Review – What’s Up, Doc?

The basic idea here appears to be a live-action parade of old Warner Brothers cartoon clichés. That alone might have actually worked. Even with Buck Henry writing and Peter Bogdanovich in the director’s chair, the movie might still have had a chance. But this elaborate house of cards collapses under its own weight thanks to the emphasis throughout on a romance between sixties pop movie icons Ryan O’Neil and Barbara Streisand. I expect this outing was probably a great deal more entertaining back when it first came out. Thirty years ago the sub-references were probably a bit fresher and the clichés more ironic and less tedious. One bright spot: this was Madeline Kahn’s film debut. See if desperate