Amazon.com

South African director Jamie Uys caught lightning in a bottle with The Gods Must Be Crazy--a Coke bottle, to be specific. This slaphappy collection of goofy pratfalls and culture-clash gags became an enormous international smash, and made a sort of star out of the Bushman selected to play the central role, the completely ingratiating N!Xau. He plays a man, unaware of white culture, who finds a Coca-Cola bottle in the Kalahari (dropped by a passing pilot) and promptly has his life turned around by this mystical object. The movie looks slipshod and even amateurish at times, yet its attitude is so bubbly it's hard to resist. Proving that physical comedy remains a true international language, millions of moviegoers around the world drank it up.

The Gods Must Be Crazy II (1989) returns N!Xau to the bizarre world of the white man, this time in a slicker plot (and a with a bigger budget) that, perhaps predictably, yields fewer real belly laughs than the first time around. Director Jamie Uys sticks to his cherished notions that tribesmen are wiser than civilized people, and that fast-motion comedy is inherently funny. The storyline begins with N!Xau's innocent Bushman searching for his lost children; he then gets sidetracked by subplots. The humor is basic, but in best silent-movie tradition Uys prepares his set-pieces with elaborate care, and he understands the value of the long-delayed pay-off. --Robert Horton ... Read more

Reviews (54)

The Ultimate Culture Clash Comedies
This set contains two great comedies set in the beautiful deserts of Botswana, Africa.

The first "The Gods Must be Crazy" was released in 1980. I was surprised just how much it shows that in hair and clothing styles, but I hardly noticed after the first few minutes. It actually starts much like a documentary, telling about life in a bushman tribe in the Kalahari. One day, they discover a Coke bottle. Thinking it a gift from the gods, they begin to use it for all kinds of tasks, only to find it has introduced strife to their community. Xixo sets out to find the end of the world and return it to the gods. Meanwhile, a despotic revolutionary is on the run after a failed coop attempt. And a biologist is trying to get over his fear of women to transport the new school teacher and to the village.

This movie starts out a little slow, setting up the bushman culture and customs, so that when the movie gets going, we'll get the laughter. Most of the comedy is at the expense of civilized humans, but some great points are made about out reliance on our technology. Some of the physical gags involving the barely running jeep and the nervous biologist are priceless, and the plotting of these three stories is brilliant.

"The Gods Must be Crazy II" (1989) once again finds Xixo traveling into the world of the strange civilized man when his kids accidentally stow away in an ivory poacher's truck. Meanwhile, a corporate lawyer and biologist have been stranded in the desert when their plane is blown off course during a freak storm. And two opposing soldiers are trying to capture each other.

This story starts and moves much faster. I hadn't seen it as recently as the first one, and I'd forgotten just how funny this one was. I think it might actually be a little funnier. This time, there's more interaction with the wild life of the area for some great gags. Xixo is the only returning character, but the heroes are still likable.

My only real complaint is philosophical. These movies elevate the bushman to an almost perfect status with an ideal life. Ironically enough, one of the documentaries does show that their lives have really been glamorized for the film and their existence is much harder. Still, it's always good to laugh at oneself, and these movies certainly make you wonder just how civilized we really are.

The DVD set isn't quite up to normal standards for the format, but still acceptable. Both films are presented in anamorphic widescreen, but the picture is marred by lots of dust and grain. It's certainly still watchable, but it's not the crystal clear pictures I've been spoiled with on DVD. The first movie is presented in mono, and I had a little trouble hearing it. Part of the problem was what seemed like a very poor dubbing, probably partially because of the age and low budget of the original. The sequel sounded much better in stereo, but neither movie will show off your sound system. Still, they get the job done, and I think that less is more with these films. Each disc has one documentary on it. The first is a feature on the real life of star N!xau who played Xixo. As I mentioned earlier, it paints quite a contrast to the life presented for these films. The second is a short tribute to creator/director Jamie Ulys which give a little behind the scenes look at these movies.

While these DVD's won't be setting any new standards, they are certainly adequate. And the films contained on them are two classic low budget comedies from the 80's. If you're willing to laugh at yourself, pick these up. Any fan of the movies will appreciate them, especially for the price.

Great movie, nice DVD
After waiting several years, I finally was able to buy "The Gods Must Be Crazy 1 & 2" on DVD. A few brief comments:

1) Both "Gods" films are great entertainment.

