One of the all time funniest films from Hollywood finally hits DVD with the recent release of "The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming". Satirical and lively, this mid sixties film stars Brian Keith, Alan Arkin, Carl Reiner, John Phillip Law, Jonathan Winters, Theodore Bikel, and many character actors too numerous to mention.

A Russian submarine captain lets his curiosity get his ship too close to America and runs aground. He sends a crew onto Glouchester Island to find a "motor power boat" to pull the sub away from the sandbar. Alan Arkin heads up the comedic team of Russians, who are anxious to get the boat and be back on their ship. They meet Walt Whitaker, played by Carl Reiner, his wife (Eva Marie Saint) and family and soon must reveal that they are Russians. During the Cold War, the idea of Russians landing on American soil is alarming and soon the entire island believes it is being invaded. Hilarious scenes include the sailors first meeting with the Whitakers, Reiner's relationship with his son, Reiner and the town phone operator tied up together, character actor Paul Ford's call to the troops, and Arkin's teaching of English to his shipmates. My favorite is when a housewife is tied to a chair and hung on a wall while her husband, sans hearing aid, walks around the kitchen looking for her. This film is a riot and a guaranteed laugh a minute from start to finish.

A beautiful wide screen transfer makes this disc a pleasure to watch. Although the film is quite old, the colors are rich and bright. A few dust specks and film wear are noticeable in a couple of scenes but overall MGM has done a great job on this disc. The original sound is mono and from the two front speakers in a home theater setup but is rich and full, with no distortion.

a theatrical trailer is included. Also, a short "making of featurette" hosted by director Norman Jewison.

A classic comedy from the mid sixties that stands up to today's audiences. This film is flat out funny and pokes fun of both Americans and Russians without prejudice. The comedy bits are memorable and come one after the other for sustained enjoyment throughout the picture. A must pick up disc for comedy fans.