Majorthebys Charming and brutal

Tacticalin An absolute waste of money

SparkMore n my opinion it was a great movie with some interesting elements, even though having some plot holes and the ending probably was just too messy and crammed together, but still fun to watch and not your casual movie that is similar to all other ones.

Mischa Redfern I didn’t really have many expectations going into the movie (good or bad), but I actually really enjoyed it. I really liked the characters and the banter between them.

TheLittleSongbird None of the three 'That's Entertainment' films are without flaws, but they all live up to their name and achieve their main goals to entertain and fascinate.The best of the three is the first, not only being first-class entertainment but also being nostalgically affectionate and very moving (especially Liza Minnelli talking about her mother Judy Garland). Part 2 is a disappointment, due to the badly written hosting segments, a too sprawling structure, those unnecessary travelogue segments and a couple of scenes too short and hastily cut, but has a lot of interest points and a lot of treasures (including the best title sequence of the three films).Part 3 is not as good as Part 1, though there are a couple of things it actually does better, but it is better than Part 2. There is not a huge amount wrong actually, the 'Brigadoon' dance sequence does look phoney which jars with the lavishness of the rest of the film and while the hosting is charming, subtly witty and affecting it was sad to see Gene Kelly in one of his last appearances on film looking so frail and ill, lacking his usual exuberance (before looking it up, and finding that it happened after the film's release, did think that it was due to having a stroke). While it was interesting seeing so much footage that didn't make it into the films they were meant to be part of, there could have been more of the classic moments.Where it improves over Part 1 is that it has the best hosting segments of the three, both in the writing and pacing. Here they were the most informative, thought-provoking and said the most about the commitment and difficulties behind the scenes of making these scenes and films possible and personalities behind the stars which were glossed over in comparison in the previous two films. Also it is the film with the best editing. A vast majority of the scenes are used to their full potential instead of being too short and it is not as hasty or jumpy. It also returns to the more logical, ordered and thematic kind of structure the first film had, a welcome return indeed.Like the first two films, a delightful couple of hours, a nostalgic trip down memory lane it is affectionate, hugely entertaining and also moving and makes one want to watch or re-watch the films included. What immediately captivated was seeing the who's who of musical/dance/singing talent being featured. The production values are lavish and just beautiful to look at, the music dazzles and is full of emotions and the choreography is often enough to make the jaw drop. Scenes are mostly great, with far fewer missteps than with Part 2 (though there are only a few there), the only notable one is the scene from 'Brigadoon'.Judy Garland's scenes (especially the 'Annie Get Your Gun' and 'Easter Parade' scenes, though her rapport with Mickey Rooney is charming too) are clear standouts, as are Eleanor Powell, Debbie Reynolds, "Can't Help Loving Dat Man". Debbie Reynolds and Ann Miller at this point show all the shining qualities that made them such stars, it was nice to see Mickey Rooney too but he doesn't look at his best either if not as sad as Kelly.In conclusion, a real treat. The first 'That's Entertainment' is the best of the three, but this is almost as good and even makes improvements in a couple of areas. 8/10 Bethany Cox

ackstasis I figured that, after the wonderful first two films in the "That's Entertainment" series, the stock of magic in MGM's musical vaults would be starting to run dry. However, directors Bud Friedgen and Michael J. Sheridan have managed to keep the series as fresh as it ever was, by striking on a singularly brilliant idea: show 'em something they've never seen before! The series' first two entries, aside from their modern-day interludes, had been comprised almost exclusively of clips that any well-bred musical cinema buff would already have seen on numerous occasions. However, by presenting "never-before-seen footage" of deleted scenes, abandoned films, undubbed songs and behind-the-scenes action, the documentary manages to enthrall the audience with something new {of course, pretty much everything was new to me, anyway}. The style of the film's presentation is closest to Part I, with a succession of MGM stars - Gene Kelly, June Allyson, Cyd Charisse, Lena Horne, Howard Keel, Ann Miller, Debbie Reynolds and Esther Williams – providing the commentary.The films starts too much like a television special for my liking, with Generic Narrator #1 introducing the material, and thankfully throwing promptly to Gene Kelly, who has considerably more interesting things to say. A lot had taken place since Part I and II of 'That's Entertainment!' found their way into theatres; the advent of home video ensured that no household was without an assortment of family entertainment, including countless classic MGM musicals, and, among others, Fred Astaire was no longer with us, having passed away in 1987. Gene Kelly is almost unrecognisable from the Gene Kelly of decades past, and certainly didn't look as though he was going to start tappin' away any time soon; however, it's just good to hear his contribution. The other hosts, most of them "second-tier" performers (I don't intend this negatively) who wouldn't usually get such an opportunity, provide some useful information on the clips that we are seeing. There's also the usual tributes to Fred Astaire and Judy Garland, and the obligatory selection from Esther Williams.While 'Part II' had been somewhat haphazardly edited, 'Part III' has a solid structure and good progression. Some of the archival wells do, indeed, seem to be running dry – we get the "Fit as a Fiddle" number from 'Singin' in the Rain (1952)' – but, otherwise, the footage is fascinating. Fred Astaire taps away in two alternative versions of "I Wanna Be a Dancin' Man" from 'The Belle of New York (1952),' showing such perfect rhythm and timing that, side-by-side, both Astaires are faultlessly synchronised; Eleanor Powell dances to "Fascinating Rhythm" from Lady Be Good (1941),' as a behind-the-scenes camera captures the frantic crew members shifting pieces of the stage back and forth; in an unfinished early musical 'The March of Time (1930),' an elaborate musical sequence calls to mind Elvis Presley's 'Jailhouse Rock (1957).' If you pressed me to make a decision, I'd probably rank 'That's Entertainment! III' as the third-finest entry into the series, which has been remarkably consistent in quality. I think I'll always love 'Part II' best of all – how can anybody pass up Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire dancing together?

