Stoutor It's not great by any means, but it's a pretty good movie that didn't leave me filled with regret for investing time in it.

Matrixiole Simple and well acted, it has tension enough to knot the stomach.

Odelecol Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

Jonah Abbott There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

grizzledgeezer Perhaps I shouldn't review a film I've only seen 15 minutes of (on this), but I need to further offset the (sort-of) favorable reviews here.If one believes the Wikipedia article (qv), "A Fine Mess" was originally intended as an altogether different film that, after poor previews and studio interference, ended up as the humorless mess we see here. Edwards supposedly urged people /not/ to see it -- so why did he allow his name to appear above the title, as well as take writing/directing credit?The script is mostly clichéd expository dialog of the sort screenwriters are warned to avoid like the plague. It's so unengaging it's surprising audiences didn't walk out after the first five minutes. (Perhaps they'd fallen asleep.)This wasn't Edwards' last film, but nothing that followed was of any distinction. His last good film was "Victor/Victoria". For the rest of his career, he was running on empty.If you have a chance to see "A Fine Mess", by all means do so. I doubt you'll be able to get past the first 15 minutes, even out of curiosity. If so, let me know.

whitesheik Only at the IMDb can one find multiple positive comments for awful films - doesn't matter how awful, what film, who made it, or who's in it - the film will have its defenders.Well, I'm sorry to say, this film cannot be defended on any level, and this comes from someone who will pretty much go to the mat to defend Blake Edwards, because I think he's a great director. But, this film comes from his worst period - where he was making one completely unfunny film after another. This, however, is the nadir of his career. There is not one funny gag (and I cannot say the same about any other Edwards film), not one funny performance, not one patented Edwards great comedy shot, just and endless series of terrible gags, all rehashed from better films, until this thing finally limps to its stupid conclusion. One knows one is in trouble the minute the film begins, when one is assaulted by an insipid rock-and-roll (circa 80s) song instead of a witty or tuneful Mancini score. One knows one is in further trouble when there is not one single note of Mancini music in the film, even though he receives credit for Original Music. The only Mancini piece, save for the title song, is source music for a player piano. Otherwise, we get Blake trying to be hip and using rock songs - well, they not only stink, but they kill the comedy.I think I'm going to look up what are generally considered the worst films ever made, and my guess is that every single one of them will have at least five people saying it's a misunderstood masterpiece. Of course, what one comes to realize are that these "reviews" are written by people who were kids when they saw the films in question - and when that's the scenario, they love everything they saw as kids. No person with any critical faculties could think A Fine Mess is anything but A Fine Mess.

Mister-6 You can't blame Blake Edwards for making this kind of movie.For years, he depended on the kind of pratfalls that course through "A Fine Mess" as his bread and butter, so to speak. They served the "Pink Panther" series well, and made Inspector Clouseau a world-wide reference point for the ultimate in clumsiness.But for a movie that basically features two losers crossing the mob in a horse race then moving a piano to a rich lady's house, this film is all over the place. So many people introduced then forgotten, plot lines that go nowhere, laughs that are fun for the moment but have no context.Shocking, really, this coming as it does from Blake Edwards, who once personified classy comedy with such works as the aforementioned "Panther" films, not to mention classics like "10", "Micki + Maude" and the under-appreciated "S.O.B.".And with the calibre of talent, you'd expect great things; the manic Mandel, lecherous Danson, luxuriant Alonzo, and wackos like Mulligan and Margolin as mob flunkies all have the fire, but there's just nothing here to stoke the furnace.There were separate moments here and there that gave me a smile but, like the movie itself, it just lives for the moment, then is gone.TIDBIT - The idea for this movie actually came from a Laurel and Hardy short where Stan and Ollie try to move a huge piano up innumerable flights of stairs. Hence, the name.It still is fitting: this movie is definitely a "Mess", if not a "Fine" one.Three stars. Saved but for the virtue of Mulligan in the cast and a bit part for pre-"NYPD Blue" Franz.

Cletus-3 I really enjoyed this movie. It didn't have much in the way of writing, but it was funny, entertaining, and made me feel like I spent my time well. All in all a great little flick to watch when you want to relax and enjoy yourself.