The M.O.W.'s Movie Review of Sleeper (1973)

The laughs sleep through this one
The M.O.W. - wrote on 08/01/08

"Miles Monroe" (Woody Allen) was a clarinet playing health food store owner in 1973 who was frozen after slipping into a coma. Two-hundred years later, he wakes in a police state where people "perform" sex in an "Ograsmatron" booth and robots have replaced household help and man's best friend as well.

He is hired to help the Underground to destroy this police state's "Leader" and comes across poet/artist "Luna" (Diane Keaton), whom thinks "Miles" is trying to destroy the lifestyle she has grown accustom to.

The first thing you will notice in this movie, which will be hard not to, is that a lot of sight gags just comes at you at a continuous pace. However, unlike "Airplane!" the jokes produce few laughs. In fact, many of the slapstick comedy you've seen before, only set up differently.

Many of the other jokes are quite original, but I just didn't laugh at them. Another problem with some jokes were that they were dated.

There are a lot of visuals in this film, mostly sight gags, and cheap science-fiction props and costumes. These really do not help the movie at all.

Sci-Fi fans may be a little disappointed with the way the police state storyline is handled. The citizens just seem like they aren't brainwashed into believing they are meant to live their lives the way the government wants them to. Another problem is that the "Underground" is poorly developed. I don't even recall if the "Underground" was explained, if not explained well, before we get to meet them on-screen.

For the most part, the performances from the cast are good. However, Woody Allen is basically playing the same character he plays in every movie he has made, and I just can not stand him in front of the camera.

The characters have some development to give the audience an understanding of them, however there is a flaw with the love story subplot between "Miles" and "Luna," who either has a boyfriend or a husband, but it is not explained at all.

The soundtrack is written and performed, on clarinet, by Allen himself. In my opinion, Allen is a good director and musician -- actor is another story. The music fits the scenes they are in quite nicely too.

Allen comedies target a specific audience that I am certainly not a part of. I personally can't recommend this movie.