Stir Crazy (1980) User Reviews (101)

A hundred and twenty five years... Oh God, Oh God... Ill be a hundred and sixty one when I get out.

[hitchcockthelegend · 8/10 · 19 November 2011]

Stir Crazy is directed by Sidney Poitier and written by Bruce Jay Friedman. It stars Gene Wilder, Richard Pryor, Miguel Angel Suarez, Georg Stanford Brown, JoBeth Williams and Erland Van Lidth. Plot has Pryor and Wilder as two care free New York buddies who after getting fired from their jobs decide to make their way to Hollywood in search of better fortunes. However, after taking up a gig as promotional woodpeckers for a bank's advertisement drive, they find themselves framed for robbing the bank and sentenced to 125 years each in prison…..

The second pairing of Wilder and Pryor proves to be the best of their output on film. With their chemistry skin tight, film is full of laughs until a big slow down for the last third when the inevitable attempt at a prison break out occurs. Poitier's direction isn't up to anything other than correctly letting his two lead stars strut their stuff. But along with writer Friedman, he has to be accountable for letting the comedy dry up as the film chooses tension over humour which undoubtedly doesn't sit at all right. Still, the first hour is a joy ride, particularly once the guys land in prison, here the comedy reaches its peak and the contrast of the two characters played by Wilder and Pryor really mines the set-up for all is worth. Wilder is oblivious to the hazards of prison life, Pryor is street savvy and fully aware of the perils around every brick walled corner.

Naturally there's a hope on the horizon, which here comes in the form of Rodeo skills, this too brings the laughs, as does the number of prison characters that join in the plot. Notably Van Lidth's monstrous, and monstrously funny, Grossberger. Yes it's a roll call of prison stereotypes, from the top where the morally dubious Warden (Barry Corbin) sits, down to the cons where gays, bullies and gate happy loonies reside. With that, some of it now seems twee and badly out of date. So much so it's a film that is unlikely to garner a new and appreciative audience. However, those who were enamoured and found themselves laughing heartily with it back in the early 80s, should find that like myself, it holds up real well. Kind of like an old friend you call on when you need a pick me up. Hardly a superior comedy classic, then, but a film that rewards its fans on each subsequent revisit. 7/10

Pryor and Wilder Behind Bars

[EmperorNortonII · 7/10 · 1 July 2005]

"Stir Crazy" once again brings together the comedic talents of Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor. Here, they play Skip and Harry, two hapless slackers in New York who decide to go west to find their fortunes. On the way, they stop in Arizona, and get framed for a bank robbery. This lands them behind bars. This movie is loaded with screwball comedy, and it shows Gene Wilder at his most manic. His methods at pretending to be insane and keeping his spirit from being broken will elicit the big laughs. It all climaxes with a prison rodeo, and an elaborate breakout scheme. "Stir Crazy" is a comedy classic, and reminds us all of the comedy team of Pryor and Wilder.

Wilder And Pryor At Their Peak

[ccthemovieman-1 · 8/10 · 16 August 2006]

Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor was a good comedy team of the 1970s, making several hit movies together, this being one of the more memorable. Viewing this movie recently after a 25-year absence, it was a shock to me to hear the language. I had remembered this strictly as a light-hearted comedy but I can see why it's rated "R." That is solely for the language, especially by Pryor, but he was known for his profane humor.

If you can put up with that, the film is downright funny, even today. I found myself laughing out loud at a few scenes, all of which I remembered vividly from several viewings in the '70s. They are still just as funny.

Who could forget that mammoth criminal with the long, long name - Erland van Lidth de Jeude? He was the guy that scared the hell out of everyone, just by his physical presence. In real life, that man was the opposite of his projected image on screen. He was a graduate of MIT, an accomplished opera singer, an Olympic wrestler, devoted husband and father, writer, etc. The poor man died at the age of 34.

It also was interesting to see such a young looking Craig T Nelson and JoBeth Williams.

This might have been the best of the Wilder-Pryor films. I was shocked to see that Sidney Poitier directed this movie. I didn't know that until seconds ago when I looked at this IMDb title page.

