Is this supposed to be a comedy. Really? I didn't know. It can't be. This film takes itself way too seriously, at times, it's actually hard to grasp it is a comedy. It's a espionage comedy with hardly any comedy. The real hanky panky is in how we're messed around, as only being afforded a few laughs. There are a couple of amusing moments, be thankful, you've got em'. One magic scene on a bus, plus another scene involving a tubby pilot belching repeatedly, before carking it, where the scene becomes really hairy, amongst the breathtaking altitude of the Grand Canyon. Basically, the story has Wilder, pestering this woman, he's fallen for, while both getting into the same cab. Shortly after, she's murdered, where just before he's given a package, many government people, authorities, are after, mostly of corrupt ilk, though not much is known about these shady, non smiling "don't mess with characters" that includes Richard Widmark. A woman he meets, real life wife, Radner, a musician as I recall, sides with him, to try and clear his innocence as Wilder's no one murder suspect for Quinlan's execution. Really, this movie takes itself way too seriously, and really amongst this seriousness, the story is very vague or tells us little about why Quinlan bought it,where more is known near the end. But the issue here, is it's lack of comedy. HP is a weak sappy comedy, why, because there's hardly any. Stir Crazy fans could really be let down, a big one here, in Poitier's second comedy.
Review of Hanky Panky
