Thoroughly Modern Millie

source: Thoroughly Modern Millie

This is 2 hours 32 minutes of pain until the 15 mins at end where it is suspenseful. Story writing had set ups with no payoffs. The audience is repeatedly disappointed, making scenes pointless. For example, The air scenes added nothing, missing the payoff you expect. Spoiler alert but not really: In air scene, by happenstance Millie's necklace turns off the engines. Now you expect a harrowing near crash. But nothing. A smooth landing follows. Pointless scene. The acting was poor except Julie Andrews who carried the movie. MTM was obviously coached to act in an uninspired way unlike what we know what she could do. Only two flashes of the Mary we know. Otherwise, She spoke in obviously flat and superficial manner for some inexplicable reason. We know it was not MTM choice because all the actors other than Andrews and Channing act in a similarly flat and superficial manner. If you like musicals like we do, they are some fun numbers. You could fast forward to watch those scenes. MTM showed she can dance very well.

I can usually tell if I'm going to enjoy a movie within the first 20 mins. This one took the opening sequence. The hammy performance of Beatrice Lille in the elevator was the first sign. That was followed by Julie Andrews being extra cute and the comic overkill of her transformation into a flapper. The haircut would've been enough but no we had to see her buy shoes, necklaces, a hat etc. on and on. So I thought Mary Tyler Moore would liven things up . She has a charming voice that I love. When she spoke I was shocked. It sounded dubbed, and she looked drugged. Very disappointing. That left only the very lame male leads and the hideous Carol Channing. At that point I gave up (approx 17 mins). Hopefully others will not have to suffer and just avoid this movie altogether. Also what's so musical/whimsical about white slavery?

I like Julie andrews so i was interested in seeing this. I had to fight my through the the WHOLE movie! This film was campy! Why was it done like this? Julie was good, but that's it. The songs we're so so and not very memorable (The only one i can remember is the title song and Baby Face). Also, the guy who played the romantic lead, not Robert Fox, the other one, was just plain BORING. and the fight scene at the end was camp at it's best. I only really laughed at the elevator scene, the one where Millie tries to save Robert Fox's character and has to madly dance her way down to the first floor. I really don't see how this film is getting the rating it's getting. 7.2 stars out of 10! I guess the Julie Andrews fans and the rest of the casts fans just don't see it as camp. Wouldn't recommend it, might buy the soundtrack, but that's pushing it.

>Thoroughly Modern Millie< is the sort of movie musical that you remember enough to watch once you forget what you disliked about it. It's in part a mystery, and in part a madcap story. The two themes don't fit well, and the ugly stereotypes of Asians are unforgivable. Whatever you do, do not show this movie to anyone who is of Asian origin or has any connections by marriage or commerce to any Asian culture. Young, aspiring women of the 1920s trying to make it in the Big City, first vocational and then matrimonial, are ensnared in the white slave trade by cunning, amoral, barbaric Chinese led by the stereotypical dragon lady (Beatrice Lillie). The young women, among them Millie Dillmount (Julie Andrews) and Dorothy Brown (Mary Tyler Moore) are too insipid to catch the full flavor of the 1920s flappers. Bits and pieces as production numbers are fine, but in between this movie drags and offends. It's hard to mix a mystery and madcap comedy, and the writing isn't up to it. One might as well buy the soundtrack instead of the movie and get the desirable portions without the dubious material in between. The movie as a whole is best forgotten, and avoided if one ever gets the temptation to see it.

This was the first Julie Andrews movie I have ever been disappointed in. I couldn't even make it through the entire movie. The first several minutes alone creeped me out. If I'm watching a movie where a big part of the plot is white slavery, I do not expect to see so much happy tap dancing. Every time you looked, someone was dancing while girls were being carted off. Then characters would have a thought and it would pop up on the screen like it was some sort of silent movie. Any other parts were just plain silly and I could never get into the story. I highly recommend any other Julie Andrews movie. They are much better, not to mention happier, and more memorable all around.

I really love Julie Andrews but this movie is beneath her. I am surprised she chose a script like this after having just stared in "The Sound of Music" and "Marry Poppins." You would think with an all-star cast, that this movie would have a more believable plot. It seemed like one fast dance routine after another loosely tied together. It tries to be comedic, however I didn't find much funny except for the opening minutes with their "Silent Movie" approach. I must admit that undoubtedly part of the reason for my dislike for this movie is that it is set in the "roaring twenties." I have never like the flapper style and I thought the costumes in this movie looked like bad flapper costumes. I also found the underlying plot to be rather dark considering the silly bright style for the rest of the movie. It was confusing. My summery is: The plot is awful, the music is lame, and the acting is bad. It was a total waste of two hours. It was a terrible movie.

A crazy but enjoyable parody of the films and fashion trends during the 1920s, it has everything from jazz music to silent movie title cards, and there is a hilarious kidnapping subplot tied in with the main storyline. It is a bit too silly, and plus 130 minutes is a little too long, with a few of the dance routines drawn out, but this is great entertainment otherwise. The title song, costumes and set design all reflect the era very well, the cinematography is excellent, making everything interesting to look at, and some of the editing work and the sound design are great too. The supporting cast adds a lot of flavour to the mix. Beatrice Lillie comes off the best but Jack Soo, Pat Morita, and just about everyone else are close behind. Maybe it is a bit silly, maybe it is overlong, but it is a delight and a compelling film due to its uniqueness and bizarreness.

All the money and all the talent just circles the drain in this mess. Pretty costumes,great actors,zippy airplanes,tall buildings,nice lot shooting,and it all comes down to the fact that you are BEGGING for this to be over about an hour into it. I think we all watch it just to be respectful to Julie and Mary and Carol. This movie just flat sucks. There is NO life to it. \ Julie Andrews is NOT sexy,in any way. Shes too old for the part. MTM is very sexy,but kept under wraps for this one. She is too old,too. I know its a bit of a tongue in cheek piece,but it is a waste,all around. The music is enjoyable and in 1967,nothing on earth was less desired than a twenties themed score. Blame it on the Summer of Love. 1967 was a WILD year. This film is so utterly tame,in every single way that it just fizzed and died when it came out. I laughed my behind off when I read the reviews on Wiki. This thing was inflated and held up. In short,a very pretty,harmless sleeping pill.

Hard for me to be objective, here, since I've been madly in love with Julie Andrews since being first exposed to her crystalline voice when I was three. But I'll try: "Millie's" first half is, to quote the screenplay, "Delish," with Andrews vamping and camping throughout. I am unable to take my eyes off her as she clowns, flirts, cavorts, and also sings and dances (getting her hotel elevator to work results in a showstopper). The vehicle--a pastiche of 1920s conventions (including "moderns") and filmgoing techniques (including iris-outs and title cards)--is the frothy light story of a British import who comes to America and finds true love. The second half gets bogged down in the overwrought script, with all the machinations of a white slavery plot and a pair of "inscrutible" Orientals who, in this day and age of racial sensitivity, get far worse than they deserve. Some history: Ross Hunter, the producer, wanted to film "The Boy Friend," the Broadway musical that had introduced Andrews to the U.S. stage. When the rights were unavailable, he devised his own script, using the same setting--the 1920s. A "small" musical evolved. Then Julie's star went through the stratosphere. And the Universal "suits," smelling another payday, insisted that the movie be a road-show presentation--with a road-show running time(and at which road-show prices could be charged). Little "Millie" had an intermission added, and her running time was increased considerably. The movie's still a lot of fun and definitely recommendable (especially to Andrews fans), but let's just say that, at times, it more than shows its stretchmarks!