A fairly close remake of the 1942 Ernst Lubitsch black comedy about the adventures of a troupe of ham actors in newly invaded Poland of 1939 - now in colour and well over the top, if you like it that way. Not aided by Alan Johnson's clodhopping direction, Mel Brooks comes nowhere near capturing the part of Bronski, so beautifully played in the original by Jack Benny. Anne Bancroft, in real life Mrs Brooks, wears some gorgeous gowns and has a game stab at the Carole Lombard role, while Charles Durning raises a few smiles as 'Concentration Camp' Erhardt, the loudly inefficient German officer. Like most of the roles, however, his is as wildly exaggerated as in any early silent comedy, although the actors may feel forced to 'mug' vigorously by the director's insistence on placing the camera close to their faces.

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