Richard & Gene do time.

[BlackJack_B · 31 August 2011]

Stir Crazy isn't anything too difficult to explain. It's simply pure comedy from the talented duo of Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor, directed by the fantastic Sidney Poitier.

Gene and Richard play two friends from New York who are moving to California. They stop over in a town in Arizona, get a job as dancing woodpeckers who do jingles for a bank and then are arrested when two other men steal their costumes and rob said bank.

They then are sent to jail for 125 years by the no-nonsense judge and the film documents their attempt to get used to prison life, pray that their lawyers can prove their innocence and hope Skip (Gene's character) can dominate the prison rodeo.

As I said, there's nothing deep or thought provoking in this film. It's just the zany antics of the two comedic legends. Some strong acting by the cast and excitement are in the offing and the film delivers that in spades.

What was neat to see were all the T.V. stars of past and future in the supporting cast, like Luis Avalos of The Electric Company and Craig T. Nelson of Coach. It was fun to recognize all these old faces.

The only flaw was that the film's writing seemed geared for an easy job of editing for T.V. I wonder if just making it PG would have been better for their box office numbers. Nonetheless, Stir Crazy was the 3rd highest grossing film of 1980.

If you're looking for a real comedy film, a blast from the past, Stir Crazy delivers.

a timeless comedy

[vintig7345 · 7/10 · 5 June 2006]

Recently i bought a DVD-recorder. As a stunt the shop sold it at a special price, together with a selection of Movies on DVD. One of these DVD's is "Stir Crazy". I watched the film again, this time together with my 13-years old son and a friend of his. The boys were rolling on the floor with laughter, so one can definitely say that this is a timeless comedy, that never ages. The film always leaves me with a good feeling and i have seen that it still works, even with kids these days. The acting is superb, the dialog continually funny, the prison setting convincing and an extra credit should go out to Jobeth Williams' small but heat-warming part. Guaranteed to bring a little sunshine to a rainy day.

Great Comedy

[whpratt1 · 7/10 · 9 January 2008]

Enjoyed this film starring Gene Wilder, (Skip Donahue) and Richard Pryor, (Harry Monroe) who are arrested and sent to prison for a bank robbery which they did not commit. Skip & Harry are from the East and are sent to a prison in the Western part of the country and they have to face some very difficult situations in the prison and just can't seem to adjust to prison life. One day the warden of the prison finds out that Skip has a great deal of experience in riding broncos in rodeo's and asks him to participate in a Western rodeo which is going to be presented to the prisoners and general public. There is some romance which goes on between a girl named Meredith, (Jo Beth Williams) who is attracted to Skip Donahue and obtains a lawyer for him to be able to investigate this false prison sentence and get him free. There is plenty of action with Skip & Harry trying to run away from bulls who are out to attack them and lots of great comedy.

Really funny buddy, buddy crime comedy.

[poolandrews · 7/10 · 2 November 2010]

Stir Crazy starts in New York City as best friends Skip Donahue (Gene Wilder) & Harry Monroe (Richard Pryor) are both fired from their jobs on the same afternoon, drowning their sorrows in a local bar Skip tells Harry that he is fed up with New York & convinces his friend that they should set off on a road trip across the US to Hollywood to find their fame & fortune. Harry agrees but their old van breaks down in a small town called Glenboro, needing money to pay for the repairs Skip & Harry are hired by a bank to sing a song dressed as Woodpeckers. Two local crooks steal the Woodpecker costumes & rob the bank for which Skip & Harry are blamed, they go before a judge, found guilty & sentenced to one hundred & twenty five years each behind bars in state prison. Both Skip & Harry are unprepared for the harsh reality of prison & decide to use the upcoming rodeo to escape...

