Bugsy Malone

If I'm brutally honest, watching a bunch of kids overacting their way through a 1930s-era gangster movie is my last idea of fun. I'd rather just sit through the real thing, which is why I'd avoided watching BUGSY MALONE for all of these years. Having just finished it, however, I realise now that I didn't have worried: this is a surprisingly classy production, made with a lot of care and attention to detail, and the reliable Alan Parker's directorial style pairs well with his subject matter. The likes of Scott Biao and Jodie Foster are all adept at playing dress up and adults, and the fast-paced nature of the plotting means that this is a tale that moves at a snappy speed. Best of all are the catchy songs which have stood the test of time well.

It's the Prohibition era. Mobsters are fighting for control. Showgirls are performing. All the characters are played by child actors where the gangsters fire cream-filled guns and the cars are peddle-powered. Bugsy Malone (Scott Baio) is an ex-boxer trying to be a promoter. He takes an interest in sassy aspiring performer Blousey Brown. Fat Sam is a gangster with a speakeasy. His gun moll Tallulah (Jodie Foster) sings there and is Bugsy's ex. This is really not a kiddie movie. It's a kiddie take on the gangster movie. It's a fun little spoof post The Godfather. I actually like the singing except for Jodie Foster. I do wonder why she isn't playing the bigger role of Blousey. Maybe she fits Tallulah better but usually the bigger role goes to the bigger name. This is innocent fun in the sense that it's a bunch of kids playing gangsters and dames. What could be more innocent fun than a pie fight and a song and dance to finish the movie.

For anyone who sees this film as sinister or as a paedophiles dream GET A LIFE!!!! It was made in the 70's when we weren't politically correct and living was fun! What has happened to us that we can't see a film with children in it without thinking that it was made for an ulterior motive? Enjoy the film for what it is. I saw this film for the first time when I was about 9, loved it then and still do (I'm now 34!) It's harmless fun, something you would have loved to have been involved in had you been given the chance. All those splurge guns and pedal cars, think about it, it would have been great fun! And that's what you should remember when you watch it, it's great FUN! I have 2 children who ABSOLUTELY love this film as much as I do and I have no qualms whatsoever about letting them watch this. Just remember you were young once, watch this film, forget about everything, and recapture your youth!!!!

This is one of my all time favorite films, straight up, no chaser! Some films possess a magical quality that cannot be planned as they are filming. This film has that magic. The musical numbers are wonderful, the performances genuine. I love the way the romantic subtleties are handled since the cast children. This film is made by the music. There is not one bad number in the film. Bring back the splurge gun!

I am inclined to list a number of reasons why this film is special and one of a kind. 1. This is a gangster film and yet all the cast are children. They do an amazing job. 2. Instead of real guns, they have either guns that splurge out custard pie to kill people, or just custard pies. 3. The songs are very fun and very varied, sort of fun but not completely cheerful, which is good. 4. The idea is very good and must have been worked on quite a lot, even though the plot goes all over the place in confusing directions. 5. This film is enjoyable for a wide variety of ages - although best for those aged 9 and up. A gangster gang in America are losing business and most importantly - men. Meanwhile, Bugsy Malone, a member of the gang, lives casually and easily, also talking to a new woman called Blousie Brown. On both sides of the story, things are soon about to change... Enjoy "Bugsy Malone"! :-)

Like all period films this is timeless. It is characterised by the fun and enthusiasm shown by the young cast (average age 12). Who wouldn't have wanted to join in. Films don't have to be grand with big budgets to entertain. I read somewhere once that the film was shot with an amazingly low number of re-takes. An indication of how easy it can be to work with children. Of all films made with a cast of only children this one has to be the best. A film which I go to see whenever I find it showing somewhere. Excellent stuff for the big kids (like me) around.

I first saw this film in the late 70s when it was shown at my school as a Christmas treat (on a real projector and screen, no less); now, over thirty years later, I'm watching it again in the company of my son and daughter (aged 10 and 8), and I'm finding it no less entertaining than when I was a kid myself. Starring Scott Baio in his greatest ever role (yes, he's even better here than he is in Zapped!), Jodie Foster looking unnervingly sexy for her age as vampish songstress Tallulah, and a very young Dexter Fletcher as Babyface (UK TV viewers my age will know who he is), and with superb direction by Alan Parker and brilliant music and songs by Paul Williams (the man behind the tunes for one of my other favourite musicals, Phantom of the Paradise), this is one of the most enjoyable films of the 70s, particularly when viewed as a youngster. I mean, is there a kid alive who wouldn't want their own splurge gun, an over-sized pedal car, or to take part in a massive pie fight?