The Ladykillers
In The Ladykillers Tom Hanks stars as Goldthwait Higginson Dorr III, Ph.D., a charlatan professor who’s assembled a gang of “experts” for the heist of the century. Their base of operations: the root cellar of an unsuspecting, church-going little old lady named Mrs. Munson (Irma P. Hall, “Bad Company,” “Soul Food”). The ruse: the men need a place to practice church music, while they plot their heist. The problem: Dorr’s men aren’t the brightest thieves in the world. When Mrs. Munson stumbles onto their plot, they decide to do her in... but the ‘ladykillers’ hilariously underestimate their host upstairs.
Member Reviews
A coen Blunder - movie_goer
"The old woman is a more formidable antagonist than one had imagined."
I'm a big fan of the Coens, and I'm always interested in a movie featuring the southern settings and people that I'm so familiar with. So, I can't help but be a little disappointed that The Ladykillers, which should be an excellent combination of both those things, isn't better than it is.
Other than Tom Hanks' slimy and loquacious charmer and Irma P. Hall as the elderly religious lady who unwittingly serves as the foil for the would-be thieves of the story, The Ladykillers really has little of note to make it worthy of a recommendation. Only glimpses of the Coens' trademark style shine through from time to time. And surprisingly, other than the two characters I previously mentioned, the rest are unremarkable, boring, annoying, or all of the above.The Ladykillers - Derekstar
I'm generally more forgiving of the lesser Coen Brothers films than other people are. Even their worst stuff, I maintain, is so much more interesting than all the other crap out there that it's at least worth a watch. We just hold them to a higher standard. The Ladykillers ventures the closest of any of their movies to that "not recommended" line, but never crosses it. It's funny and it's smart, but only kinda. Tom Hanks is actually very good though, and saves the movie from mediocrity.Why all the hatred? - MikeLynn
I really don't understand why people dislike this movie so much. Sure, Tom Hanks really chews the scenery, and it has Marlon Wayans in it (ugh), but it's still a decent story with lots of laughs. Maybe people are comparing it to the original, or maybe the Coen brothers are held to some high standards because of their other work. I was especially shocked by a reviewer on Rotten Tomatoes, who likened this to a Farrelly brothers flick. I guess because a character has IBS? I really don't see many affinities with Dumb and Dumber or There's Something About Mary. It's true that it's not as good as other Coen brothers movies, but it is still a clever, tasteful comedy that any Coen brothers fan would enjoy.
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A coen Blunder - movie_goer
"The old woman is a more formidable antagonist than one had imagined."
I'm a big fan of the Coens, and I'm always interested in a movie featuring the southern settings and people that I'm so familiar with. So, I can't help but be a little disappointed ...The Ladykillers - Derekstar
I'm generally more forgiving of the lesser Coen Brothers films than other people are. Even their worst stuff, I maintain, is so much more interesting than all the other crap out there that it's at least worth a watch. We just hold them to a higher standard. ...Why all the hatred? - MikeLynn
I really don't understand why people dislike this movie so much. Sure, Tom Hanks really chews the scenery, and it has Marlon Wayans in it (ugh), but it's still a decent story with lots of laughs. Maybe people are comparing it to the original, or maybe the ...