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      The Gods Must Be Crazy

      PG Released Aug 28, 1981 1h 48m Comedy List
      85% 27 Reviews Tomatometer 84% 25,000+ Ratings Audience Score The tribal people in a remote African desert live a happy life, but it is all torn to pieces when a Coca-Cola bottle falls from a plane. With the villagers fighting over the strange foreign object, tribal leader Xi (N!xau) decides to take the bottle back to the gods to restore peace. His journey to the "end of the world" eventually has him crossing paths with a bumbling scientist (Marius Weyers) and a band of guerrillas who take a schoolteacher (Sandra Prinsloo) and her class hostage. Read More Read Less

      Audience Reviews

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      Howard H Enjoyed as it should be... Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/07/24 Full Review Kyle C Hilariously satirical and ahead of its time. The slapstick humor plays out almost like an old silent film, but the narration takes it up a notch. The timing is just spot on every time. It gets a little slow at times, but ends on a high note. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/01/24 Full Review Idan Charles L One of the funniest movies of the 80s Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/23/24 Full Review VorTEX I could not stop laughing when I watched this movie for the first time. A definite must-see for all ages. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 03/22/23 Full Review Curt D This is a low-budget, family-friendly comedy with a simple yet ingenious premise. The critics are mostly right on this one, though I disagree with those who say that it reflects the values of the apartheid system. If anything, it was rather subversive in the context in which it was made. I would also opine that its allegory is still relevant today in many respects. Great movie! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/09/23 Full Review James B Just goes to show you don't need a huge budget to tell a good story. The beauty of great art is that it can be enjoyed on many levels, and TGMBC is no exception. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/15/23 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

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      Critics Reviews

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      Variety Staff Variety Film's main virtues are its striking, widescreen visuals of unusual locations, and the sheer educational value of its narration. Jul 6, 2010 Full Review Sheila Johnston Time Out Offensively racist and too gormless even for the kids at whom it is evidently aimed: Third World cinema of a quite... uncommon kind. Feb 9, 2006 Full Review Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times This movie's a nice little treasure. Rated: 3/4 Oct 23, 2004 Full Review Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews It became a surprise hit in America. Rated: B- Sep 10, 2023 Full Review Austin Kennedy Sin Magazine The comedy has a Keystone Cops feel and the film is also occasionally touching. These kinds of silly movies just aren't made anymore and that's too bad. Rated: 3/4 May 13, 2012 Full Review S. Jhoanna Robledo Common Sense Media Charming family film makes you think; expect some shooting. Rated: 4/5 May 11, 2012 Full Review Read all reviews

      Movie Info

      Synopsis The tribal people in a remote African desert live a happy life, but it is all torn to pieces when a Coca-Cola bottle falls from a plane. With the villagers fighting over the strange foreign object, tribal leader Xi (N!xau) decides to take the bottle back to the gods to restore peace. His journey to the "end of the world" eventually has him crossing paths with a bumbling scientist (Marius Weyers) and a band of guerrillas who take a schoolteacher (Sandra Prinsloo) and her class hostage.
      Director
      Jamie Uys
      Screenwriter
      Jamie Uys
      Distributor
      Jensen Farley Pictures, 20th Century Fox
      Production Co
      CAT Films
      Rating
      PG
      Genre
      Comedy
      Original Language
      Afrikaans
      Release Date (Theaters)
      Aug 28, 1981, Wide
      Release Date (Streaming)
      Jan 1, 2015
      Box Office (Gross USA)
      $30.0M
      Runtime
      1h 48m