2) DVD picture quality is better than what I've seen on TV or from the VHS version, which really looked worn out. However, don't expect "Star Wars" digital camera clarity.

3) For the first time I saw both "Gods" movies in widescreen, which is a nice treat. TV always shows them in Full-Screen, including the VHS version.

4) There are documentaries of director Jamie Uys and actor N!Xau. The one about N!Xau is the most interesting. It details the hard, difficult live he lived in the Kalahari, in stark contrast to the happy, carefree life depicted in the films. Clips of N!Xau's funeral are also shown. One gripe: when N!Xau is talking, and he talks quite a bit, there is almost no translation of what he's saying!!! Frustrating. Nevertheless, it's still a fascinating, honest portrayal of a special man.

Movie excellent - DVD horribly flawed
I love the movie "The Gods Must Be Crazy" and want everyone to see it, but don't buy the current DVD -- wait for (nay, demand) a rerelease of the DVD that includes English subtitles on N!Xau's dialogue in the the special feature, "Journey to Nyae Nyae" (the Japanese subtitles are there; the negligence that omitted the English ones is egregious as well as frustrating). Get on Columbia TriStar's case about this one and let's get a new DVD made!

A ecclectic clash of two very different cultures.
The Gods Must Be Crazy II has been one of the few films I have watched often since the first time I saw it. What more can bring out the laughter in a person than watching people of two very different cultures interact? This movie also serves as a decent documentary as well with its occasional narrative snippets of the intriguing Ju/'hoansi people of the Kalahari (popularly known as the Bushmen).

A comment on the sub-standard dubbing
I've watched with envy as my American counterparts have devoured this DVD set, as it has taken its jolly time in appearing in an Asia-Pacific version. But it is finally here, and I finally own these most brilliant and inspired comedies with which I grew up.

I'd just like to comment on one element of this release: the dubbing. Not only is it poorly done, it is also ENTIRELY UNNECESSARY. Why did the publishers feel the need to dub English over English? In my humble opinion, they have ruined much of the more subtle humour that was originally carried by the speech inflections of the actors. Moreover, the dubbing is inconsistent; in particular, Mputi appears to have been over-voiced only partially. How else does one explain three voices when there are only two people in the scene?

I'm sorry, but I am most disappointed with this state of affairs. ... Read more

Amazon.com

South African director Jamie Uys caught lightning in a bottle with The Gods Must Be Crazy--a Coke bottle, to be specific. This slaphappy collection of goofy pratfalls and culture-clash gags became an enormous international smash, and made a sort of star out of the Bushman selected to play the central role, the completely ingratiating N!Xau. He plays a man, unaware of white culture, who finds a Coca-Cola bottle in the Kalahari (dropped by a passing pilot) and promptly has his life turned around by this mystical object. The movie looks slipshod and even amateurish at times, yet its attitude is so bubbly it's hard to resist. Proving that physical comedy remains a true international language, millions of moviegoers around the world drank it up. --Robert Horton ... Read more

Reviews (85)

Materialism vs. the simple life of the Bushmen
I found this movie to be a satire on our modern way of life in comparison to the life lived by the bushmen of the Kalahari. I think the filmmaker really believes, at least to some extent, that there are definite advantages to living in a non-modern society. It was quite intersesting how a simple coke bottle came and torchered the lives of these people on the Kalahari. I would like to express that through all they did to the bottle it should have broken. It did not, however, and it soon caused strife to come among them. Interestingly enough, my initial reaction, was to write that certainly they had strife among themselves of this nature before. A reassessment causes me to say that I don't know, I have never lived in a non materialistic society. To me everything can go back to the theme of the unhappiness possessions bring. The white man had a jeep, but we saw how much hassle the jeep was trying to pick up the lady. If she just walked things would have been simpler. Guns were available to civilization and because of that, a group was able to take a large number of childen hostage. That could not happen in the Bushmen society. It also seemed like everytime the white man tried to impress the woman, it was material things that he tipped over or tripped over. Maybe without those possesions he could have been more impressive to the schoolteacher. Who has the right to say which civilization is truly more advanced. It all depends on your perception of advancement.

