Cheech & Chong's: The Corsican Brothers (1984) User Reviews

mostly unfunny

[SnoopyStyle · 4/10 · 12 March 2016]

In modern France, Los Guys (Cheech and Chong) is a rock band playing horribly which forces the locals to pay them to stop. A fortune teller (Rae Dawn Chong) tells them a story about revolutionary France. Louis (Cheech Marin) and Lucian Corsican (Tommy Chong) are twins born to two aristocratic fathers. Their fathers duel and both end up killed. They are raised as peasants and find that they feel the other's pain. Louis is raised in Mexico. He returns and the brothers run afoul of The Evil Fuckaire. Fuckaire tries to execute the brothers but they end up escaping while the princesses fall for them.

This is mostly unfunny. There are a couple of funny jokes but they are not enough. Cheech and Chong work best as dumb and dumber bros. Cheech is able to keep some of his idiocy by making his character Mexican and dealing with societal differences. Chong is playing straight and mostly unfunny. It would be a lot funny with the Los Guys traveling back in time and thereby becoming fish out of water. This writing is simply not good enough.

probably the lowest of all their movies

[lee_eisenberg · 5/10 · 2 September 2006]

In March, 2002, after my parents and I had seen the disturbing - but very well done - "In the Bedroom", we felt like we needed something really light, so we rented "Cheech & Chong's The Corsican Brothers"; I mean, what could be more easygoing than a movie starring filmdom's favorite goof-ball stoners? This one turned out to be probably their lowest movie ever. For starters, no drug humor. It features them as siblings in pre-revolutionary France (despite the fact that they talk like 20th century Americans) making a mess of the status quo. Much of the little humor that the movie provides derives from the fact that if one of them gets injured, the other feels it.

So, this is definitely not the Cheech & Chong movie that I recommend. Their other movies are far better. Also starring Edie McClurg and Rae Dawn Chong, and they probably prefer to omit this from their filmographies.

Rather mild comedy from Cheech and Chong, seems they really enjoyed working on the film "Yellow Beard".

[Aaron1375 · 6/10 · 28 June 2010]

I enjoyed this movie more than "Yellow Beard", but both movies are kind of similar as they are both period pieces and departures for the two guys best known for their marijuana humor. Nothing of that sort is in this movie, but I still found it relatively humorous in places. I found it a bit funny that the hero of this one was Tommy Chong who was always the more stoned one in the other movies. I liked the humor where if pain is inflicted on one of the twins the other feels the pain, this was especially good in a torture scene involving Cheech. Still, it is a movie that probably would have been better with two other actors in the lead roles. Nothing against Cheech and Chong, but they really do not look like they belong in this movie. For the most part the rest of the cast are not A-list starts, and a lot of them seem to be related to two leads. The story is about a couple of twins that feel the others pain going against a French ruler. Not much else to it than that. Most of the jokes are about the shared pain, there are other jokes, but a lot of the other jokes not related to their shared pain miss the mark. Still the movie was mildly amusing and I thought it was better than "Yellow Beard" because that one had a plot that was kind of all over the place.

not laugh-out-loud funny, but laughs accumulate

[iago-6 · 30 January 2004]

I thoroughly enjoyed this. It is one of those movies where you won't get a lot of direct laughs, but the general level of ludicrousness accumulates over time and had me giggling a lot by about 20 minutes in. The whole idea of these two in this period piece, not to mention Chong's bizarre intensity and seriousness throughout... I don't know, it got me. I also liked that in place of the drugs (which were there, just not as directly), the general smuttiness was cranked way up... well, that appeals to me, especially from these two, but I have a soft spot for lecherous perverts. I'm glad it's in my collection!

--- Check out website devoted to bad and cheesy movies: www.cinemademerde.com

Good for a laugh or two

[moivieFan · 3/10 · 24 May 2022]

Cheech & chong's The Corsican brothers looked good by that I mean the sets and costumes.

The music was not bad.

I even laughed a few times during the movie. Early in the movie there was a scene where the young brothers were eating out of bowls. And eventually they start throwing food at each other. I found that scene funny.