Directed by Sidney Poitier this is the sort of film that you will get & roll around on the floor laughing or find crude & unfunny, comedy like so much else is subjective & what makes one person laugh will not necessarily make the guy sitting next to him laugh so when I say that I thought Stir Crazy was often quite hilarious it's only my own personal opinion as I know quite rightly the person I was standing next to in the que at the bus stop may not. Simple. I won't say that you will find Stir Crazy as funny as I did but I think you would need to be pretty devoid of emotion not to find at least some of it amusing & as I said I think it's often outright hilarious. The film starts off almost entirely as a showcase for the comedic pairing of Wilder & Pryor with some terrific scenes including the Woodpecker dance, the 'I'm bad' scene in jail, some priceless one-liners & reactions to the general likability of the two leads as they turn the material into gold. However once the rodeo aspect & jail break angle kicks in during the second half of the film the comedy seems to take a back seat as gambling, cheating & an odd jail break (why did Harry have to go back into the rodeo? Why couldn't Rory & Jesus climb up the shaft & into the popcorn thing like Harry & Skip do?) take center stage. Also the ending is a little silly & unsatisfying in it's attempt to finish as quickly as possible, sure Harry & Skip have been acquitted but that still leaves the fact they broke out of jail & helped two other convicted criminals including a murderer to escape too. While I am poking holes in the plot would a lawyer's niece really get a job in a topless bar just on the off chance she might see a guy with a particular tattoo? Now that's going above & beyond the call of duty, unless of course she needed the extra money as well.

Shot in a real Arizona prison this has good production values & is well made for what it is although there's no real action apart from some rodeo footage of horses & bulls thrashing around. While there is plenty of bad language & profanity there's no violence to speak of. Apparently Richard Pryor refused to wear the Woodpecker suit while filming but strangely did wear for the poster & promotional materials.

Apparently a big success at the time even though the critics generally hated it, some of the country & western style music & songs are a little nerve grating & distracting but nothing too major. The acting is good, Wilder & Pryor in particular are brilliant here as a pairing & it's said a lot of scenes were improvised between the two. Even though their character's never meet in Stir Crazy both JoBeth Williams & Craig T. Nelson went on to star in the excellent Poltergeist (1982) a couple of years later.

Stir Crazy is a film that I found extremely funny, Wilder & Pryor are on top form & while the logistic's of the story seem to have been shoved to one side Stir Crazy is just a film to be enjoyed & not taken too seriously.

Pryor and Wilder make a great team

[blanche-2 · 7/10 · 4 April 2009]

Two guys doing a bank promotion dressed as Big Bird are mistaken for the bank robbers who stole their costumes in "Stir Crazy," a 1980 film starring Richard Pryor and Gene Wilder, who worked so well together in several films.

Two friends, Skip and Harry (Wilder and Pryor) both lose their jobs and leave New York City, planning to work their way to the west coast. When the unfortunate situation described above happens, they wind up in prison. The naive Skip (Wilder), an aspiring playwright, takes notes and Harry (Pryor), facing the reality of the situation, is terrified. In prison, they meet the very gay Rory (Georg Stanford Brown), the sweet Jesus (Miguel Angel Suarez), who misses his girlfriend Teresa, the huge, scary Grossberger (Erland van Lidth de Jeude) who turns out to be a pussycat with a beautiful singing voice, the miserable guard (Craig T. Nelson) and the warden (Barry Corbin). When it's discovered that Skip has a natural ability to ride a mechanical bull, the warden enters him in a rodeo where he has a huge bet with another warden (Nicholas Coaster). Harry, Skip, Rory, Grossberger, and Jesus plan an escape to take place at the rodeo.

Very funny film, with one of the highlights being Pryor in the prison hospital because he was told he had to have his appendix out, though they had already been removed. Skip is advised that in order to get the team he wants at the rodeo, he needs to turn down the warden's request that he ride. Putting Hank in the hospital is just one ploy to break him down. The scene is hilarious.

Pryor and Wilder work beautifully together, the street smart black and the naive dreamer. There's always something so sweet about Wilder and nervous about Pryor, one walking into obvious danger while the other one desperately tries to pull him out, that just worked in all their films. It's also a rare chance to see the uniquely talented Erland van Lidth de Jeude, a huge, 6'6" Dutch heldentenor who qualified for the Olympics in wrestling, was a teacher, an MIT graduate, and had his own computer company. An absolutely amazing man who died 7 years after this film.

