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Oscar was Sylvester Stallone's agreeable, 1991 effort at broad comedy, a fast-talking, suspender-snapping gangster farce featuring the Rambo star as a 1930s Chicago mob boss, Snaps Provolone, trying to go straight during overlapping personal crises. No, this isn't Billy Wilder, but director John Landis (Coming to America) has crackling fun with Oscar's fruit salad of traditional comic themes and tools, including mistaken identities, a powerful man's weakness for his children, and a nonstop parade of outre secondary characters. The cast includes Kirk Douglas as Stallone's father, whose deathbed wish compels Snaps to go into legitimate banking at the exact moment the latter's daughter (Marisa Tomei) announces her love for a chauffeur. Meanwhile, another woman claiming to be Snaps's offspring is engaged to a fellow (Vincent Spano) who has stolen $50,000 of the big man's money. Wackiness ensues. The winning cast includes Peter Riegert, Don Ameche, Chazz Palminteri, Eddie Bracken, Harry Shearer, Yvonne DeCarlo, and Bruce Davison. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (72)

great comedy from Stallone and company!
This movie is hysterical, and proves Stallone has a capacity for comedy, especially when surrounded by the stellar cast ensembled here. Stallone stars as Angelo "Snaps" Provolone (like the cheese), a gangster who promises his dying father he will turn his life around and become an honest businessman, but circumstances won't allow for it!

The entire plot takes place in Snaps' palatial home on the morning of his first day as an honest man. The cops don't believe he's trying to be honest, there is a mix-up of a little black bag of cash that keeps appearing and disappearing, Snaps trying to marry off his spoiled daughter (played by Marisa Tomei), discovering he has another daughter, being told off by his wife, having tailors (the Fenucci brothers) in and out of his house, an oily tutor for his daughter traipsing about, etc etc etc!!! Apparently, it's easier just to keep with the life of crime, but Snaps does his best to cope!

Stallone Sleeper Is A Keeper!
I watched this movie 10 years ago expecting a dopey gangster parody with Sylvester "Rocky / Rambo" Stallone in a suit. What I got instead was a very funny, refreshing comedy with lots of great gags and interesting characters. Stallone is hilarious as "Snaps" Provolone, big time gangster and future banker (due to a deathbed promise to his dying father, played by Kirk Douglas). His mob (including Peter Reigert and Chazz Palminteri) are far more inept than intimidating, bumbling along with their boss in his attempt to go straight. You'll never forget the crazy bunch in OSCAR! Merissa Tomei is perfect as Snaps' daughter Lisa, the squeaky, flapper-girl wannabe. Tim Curry plays his best role since Frank N. Furter as linguistics instructor, Thornton Pool. Then there's Kurtwood Smith as the over-zealous cop, Toomey. A riot! I've seen OSCAR at least a dozen times and it still cracks me up! Deserves to be a classic...

Bad Reviews. What? Did they expect Godfather?
Once again, a gem that was given horrible reviews because they were trying to kill off Sylvester Stallone. It worked. When critics gang up on a star they don't like, they can end their careers. Stallone wanted to try comedy, but the critics wouldn't have it. He was hilarious in this very underrated play-turned-movie.

If you like slapstick comedies that are based on one day, in one place such as Clue and Radioland Murders, you will love this. This isn't a mystery like those, but the confusion over everything in one morning is overwhelming to "Snaps" Provolone. And he can't even kill anybody anymore.

It's his first day of "going straight" from the gangster life of the early 30's during prohibition and people are already seemlingly taking advantage of that right away.

This is filled with hilarious dialogue and is delivered perfectly by everyone. Yes, even Stallone. And you felt so proud when Chazz was ahead of everyone else after not knowing a thing about a thing.

I see there are many Oscar fans here and that's great. Listen to them.

If you're a fan of comedy and haven't seen it because of the bad reviews, or you don't think Stallone can do comedy, just rent it and see for yourself. 10 minutes after credits, you'll purchase this DVD here.

Rollicking Fun
This is one of the funniest movies I have seen in a long time. All the characters are funny, especially Dr. Pool(Played by tim Curry). The story is simple: A gangster decides to go straight. But a huge series of mix-ups occur, wreaking havoc. This is a must-see for anyone who likes comedy.

Hilarious!
This is a movie with a truly well-written script. Unlike a lot of the 'comdies' that are written now, which are often primarily full of idiot jokes about sex that anyone could write, this script is truly hilarious without being crude.

Stallone's performance is perfect and really makes the movie happen well: but that's not to take away from the other performances which are also excellent: my favourite other than Stallone is the character "Dr. Pool" who serves as Stallone's alucution teacher, and ends up marrying Stallone's daughter. Bad actors would have turned this script into a horrible movie, but together the strength of the script and the strength of the actors in their respective roles is excellent.

The basic plot is that when "Snaps" Provalone's (Stallone) dad is on his deathbed, he makes "Snaps" promise that he'll 'go straight' and stop being a gangster. The result? pandemonium, and this fantastic movie! ... Read more