After that one scene not much in the movie made me laugh. I did think that the fact that when one brother git hit the other brother felt the pain was kind of funny. The brother that got hit did not feel any pain.

The story did not make much sense to me. The Corsican brother were trying to free people from a ruthless ruler. At least I think that is what they were trying to do. Anyway it did not make much sense to me.

For fans only.

[pmtelefon · 5/10 · 25 March 2019]

I don't want to say that "Cheech & Chong's The Corsican Brothers" has aged well. It hasn't. It's still pretty bad but it does have a few laughs. I did laugh more tonight than I have in the past. What can I say? I'm a fan. But overall, it has a pretty bad groan to laugh ratio. I wish that they would have used some co-writers and maybe a different director. C&C were a good writing/directing team but I think a different perspective would have helped their movie career last a little longer.

The lesser of the C & C movies

[Quinoa1984 · 3/10 · 6 March 2001]

The Coriscan Brothers is probably the one I would least recommend, though it isn't worth a complete shut out. The film has the 2 guys in renaissance times trying to save themselves. They should've saved themselves from this movie, which only throws a laugh once in a while. C-

Indifferent

[paulwattriley · 5/10 · 19 June 2020]

Not the usual take from Cheech & Chong, it has a few laughs I enjoyed this movie when I was a kid but as an adult its merely passable.

worst of the c&c movies, only hardcore fans need apply

[obloco · 3/10 · 10 September 2004]

This one is a dud. I wouldn't call it the worst movie ever made, but the jokes and running gags are pretty lame. A couple of moments buried in the midst, and they really aren't worth digging for.

I would pass on this one, and watch Far Out Man or Born In East LA instead in a heartbeat, neither of which are classics, but they are far better than this steaming monkey pile.

They went for "straight" comedy to fight a Hollywood blackballing in the middle of the Reagan-era drug war hype, and their humor obviously suffers for it. Cheech decided to cave in, Chong did not, and that is the reason for their split more than anything else.

The sixth and final film (so far) from Cheech & Chong.

[Captain_Couth · 7/10 · 17 August 2005]

Cheech & Chong's The Corsican Brothers (1984) was a re-telling of the famous Alexandre Dumas classic novel. Cheech and Chong new that they had to market their comedy towards a different audience. There hard core fan base wasn't enough to make themselves profitable. Not only did they change their style of humor, they toned it down dramatically. Sadly, no one wanted to see a period piece starring Cheech and Chong. The movie is not horrible but it's not a laugh riot. Not wanting to end the partnership, the duo made another comedy album and a video that went along with it called GET OUT OF MY ROOM. The video was a tad under an hour and it featured the classic comedy song BORN IN EAST L.A. which would become Cheech's stepping stone towards mainstream acceptance.

Recommended for Cheech and Chong fans. Others will want to stay away from it.

Perfect cure for insomniacs

[JohnSeal · 1/10 · 19 March 2000]

You can take the drugs out of Cheech and Chong, but you'd better put 'em back in if you want any laughs. This astonishingly inept uncomedy seems to be entirely the product of the Marin, Chong and Dotrice (!) families and it should come as no surprise that after the wrap party they went their separate ways forever. Extremely tedious.

I Love This Stupid Movie

[damianphelps · 9/10 · 13 January 2022]

I know its dumb and cheesy and is full of flaws but in spite of all of this I absolutely love the thing.

If you are a fan of CnC or even Carry On movies you will find value, for others proceed with caution.

So dumb and so good :)

Accumulative Comedy Formula Works

[FiendishDramaturgy · 7/10 · 23 March 2007]

This work lacks in the line of direct laughs. They just don't come. The humor of this work comes from an accumulative factor, the fact that sexual innuendo and outright swank are heightened to replace their usual marijuana-based venue, and the fact that these guys do not belong in this setting.

About a third of the way through, I found myself chuckling. Not from anything direct, mind you, but because the accumulative comedic elements effectively communicated the humor, and never let up.

All in all, this is a fine film. Its caustic humor wears on you until you find that you are laughing, in spite of yourself.