Lots of fun. Recommended.

Humor and suspense

[BrandtSponseller · 10/10 · 31 March 2005]

Skip Donahue (Gene Wilder) and Harry Monroe (Richard Pryor) are best friends living in New York City. Donahue is an amateur playwright, working a day job in department store security. Monroe is working as a catering assistant. When Donahue is canned for harassing a starlet and Monroe is fired because his marijuana ends up in the food at a society dinner on the same day, Donahue takes it as the perfect opportunity to finally leave the cold, unfriendly metropolis and head out West. Unfortunately, neither is very well adapted to life outside of New York, and they end up framed for a crime.

I hadn't seen Stir Crazy since at least the early 1980s. Recently I had a chance to rewatch Gene Wilder's The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother (1975), which I hadn't seen since the 1970s, and I was a bit disappointed. So I was nervous that Stir Crazy might also be a let down this far removed in time. That couldn't have been more wrong. I may have even thought it was funnier and more exciting this time around than when I first watched the film as a teen.

I had forgotten that Stir Crazy isn't just a comedy. It's also fairly suspenseful and surprisingly serious at times in the last act. Director Sidney Poitier makes a smooth transition through many genres--buddy film, road movie, fish out of water story and prison film, aided of course by Wilder and Pryor. While both actors have had plenty of performances just as good as Stir Crazy, neither have had any that were better.

In a way, this is really more Wilder's film than Pryor's. That's no slight on Pryor; Wilder just ends up getting more screen time. He presents a hilariously bizarre, complex character who is full of contradictions--kind of a channeling of a less loquacious Woody Allen through a more down to earth version of his Willy Wonka (Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory, 1971). Wilder's Skip Donahue has an air of Mister Rogers-styled good-natured innocence, with the same kind of odd and maybe creepy homoerotic overtones, but he'll also turn on a dime into a neurotic, screaming loon. As I said, it's all very complex, but extremely funny and enjoyable to watch.

Pryor's Harry Monroe is more of a streetwise perpetual victim who doesn't adjust to the social world of the criminal justice system as well as Donahue does. He has a much more typical reaction, with no misconceptions about their dire circumstances.

The crux of the humor in the first section of the film is the naivety of Donahue's "grass is always greener on the other side" conception of the Western U.S. compared to New York City. Of course, things turn out to be not quite so simple, but it's funny and charming that Poitier and writer Bruce Jay Friedman have Donahue never quite wake up from his naïve misconception. It also turns out to have much more weight than just a comic device: Donahue survives in prison as well as he does, and it brings about the profound changes of character--Donahue becomes much more authentic, realizes his potential, gains material for his art and even gets the girl--because of his continued misprision (in the Bloom sense) about life outside of New York City, and in the end, it enables a "return to the market", as they say in Zen Buddhism.

Watching Stir Crazy at this later point in time, some of the humor might seem a bit clichéd to younger viewers. It's important to remember that this is where a lot of those "clichés" came from. In 1980, everyone was mimicking scenes from this film (such "We bad . . .") and repeating dialogue and jokes. Some of the filmic (and by extension general cultural) folklore or urban legends about prisons contained in Stir Crazy had made appearances in films prior to this one, but not in the particular irreverent way that they're satirized here.

This is an important film in the careers of a few of the greatest actors and comedians (Wilder, Pryor and Poitier), with an important place in the history of Hollywood comedy. The fact that it's also suspenseful and has philosophical things to say about human nature is a bonus that makes this a film you shouldn't miss.

Over-stirred!

[spookyrat1 · 6/10 · 12 February 2019]

Stir Crazy turns out to be another of those films with two distinct halves. The first half introducing best friends Skip and Harry, their trip west in an attempt to start new lives and their descent into and initial experiences adjusting to prison life and culture are generally pretty funny. The second half for some unknown reason changes tone and direction. The film starts to primarily play out as a prison escape film, combined with a prison sports sub-story. The laughter quotient is reduced, as this somewhat awkward and uncalled for suspense element is ramped up.