An excellent family film with a positive story line.
I saw this movie about 10 years ago on HBO. We taped it butwatched it so much the tape broke. Now I want to buy it for my videocollection but to my dismay, no one has it. Even the internet says it's out of print. For the life of me I don't see why some enterprising person in the movie business has not re-released this film. They would make my day and a lot of money. Most of the films released today have little to no social value and are certainly not films you want your kids or grandkids to see. PLEASE BRING THIS MOVIE BACK!!!

I can't believe there's only one review
This is a classic film. It will not make you roll on the floor in laughter, but it will make you smile & admire this man's desire to rid his tribe of this evil thing.

A buried treasure, a family gem
*Finally,* this film has been released on DVD. I was beginning to wonder if it ever would be. This was an international hit, and it's PG, very nearly a G (it's fine for ten year-olds; younger is OK too but they wouldn't get as much out of it). A perfect example of the kind of film that can only be made by a filmmaker on a mission who is not beholden to investors. Run, do not walk, to acquire this movie. It's wholesome and hilarious and exciting, a real pleaser for a ten year-old or a ninety year-old or anyone in between. When you see it, you'll wonder how you never heard of it before. It's a great movie to play to people who don't know what you're showing them, because its beginning makes it look like an old nature documentary. People will be thinking, "Whoa, what am I getting myself into here?" A few minutes later, they'll be riveted to their seats. Ten stars!

A little amusing.
'The Gods Must be Crazy' is an amusing film about a Coke bottle that causes havoc among a group of tribesmen. It is suppoed to be a satire about industralized socitey. Check it out if it comes on T.V. someday. ... Read more

Description

From the creator of The Gods Must Be Crazy. Away in their own mysterious world, far from the prying eyes of people, Africa's animals lead lives of humor and horror, danger and dignity. ... Read more

Reviews (32)

a manipulated movie- while watching question what is natural
This movie was very beautiful and funny. The music was well coreographed also. My children and I enjoyed watching it. Never a dull moment. HOWEVER, upon follow up about the Marula fruit trees, we found that the 'intoxification' of the baboons and other animals was man-induced (see wildwatch.com). It is impossible for elephants and baboons to become intoxicated eating this fruit, though people harvest it for this purpose. There is evidence of other manipulation in the movie (the possible burning of a huge bird condominium). I abhore that people would abuse the animals in these or any other ways.

The real world
This is a great animal video, I have passed it around to my teachers at school and friends are standing in line, the narrator is the same talented guy that did " The Gods Must be Crazy", you will see some scenes from the movie you will remember, a real aborigene trying to fake out an ostrich. The animals all have a grand time getting drunk one day out of the year on fermented fruit, the elephants are knee walking, the giraffe can't hold his neck up and the monkeys are made of silly putty. The baby pelicans that have to do a death march is the low of the movie, nature is as cruel as beautiful, and you see it all here, two thumbs up.

Some staged scenes, but very entertaining
This "Documentary" was produced by the same guy who went on to do "The Gods Must be Crazy".

It is very funny in parts, but for parents who don't want their kids seeing baby birds dying by the hundreds, don't watch the last 15 minutes (I don't mind my kids seeing this, but I thought I'd throw in that caveat)

Like an earlier reviewer, I too thought that nest fire looked set up. There was just no reason for the camera to be focusing on that one drop that happened to start the fire.

Also, that same reviewer pointed out the "drunk scene" was man made, so I checked out the site he mentioned (wildwatch.com), and if you search around the plant section (some plant that start with an m, sorry I forget which).

Here is the relavent text:
"Due to its well-known alcoholic capacities, rumours abound as to the Marula's intoxicating effects on wild animals. While elephants and baboons both relish the fruit, the former would need to consume prodigious amounts of already fermenting fruit for it to have even the mildest impact, and since these huge animals drink up to 160 litres of water a day, there would anyway be a major diluting effect. Interestingly, examination of fresh elephant dung show that less than ten percent of Marula fruits are actually 'processed' in any way - most fruit passes through the digestive tract intact.

Observations on baboons suggest that they prefer fresh Marula fruit and because the pulp is digested and the seeds passed within a 24-hour period, fermentation is impossible. The infamous scene in a popular movie from the 1970s - Jamie Uys' 'Beautiful People', which depicted a troop of obviously drunken baboons in and under a Marula tree, was clearly man-induced and would today be outlawed in terms of animal cruelty."