It rates a 6.7/10 from...

the Fiend :.

so badly done that it's fun

[pepipocpoc · 1/10 · 27 November 2004]

What amazes me is to read how users takes this seriously...

It is indeed one of the worst movies I've ever seen -and I see quite a bunch of scrap, you mark my words- and that's probably why this is so funny to watch. I didn't liked the movie, but I liked watching it. Every single bit in it is soooo badly done that you can't help wondering if there is a limit to this kind of falling under-down, of if they'll keep digging : silly gags and bad puns, thin scenario and music droppings, weird costumes and flashy characters (the costumes really are unbelievable), scenery from another world, all is predictable approximations ; there is too much dung to be exhaustive. I think I may have once been a dung-beetle, since I enjoyed it...

-10/10, that's why it's worth a look.

This movie is great!!!

[PudgeFan · 9 July 2004]

I just can't believe that I will ever disagree with another persons review of a movie more than the previous persons review of The Corsican Brothers. This movie is so hilarious that I own it, and have had the pleasure of watching it dozens of times. In their last good movie together, Cheech and Chong depart from the usual drug humor, and will have you rolling (pun intended!) with laughter! Set during the French Revolution, The Corsican Brothers is a laugh fest form beginning to end, and is a movie that I have and will continue to recommend to everyone that enjoys a good laugh. Anyone that could write a review stating "I didn't even smile once" had to have not understood some of the humor. Please watch this movie. You won't be disappointed.

It is all in the mindset

[dj_oldfield-2 · 7/10 · 1 July 2006]

If you are looking for deep plots which will draw you in and capture your attention for an evening, and potentially leave you thinking after the movie... this (along with everything by these two) is not your flick. I personally enjoy and appreciate it for what it is, along with the others. It is not a work of art or a fantastic story... but instead an ironic view of the world.

Well... as for the movie. It (as I am sure that everyone has read) provides two brothers of noble birth raised for some portion of their lives as peasants and separated in youth by coincidence. The brothers later unite 21 years later in a heartfelt moment (NOT) and assume each other's company for the remainder of the movie. Beyond this point, Chong utilizes his inept belligerence and desire for revolution to lead him and his brother (Cheech) through a series of perils and near misses which (as destiny would have it) leads to the unloading of a very strange guy who wields the queen's power... and thus the renewal of happiness in France in centuries past. As this alone is not enough, each brother (from day one) carries a strange connection which enables them to experience each other's feelings (both emotional and physical) and not their own... a nifty sub-plot which brings about some fun irony throughout the movie.

This is not a movie that you would wish to watch to challenge your mind... but it is wonderful when the rigors of reality tug at you and you wish to escape for a moment. I believe this to be true about all of Cheech and Chong's movies... but this slight bend of taste provides new humor not found in their all too famous stoner movies.

One final note... this (unlike others) is a decent movie to watch with kids, although I am not sure that they will understand or appreciate the humor as would an adult.

Pretty dope for stoners

[ThomasStone · 7/10 · 30 June 2017]

This movies makes no sense at all but it is full of good laughs. I checked it with a friend too lazy to switch YouTube (it's on there for free!) and at the end we were glad we didn't.

I could go on and on about it but I'm just gonna keep writing until I get the minimum of five lines full for this review. The rating here is so low because some hipsters think it's cheap compared to Up In Smoke, I guess but trust me: this movie will bust your nuts. PEACE!

At two in the morning, anything seems funny...

[MovieAddict2016 · 27 January 2004]

Ridiculously awful, infamous "Cheech and Chong" outing has the so-called "Corsican Brothers" having more fun doing stupid things. I saw this in Britain at about two in the morning, and so it's hard to really remember anything about it (did it even have a plot?), but I did find it very goofy and silly and hard to put a rating on.

Technical value: 0/5 2:00 a.m. fun value: 3/5

I'm confused

[MrsKat38 · 6/10 · 23 October 2019]

This movie started out very boring and very slow. I was really confused throughout the while movie. I barely knew what was going on half of the time. I do like it because it has Cheech and Chong.