Fans of the Wilder/Pryor duo will still find the movie entertaining enough, but the hilarity of some of the earlier episodes prior to the escape plan coming into being is sorely missed. Give me their antics in the bar, or the courtroom, or on arriving in prison any day, instead of being forced to watch a very obviously disguised, Wilder stand-in/stuntman being chased around a rodeo corral by a bull.

The re-pairing of the two well-matched stars from Silver Streak is welcome, but director Sidney Poitier in my view missed an opportunity to make a really funny comedy that left a lasting impression, in the tradition of films such as Blazing Saddles and Anchorman.

I don't understand

[magellan333 · 4/10 · 25 December 2005]

I love Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor. Silver Streak was great. Hear No Evil See No Evil wasn't bad. I just don't get why this movie is so highly thought of. It has a few chuckles here and there, but all in all I didn't find it that funny. The funniest moments were Gene Wilder's craftiness in dealing with the guards brutality. Richard Pryor's striking a match to the big guy in jail was funny too, although it didn't make much sense. I have seen both the TV and DVD version of this film and neither were able to impress on me the reason this movie is considered to be a "classic". Both actors have had funnier films (together and on their own).

Rich & Wild

[Yggort · 10/10 · 27 July 2015]

Fun jail break film. I get the impression this film is mostly ad-libbed and just lets the 'comedy duo' play in each scene. In fact the scenes seem so loose that it almost suffers in some parts. Some scenes are unforgettably funny, and others are plain bizarre but i enjoy the fearlessness of both actors. It's the usual naive and optimistic Wilder versus street wise and pessimistic Pryor, but it works for whatever reasons. People seem to find this film on a comedic par with Hear No Evil See No Evil, despite them being made nearly a decade apart. There is definitely some weird magic happening on screen, and the supporting cast is at their best. Stands strong for 1980.

Great duo find some funny moments in certain spots

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 26 December 2014]

Skip Donahue (Gene Wilder) is a playwright. Harry Monroe (Richard Pryor) is an actor. They are unsuccessful best friends in NYC. After both getting fired, Skip is tired of the city and convinces Harry to move out to the west coast. Their van breaks down and they take jobs as mascots at a bank. Bank robbers steal their mascot outfits to rob the bank. Skip and Harry are arrested for the robbery and sent to prison for 125 years.

Gene Wilder going crazy in prison is hilarious. That's the best scene in the movie. However it flattens out and loses some of the comedic tone. It's too bad. It becomes a bit too serious about an escape attempt and a rodeo contest. I still love the Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor pairing. They are one of the best comedic duo of all times. They do some really fun back and forth in this one. However there isn't a single laugh in the last section of the movie.

Cowboy Down

[thesar-2 · 2/10 · 4 September 2016]

Let's just begin with, if you're in the mood for a funny prison movie, you'll find both The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile ten times more humorous than Stir Crazy.

Yeah, I know this is (barely) the 1980s, but hell, this was more like a 70s sitcom pilot that needed to be cancelled before aired. Aside from obviously-thrown-in-for-an-R-Rating stripper nudity and some mild swear words, this truly felt like some dated half-hour comedy on CBS of decades passed.

This is sad since it started off so promising. No laughs, but it did manage to get a couple of big grins from me in Act One where our "heroes" get fired in New York City and decide to move to Hollywood to make it rich and score as many women as sand on the beaches. But, about a half-hour into the over-long two hour runtime, our boys wrongfully and apparently, willingly end up in prison. With the odds so stacked against them from not living out their remaining days behind bars, the movie really loses all steam, cleverness and fun.

Of course, there's a silly turning point for them: a public rodeo that might serve as means of an escape. Throw in many characters to ensure the crazy in the title and you have your "film." Oh, and lest I forget: the biggest and most unlawful copout conclusion to any prison movie.

I was shocked to learn all this from my first viewing last night. I thought this was supposed to be a cult classic. A laugh-out-loud riot signifying the Pryor/Wilder pair into cinematic history. Nope. In fact, I'm all-but upset I wasted two hours on an extremely humorless "comedy."

