Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor were a great comedy duo. Not all their few collaborations were great, but 'Silver Streak' and 'Stir Crazy' very much were very good, particularly the former. One thing that 'Stir Crazy' improves on than 'Silver Streak' is that Wilder and Pryor get equal screen time and work stronger as a double act.'Stir Crazy's' second half isn't as good as the first half, a case of the first half being great but the second half having moments but not living up to the promise seen before. The elaborate escape scene stands out well, but generally the second half does suffer from a lack of laughs, which the first half had aplenty, the momentum isn't as snappy and the more serious tone jars a little.That's pretty much it for the flaws though. 'Stir Crazy' is one of their more visually beautiful films, the setting is great and like a character of its own and there is some truly beautiful and clever photography at the start and in the first half.Much of the script is hilarious and clever, and avoids being noisy or immature. Pryor's chicken scene is unforgettable, and there is some clever lampooning of prison clichés. The story is slightly contrived at times in the second half but very rarely gets tedious. Sidney Poitier is a surprising choice for director but does a very capable job.Wilder is both funny and endearing and avoids mugging too much or clowning around. Pryor with more screen time than 'Silver Streak' equal to that of Wilder, works incredibly well with Wilder and while he is the less understated of the two he's not abrasive or annoying.Overall, uneven but very enjoyable. 8/10 Bethany Cox

1980 continued a beautiful partnership between Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor with the film Stir Crazy. Sidney Poitier was tasked with directing the two comedic stars in the film about an innocent duo arrested for a bank heist. Trying to prove their innocence, and discover what they want out of life, the two stay together to stay strong. Great on-screen chemistry, exceptional comedic writing, and an engaging story work to propel the story and make audiences crazy for Stir Crazy.Skip Donahue (Gene Wilder) and Harry Monroe (Richard Pryor) are middle-aged men bored with both their lives and existence. When they both get fired on the same day, Skip sees this as the golden opportunity to pack up and leave miserable New York City behind and find themselves in California. Having nothing to hold him back, Harry reluctantly agrees and the two set out for the sunbelt. When they finally make their way west, Skip convinces a bank towards a new marketing plan that requires he and Harry to dress up like chickens and perform a song and dance routine to bring customers into the bank. On their lunch break, unbeknownst to them, two people steal their costumes and rob the bank. When they return from lunch, the bank manager identifies them as the men in the suits and the two are instantly arrested. Skip being the loving optimist that he is, is certain that they will be revealed as innocent and the real perpetrators will be brought to justice. Harry, the cynical realist, is terrified and believes they will be blamed for the crime and forced to do jail time. The two are convicted in court, and begin the process to clear their names. When a court appointed attorney is assigned to their case, along with his cousin who strikes up a special relationship with Skip, things just might go their way in the end, as long as they can keep their wits about them.The film begins with beautiful establishing shots of New York City which would have been good on their own, but part of the genius of the opening is that the shots don't shy away from the seedy aspects of the Big Apple. Usually, with a film set in New York, the audience gets to see nothing but the gorgeous scenery and the hustle and bustle commonly associated with the city. The establishing shots showing people being rude to each other and the dirty streets and seedy back alleys lend well to foreshadowing and understanding Skip's desire to leave. These establishing shots are shown against a song being sung by Gene Wilder creating a fantastic juxtaposition of his jovial compassionate disposition against the grainy temperament of his surroundings. The pairing of Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor was a gift to audiences everywhere. The two shared a wonderful chemistry that played well against the two comedic types of the actors. Pryor did excellently to bring down the raw power of Gene Wilder's off-the-wall comedic talent, bringing a level of cohesion that he desperately needed in a co- star. Great chemistry and great comedic writing come together magically in such a way that the audience doesn't even feel bad rooting for the guys trying to break out of jail.Gene Wilder's Skip Donahue is my spirit animal. He is so compassionate and believes deep within his heart that humanity would be a better place if only people were kinder to each other. That's a lesson that needs to be heard and emulated often. So much is said about toughening up to be able to function in society, yet nothing is said about softening up to change society. Skip provides that look we so desperately need to remind ourselves that the answers don't matter if we are asking the wrong questions. It's great to see a character like Skip that doesn't get trampled by others, but actually goes a long way to transform all those he comes into contact with. Who knew Stir Crazy packed such a lesson; a lesson that wouldn't be possible without the wonderful acting of Gene Wilder in a role that this reviewer isn't sure that so much acting was involved, as opposed to a display of the actor's natural personality.

When both Skip Donahue (Gene Wilder) and Harry Monroe (Richard Pryor)discover that they are now unemployed they decide to leave town in order to make a new start. However, when two men commit an armed robbery wearing the woodpecker outfits that Skip and Harry had been wearing and when these men escape in Skip and Harry's van, both Skip and Harry are sent to prison where they have difficulty adapting to their new life.This film starts out strongly and for me Wilder was probably the stronger of the double act in this film (I thought Pryor was slightly stronger in See No Evil, Hear No Evil). Skip consistently sticking his nose in where it doesn't belong (despite Harry constantly telling him to leave everyone alone) and trying to be some kind of 'social worker' to everyone was pretty funny - the scene where Skip first approaches Grossberger for one of his talks was a notable highlight with Skip running away like a little girl (although in fairness most men would cower when confronted by someone that size - I know I would!!!). Other funny moments included the scene where Skip and Harry first arrive in prison and we see them do their tough talking within the cell and we also see them do their tough walking. I also thought it was funny seeing the prison guards continually punishing Skip only to find that nothing fazes him. I think there's one moment where he'd been in solitary confinement for 5 days and rather than be distraught by the experience he asked the guard if he could stay in there just one more day.Sadly, most of the good stuff is confined to the first half and I have to admit that it kind of went downhill as soon as we reach the inter-prison rodeo competition. If I'm honest, whilst I thought it was quite creative, I didn't think it was particularly funny and sadly it's this element that pretty much drives the second half of the film. Whilst it's certainly different and creative, I think we need to remember that being creative isn't always a good thing (anyone remember the Millennium Dome??). The only good aspect in the second half was the inmates fairly imaginative escape during the Rodeo, but even taking that into account, I still felt that the film started to run out of steam about 30 minutes from the end and I started to feel quite bored if I'm being honest - which is a real shame as it started out with a lot of promise.Even through the film as a whole is somewhat uneven thankfully Pryor and Wilder were fantastic and shared great chemistry, but sadly for me they were the whole show and they just weren't quite good enough to carry this one on their own.

Skip Donahue (Gene Wilder) is a playwright. Harry Monroe (Richard Pryor) is an actor. They are unsuccessful best friends in NYC. After both getting fired, Skip is tired of the city and convinces Harry to move out to the west coast. Their van breaks down and they take jobs as mascots at a bank. Bank robbers steal their mascot outfits to rob the bank. Skip and Harry are arrested for the robbery and sent to prison for 125 years.Gene Wilder going crazy in prison is hilarious. That's the best scene in the movie. However it flattens out and loses some of the comedic tone. It's too bad. It becomes a bit too serious about an escape attempt and a rodeo contest. I still love the Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor pairing. They are one of the best comedic duo of all times. They do some really fun back and forth in this one. However there isn't a single laugh in the last section of the movie.