Unfunny and pointless

[bob the moo · 20 February 2004]

Cheech and Chong are performing their unique brand of rock music in modern day France when they are approached by a gypsy who reads their past and tells them of their past lives in France. There they were brothers, spurned by their royal parents due to being the spawn of another man. The two grow up to be taken for outlaws and sentenced to death by the King of France. When their beheading becomes a farce, the King pardons them to save face, however for the love of two women they infiltrate the palace by way of cunning surprise.

The running `joke' in this film is that Cheech and Chong are brothers with a bond that means one feels the other's pain. This joke is hammering into the ground ignoring the fact that it isn't even funny the first time! The plot is a shambles that is just an excuse for the duo to monkey around in a different time period. The gags are all very poor - I was in a relaxed silly mood and ready to laugh but I didn't even smile once - I swear to god, not even once!

Some of the gags are so lame that I found my mood just getting lower and lower as I watched. In respect to the film I stuck with it to the bitter end but if I could take back the time I spent watching this I would do it in a flash. Sadly all I can do now is commit my thoughts to this review and hopefully move past this unpleasant chapter in my life. Chong is rubbish here, as are almost all the overacting support cast with absurd makeup and accents! Rae Dawn Chong is really cute in a tiny cameo but it is Cheech Martin who is worth watching if you're in the mood for it. He may not really be very funny here due to the material but at least he plays along with it and seems to be having fun (more than I was at least).

Overall this is just one big waste of time. If you get enjoyment from this film then I salute you because you did much better than me in that regard. Usually I would guess that makers of films this bad must be on drugs or something, but here I assume that the problem was that Chong wasn't high when it came to this film - if he was he might have managed to insert some fun, wit, imagination or enjoyment into the film; as it is he doesn't get any of these in and fills the gap with rubbish instead.

Nice try by the comedy duo...but they fall flat

[NYGuy322 · 19 December 2001]

I have seen this movie many times, and every time I finish watching it,t he same commentary comes into mind. Cheech and Chong are trying very hard to make this movie funny, but they fall short of achieving that goal. The two basically have the only funny moments in the whole movie. Besides there Corsican Brothers, I could not get into any other character. Watch this only if your a big Cheech and Chong fan, or, stick to their earlier movies like Up In Smoke, Next Movie, and Nice Dreams.

Woeful!

[Reckless Monkey · 4 October 2004]

This has to be one of the worst films made ever in the world ever in its entirety, including those involving Jean Claude Van Dam.

I persevered until 3/4 of the way when I realized it wasn't going to improve, the running joke was getting very hackneyed, and I wanted to tear my ears off.

Rubbish Rubbish Rubbish

Please avoid unless you're an idiot who likes being irritated and bored.

A movie with no direction but backwards in time

[Oddball-6 · 8 July 2001]

Yes. No direction is correct and backwards is the way this movie seems to go. Not just in time but in the entire plot (Or lack thereof).

The *ONLY* funny scene in this was with the white horse. But then it appealed to my vulgarity. Your mileage however may vary. Here is a movie that seems to have been made as a period comedy, but it fails on every level. Even the cameraderie of Cheech & Chong failed to ignite much laughter. Especially since I hold them in high regard for one of thier previous movies 'Up In Smoke'.

One to avoid.

Please don't stab yourself with your sword...

[warpedkjh14 · 13 April 2002]

I loved this film, and as the second Cheech and Chong film I'd ever seen (the first being 'It Came From Hollywood'), I laughed myself mad. Don't be a fool, see this film!

I won't go into details about the story behind it, but if you haven't seen it, you really must see it!

Mostly misfired swashbuckling spoof

[soranno · 10 November 2002]

Most Cheech and Chong fans and enthusiasts (such as myself) choose not to count this one among the series. This 1984 Orion release was the team's sixth and final major film teaming. Its box office failure was probably what prompted the duo to split up. Swords and maidens take the place of drugs and cops and the results are sometimes funny but mostly boring. Skip this one and go along with the duo's earlier (and much funnier) films together.