I didn't laugh once…NOT ONCE. Like I said above, I smiled a few times indicating that scene or "joke" was somewhat clever, but it didn't get a chuckle out of me. If not for the chemistry between the boys and that the film was somewhat competently made, I'd rate this much lower.

But, even with filmmakers knowing how to shoot scenes and two leads that work perfectly together, this movie is sorely NOT recommended. My first viewing of this comedic-duo was in See No Evil, Hear No Evil in theatres in 1989. I LOVED that movie. Just skip this 36-year-old dated movie and go with the 27-year-old timeless comedy: See No Evil, Hear No Evil.

***

Final thoughts: Whelp, that wraps up my Wilder Weekend. I figured I'd go with a trilogy of Gene Wilder films I had not seen in respect of his passing less than a week ago: The Producers, Young Frankenstein and Stir Crazy. The first and last I wouldn't recommend, but Y.F. I would totally support. That was one of the best comedies I've seen in a long time.

a very funny film

[dtucker86 · 26 October 2003]

"Thats right,thats right we baaaad.....". That line was probably the most famous that Richard Pryor ever uttered on screen. He and Gene Wilder made a great "buddy" team just like Newman and Redford...only they are a helluva lot funnier! This was one film that critics hated but audiences loved. Wilder's "nice guy" is a perfect match for Pryor's wisecracking. This film has a fine supporting cast as well, George Stanford Brown (although his portrayal of a gay inmate may not seem "politically correct" today, he is hilariously "swishy" though!) Jobeth Williams, Barry Corbin (as the corrupt warden)and Craig T. Nelson (before he became a "Coach"). Sidney Poitier does a wonderful job of directing these two comedy legends I might add. The prison escape in the end kept me on the edge of my seat. I liked Skip and Harry so much that I was just rooting for them all the way! Pryor was burned shortly after this film was completed.

Wilder and Pryor reunite for a zany prison break comedy.

[barnabyrudge · 6/10 · 14 May 2006]

After their successful partnership in Silver Streak, comic duo Richard Pryor and Gene Wilder reteamed for this wacky prison comedy under the direction of Sidney Poitier. Originally intended as a film entitled "Prison Rodeo", the film eventually got released under the title Stir Crazy - complete with a catchy title tune sung by Wilder himself - and was a big hit for its two stars. In truth, it is considerably short of the brilliant standard set by Silver Streak.... while that film was witty, charming and exciting, this one is very broad with lots of outright silliness. But having said that, Stir Crazy is still totally enjoyable in its harmless way.

New Yorkers Skip Donahue (Wilder) and Harry Monroe (Pryor) decide to head out west, dreaming of a new start away from the Big Apple. En route, they stop off in various small towns and take on part-time jobs to fund their trip. In a town called Glenborough, Skip and Harry are hired by a bank manager to dress up in woodpecker costumes and entertain the waiting customers with a song-and-dance act. However, a couple of rednecks steal their costumes and rob the bank while Skip and Harry are on their lunch break.... when the unsuspecting pair return to work, they are promptly arrested for the robbery they didn't even commit. It isn't long before the innocent duo are locked up in the penitentiary, with a 135-year sentence hanging over them! Skip impresses the prison warden by riding a bucking bronco (mechanical bull) at full speed, and is later approached to represent the prison in a forthcoming annual rodeo show. The rodeo provides Skip and Harry, plus a few of their new convict pals, with a chance to attempt an audacious prison break....

Stir Crazy is more entertaining during the opening two-thirds than the final third. The comedy aspects seem to run out of steam, and the last half hour is dedicated purely to the jail break sequence. While the escape is tolerable enough to watch, it isn't really in keeping with the zany tone established earlier in the movie. Wilder and Pryor are good together (despite their well documented on-set differences.... it was around this time that Pryor was getting out of control with drugs); the supporting actors have amusing moments along the way too, especially Erlind Van Lidith as a mass murderer who develops an unlikely affection towards Harry and Skip. The film is quite episodic in some ways, especially during the middle section when the prison guards try various nasty strategies to intimidate Skip into joining the rodeo team. The funniest moments are the more spontaneous bits, where Wilder and Pryor's chemistry is thrust to the fore (the scene where they "get bad" upon first entering a jail is a wonderful example of this). All in all, Stir Crazy has much to enjoy but just runs out of gas on its final lap.