arbarnes This last edition to the That's Entertainment family of films celebrating MGM is a magnificent coda, and pays particular tribute to a number of those MGM stars who were somewhat neglected in the other two. All the greats are there too though, like Fred and Gene and Judy and Frank, and there are some wonderfully unusual and fascinating clips and a number of very illuminating behind-the-scenes extracts and revelations.The editing and the sound editing is particularly well done, and the various introductions are all rather touching. Whatever your level of interest in musical films you should certainly make time to see all three "Thats Entertainment" movies. The talent on display is staggering, and the craftsmanship of all involved is so vividly apparent. Marvel at the costumes, lighting, choreography, direction, singing, art-direction and sheer energy of MGM film musicals.You are definitely left gasping for more ... My favourite bit? How does one choose? Gene Kelly's newspaper dance from the often overlooked film "Summer Stock" always excites me into immediately trying the same dance with whatever newspaper is at hand -and it is certainly not easy!

gaityr Every THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT film has a hook to draw new viewers in--the first film had the sheer novelty of these film giants talking to us about the work they did in that glorious, music-filled period of movie-making, although these legends were reduced to reading off pre-written scripts. The second movie had a more intriguing main attraction: only two narrators, but when those two narrators were Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly actually dancing and singing their way through the gorgeous clips stacked up? Fantastic.Well, THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT III sure tries its best to live up to its predecessors. Retaining the narration technique used in the same film, albeit with the second generation of MGM musical stars (and only Gene Kelly, sporting enormous glasses!, retained from the first two films), the film's hook is the rare special footage it boasts--from a background tracking shot showing the vast amount of money and manpower invested in just one Eleanor Powell number, through to valuable outtakes such as Debbie Reynolds' 'You Are My Lucky Star' number (cut from SINGIN' IN THE RAIN but available on DVD now) and the Indians number in ANNIE GET YOUR GUN as originally performed by Judy Garland. There are other little treasure nuggets as well, all deleted scenes, such as Judy Garland's song 'Mr Monotony', meant for Easter Parade; and Lena Horne's risky bubble bath chanson filmed for CABIN IN THE SKY. And I do wonder what was so bad about Ava Gardner's lost vocals for SHOWBOAT--I thought she sounded pretty darn good myself!I personally thought the best thing about this film was the way some of this rare footage was displayed--the split-screen technique was quite the stroke of genius. It was used to simply brilliant effect, for example, in showcasing two versions of a number filmed to the same dubbed vocals, the first starring Joan Crawford (for TWO-FACED WOMAN, in rather astonishingly Technicolour and camp blackface) and the second Cyd Charisse (for THE BANDWAGON). No guessing which number SHOULD have been retained (hint: Charisse is one of the best dancers of any time; Crawford is... not), but it was hilarious watching the very VERY different ways in which the same song was approached in the two different films. My favourite part of the whole film was a number similarly presented, except this time it pitted Fred Astaire against himself. The sand-enhanced song-and-dance, to the tune 'I'm Just A Dancing Man', was filmed once, but deemed not classy enough. So there are two versions--one of Fred in top hat and tails, the other in overalls. Guess what? Astaire keeps to his own internal rhythm perfectly, and proves in this juxtaposition of the two scenes that he is his own best partner. It's pretty damn amazing, and probably the best and most jaw-dropping part of the film.The rest of THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT III is pretty run-of-the-mill in comparison. It's not stuff we haven't seen before (we've seen better clips in the previous two films), and there are still the prerequisite sections dedicated to Fred Astaire, Judy Garland and Gene Kelly (oh yes, and Esther Williams, of course). It's a shame that there wasn't a Cyd Charisse segment, or one dedicated to Ann Miller. Considering that both these dancing ladies were presenters during the film, it'd have been nice to recognise the great contribution their long legs made to film musical history. I did enjoy the clip from THE KISSING BANDIT that had Charisse and Miller pitted against each other in a catfight slash dance-off, which was very cool, very intense and great fun to watch. But otherwise, it's all stuff that would work better in the original films.So while THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT III again succeeds in doing what it sets out to do (leave the audience in a happy glow), it's less accomplished than its predecessors. It's not as engaging to new viewers as either of the first two (showcasing lesser-known numbers and films), and is of only average interest to the hardcore classic film buff. It's a hard line to straddle, and the film manages to do it, don't get me wrong. But well. You can't go wrong with this film, but it's all been done before, and dare I say it...? Done better. 7.5/10