When I first saw this video, (...) Watching it with the knowledge that it was set up, made it seem rather cruel.

Despite this, I still found this movie very entertaining on the whole.

the best kept secret
I grew up with this movie, and still it remains my absolute favorite. It brings nature close to home, and viewing it should be a requirement for all human beings. Jamie Uys shows that the life of a beetle is no less important than the life of lion, and every living thing has a place on this planet.

Because it has been released on DVD, I will one day be able to show this film to my children, and theirs after them. I recommend this timeless classic to anyone, any age, any time, any place.

Kids Love It
I used to show this movie to the children I worked with in the hospital. We all loved it. The kids couldn't take their eyes off of it and the staff were just as enthralled. This movie is spectacular and wonderfully good fun. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The Gods Must Be Crazy II (1989) returns N!Xau to the bizarre world of the white man, this time in a slicker plot (and a with a bigger budget) that, perhaps predictably, yields fewer real belly laughs than the first time around. Director Jamie Uys sticks to his cherished notions that tribesmen are wiser than civilized people, and that fast-motion comedy is inherently funny. The storyline begins with N!Xau's innocent Bushman searching for his lost children; he then gets sidetracked by subplots. The humor is basic, but in best silent-movie tradition Uys prepares his set-pieces with elaborate care, and he understands the value of the long-delayed pay-off. --Robert Horton ... Read more

Reviews (38)

You've heard of laughing til you cry? That's this movie!
I missed "The Gods Must be Crazy," and only stumbled onto
Gods II. But it was one of the happiest stumbles of my life (and I'm now 77!). We've had this film 6 or 7 years, and I still crack up when I watch it. The director, as well as the actors, are top-grade. The low-key delivery of the dialogue no matter how drastic the crisis, the animals performing like pros (which they may be but it doesn't show), the touches of prattfall humor ( falling through the hole in the plane, leaping up tree trunks in a single bound)--all really tickle our sense(s) of humor. When we're not laughing out loud, we're smiling. And the only word for the two kids is marvelous! The thought of those two poachers drinking their wagonload of water after the two children have played in it--and probably done what all small children do when in swimming--is a real grin. This is not to say that there isn't an undercurrent of some serious concerns running through the film, but they're not obtrusive. This was made as a comedy, and the makers succeeded beautifully.

Brilliant Film. Why can't we buy it in England???
The Gods Must Be Crazy II was shown several years ago on our old 'Cable' station, now taken over by 'Sky'.
We laughed at this film from start to finish. It is the sort of film you can watch over and over again, and laugh at the story every time you watch it.
We are very disappointed as we cannot buy this film in England, we have spent months and months trying shops and internet sites and still we are unable to purchase this brilliant film.
Maybe someone will read this message and be able to help us by advising were we can purchase not only this film but also The Gods Must Be Crazy.
Come on - someone out there must realise that we in England would like to be able to purchase these titles and I'm sure when they are available to us they will be snapped up quickly.
Why not make them available on DVD. I would certainly purchase
both films on Video and DVD.

Funny if you like farsical whimsical humour
I can imagine a lot of people may not make it past the first ten minutes of this movie. It views like a 1970s nature movie crossed with a farscial Harold Lloyd comedy. But somehow if you can stick with it and the cornyness of the effects (lots of strings, speeded up footage and fake animals) you may get hooked enough to want to find out what happen. Ultimately it has some basic childish appeal even for adults, I'm sure that young children may delight in it and be all the better for it. Certainly I think it would be better for them than Batman or some "comic" movie. Adults may have to find their inner child to really enjoy this movie.

It's out on DVD now!!!
For all those who love the "Gods Must be Crazy" I & II movies, the long wait is over! They've finally been re-released - and this time on DVD! Both films are together on a single DVD at a great price - and you can get them right here, at Amazon.com.

The Gods Must Be Crazy 1 & 2
It is hard to decide which of these hilarious episodes is the funniest. Like all of the truly classic movies, they can be watched over and over again. They are true entertainment for any age. Both of them can be enjoyed by the entire family.
There is little doubt they would be among the best selling movies of all time if they had been made by mainstream hollywood. Blockbuster will be hard pressed to keep them on the shelves if they become available on DVD. ... Read more