Thoroughly enjoyable prison comedy.

[bretttaylor-04022 · 7/10 · 5 August 2021]

Richard Pryor and Gene Wilder star as two New Yorkers who are fired from their day jobs and decide to move west. They are wrongly accused and imprisoned for a bank robbery and plot an escape that involves an inter prison rodeo competition. This is very easy to watch and Pryor and Wilder have good chemistry together. The plot at times is a bit too convenient.

Sidney Poitier

[yusufpiskin · 7/10 · 21 December 2019]

Firstly, I loved this film when I was growing up, I watched it a multitude of times and had it on a pedestal.

I watched it again last night, and as much as it kills me to say this, it doesn't really stand up now. Don't get me wrong, it still made me laugh, but maybe not as much as it once did.

Pryor and Wilder were an exceptional double act when they worked together, and they don't really apply to the typical dynamic as the straight man and the imbecile, they had both traits in their performances, and they managed to play off each other so well. I don't think any other two actors could have done so much with this film as these two managed to achieve.

Even Wilders opening song is perfection, specifically when you apply it to the whimsy nature of his character in the film.

I would recommend watching Stir Crazy to anyone who wants to see comedy genius at its peak, it's just a shame the overall film doesn't stack up so much these days.

Never mind, I still enjoyed it.

Decent Comedy Riding on the Fact it's Stars are so Good

[emryse · 6/10 · 8 January 2022]

This is a decent comedy with some fun ideas at play and good jokes. Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor are an endlessly entertaining comedic duo and the ensemble cast are good too. Apart from that though I don't have much to say, the cinematography is nothing special, the soundtrack is uninspired. Really the film rides on Wilder and Pryor, if you have seen them in other films and enjoyed them then this will probably be an enjoyable film. 6/10.

Very enjoyable film though the first half is better than the second half

[TheLittleSongbird · 8/10 · 12 June 2017]

Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor were a great comedy duo. Not all their few collaborations were great, but 'Silver Streak' and 'Stir Crazy' very much were very good, particularly the former. One thing that 'Stir Crazy' improves on than 'Silver Streak' is that Wilder and Pryor get equal screen time and work stronger as a double act.

'Stir Crazy's' second half isn't as good as the first half, a case of the first half being great but the second half having moments but not living up to the promise seen before. The elaborate escape scene stands out well, but generally the second half does suffer from a lack of laughs, which the first half had aplenty, the momentum isn't as snappy and the more serious tone jars a little.

That's pretty much it for the flaws though. 'Stir Crazy' is one of their more visually beautiful films, the setting is great and like a character of its own and there is some truly beautiful and clever photography at the start and in the first half.

Much of the script is hilarious and clever, and avoids being noisy or immature. Pryor's chicken scene is unforgettable, and there is some clever lampooning of prison clichés. The story is slightly contrived at times in the second half but very rarely gets tedious. Sidney Poitier is a surprising choice for director but does a very capable job.

Wilder is both funny and endearing and avoids mugging too much or clowning around. Pryor with more screen time than 'Silver Streak' equal to that of Wilder, works incredibly well with Wilder and while he is the less understated of the two he's not abrasive or annoying.

Overall, uneven but very enjoyable. 8/10 Bethany Cox

"Yeah, that's right, we bad..."

[PredragReviews · 7/10 · 10 May 2016]

Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor starred in several movies together, and in "Stir Crazy" their comedic chemistry shines strong. A very good supporting cast (including Jo Beth Williams, Craig T. Nelson, and Barry Corbin) add to the strength of this entertaining film. And let us not forget that the one and only Sidney Poitier showed his ability as a comedy director for this.

The scenes which slow this picture down are the rodeo-escape scenes toward the end of the film, and display very little life and are somewhat boring. The plot of "Stir Crazy", though, where Wilder and Pryor are framed for armed robbery and sent to prison, is quite amusing and hilarious, with the right amount of flavor and texture to grab my attention!

