something completely different will parade across the screen.

Looking back on a Foreign Flick Sensation that's now over twenty years old...The Gods Must Be Crazy still holds up surprisingly well. There's an earnest sincerity to the messages offered within, plus the presentation is colorful and exotic and quite funny throughout.

If it manages to drag just a bit here and there or perhaps run about fifteen minutes too long, you'll be willing to forgive "The Gods Must Be Crazy" by that point, simply because it's such a quaintly surreal, quietly amusing and endearingly bizarre little import.

link directly to this review at https://www.efilmcritic.com/review.php?movie=9612&reviewer=128
originally posted: 05/18/04 14:40:08
 printer-friendly format