Overall rating: 7 out of 10.

A truly lightweight 1970s Comedy

[fran-ohmsford-417-318109 · 3/10 · 12 August 2018]

A truly lightweight 1970s comedy that just happened to be released in 1980. Stir Crazy raises numerous smiles and provokes not a few cringes but laughs are few and far between in this meh prison caper. Many characters appeared and disappeared and reappeared just to service the paper-thin plot with no attempt to show how or why anything was really happening or indeed how the lawyer's female friend knew things she couldn't possibly have known having not been privy to those conversations. The love story is totally phoned-in and completely unbelievable whilst being pretty much unnecessary to the actual plot. Richard Pryor and Gene Wilder are given nothing to work with here and Wilder in particular resorts to manic at every opportunity with Pryor seemingly forced to follow suit. Again things just happen with no build-up seemingly just to get us to the end of the film! Stir Crazy is an unremarkable "comedy" that plays it safe from start to finish but forgets to actually provide a competent plot. 3/10 - Not worth watching except if you're bored and feel like an inane "comedy" with lots of smiles but few actual laughs.

crazier and crazier

[lee_eisenberg · 10/10 · 9 July 2005]

Everyone likes a prison movie, and everyone likes a Gene Wilder-Richard Pryor comedy, so combine those two genres, and you've got a formidable piece of cinematic history. The two comedians play Skip Donahue and Harry Monroe, a pair of New Yorkers whose lives are going nowhere. After witnessing a very unpleasant scene in a bar, they decide to move out west. In Arizona, they get a job in a bank as dancing woodpeckers. Then, some thugs get hold of the costumes and rob the bank. The crime naturally gets pinned on Skip and Harry, who get put in jail. Adjusting to life behind bars isn't all that easy for them, until Skip everyone discovers Skip's rodeo talent. Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor always made a great comedy team, and "Stir Crazy" is no exception. When I was in fifth grade and the teacher showed us "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory", she told everyone that Gene Wilder was a great actor in many movies. I said "Stir Crazy", and she asked "Uh, did your parents let you see the whole thing?" My parents did let me see the whole thing, although there are some scenes that make it R-rated. But it's a really funny movie; you should see it.

Appreciating the sanity of your own backyard, even in Manhattan...

[mark.waltz · 6/10 · 15 November 2012]

It takes a visit to middle America for two jaded New Yorkers (Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor) to figure out. They are framed for a bank robbery, end up in prison, and plot to escape while performing in the warden's rodeo, a supposed fund raiser where the profits end up going in his pocket rather than to make life for those behind bars a bit better. Like the much later rodeo, this is a comedy about showing country folk that just because someone comes from an urban jungle, doesn't mean they can't handle a wild ride on a bucking bull. In this case, it's Gene Wilder, who amazes everybody around him with his ability to remain afloat no matter what messy situation he gets into, while Pryor is playing an updated version of Stepin Fetchit minus the stereotypes.

This is an enjoyably funny popcorn film with the two stars supported by the lovely Jobeth Williams as the attorney determined to prove their innocence and George Stanford Brown as a flamboyant gay prisoner who actually shows heart underneath his pansy exterior. An interracial buddy type "Road" movie, this was the second of three pairings for Pryor and Wilder, each of whose brand of comedy flatters the others. This is one time where you want to see the men behind bars outwit the men guarding them.

Great comedy actors in this boring comedy movie

[butchfilms · 4/10 · 4 December 2008]

I didn't like this movie, I found it so naive and boring.

"Stir Crazy" is entertaining and funny for about 10 minutes and those minutes are just at the beginning, so if after this comment you are going to watch it anyway I recommend you to stop watching it just at the first moment you find it a little boring because from that moment the movie will get after each passing minute even worse until the end.

The plot is about 2 friends (Wilder and Pryor) who live in NY and are fired from their jobs on the same day so they agree to go to L.A to follow their dreams to became a playwright and an actor respectively but on their way to L.A they are sentenced to prison by mistake, but at prison they will have yet a couple of chances to be free again.....

Don't waste your time watching this terrible movie, If you do you will regret it.