Those Daring Young Men in Their Jaunty Jalopies

Overlong and overblown, this quasi-sequel to Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines, stars Tony Curtis, Terry Thomas, Peter Cook, Dudley Moore (this was before he became famous as the man who redefined Ravel's "Bolero"), and Susan Hampshire as racers in the 1920's Monte Carlo road rally. No expense has been spared, and location shooting covers much of Europe, but the tedious car stunts and forced frenetic humor (the camera is often speeded up--without much effect) are no substitute for the almost total lack of character in the principals. The only mystery here is the "G" rating for a "family" film that features brief nudity, a running series of breast jokes, and a tiresome skit about diarrhea. Mayhaps the MPAA's screening board fell asleep, which would certainly be an honest and understandable response to watching this movie. Not recommended. (R. Pitman) [Blu-ray/DVD Review—May 2, 2017—Kino Lorber, 72 min., G, DVD: $14.95, Blu-ray: $29.95—Making its latest appearance on DVD and Blu-ray, 1969's Those Daring Young Men in Their Jaunty Jalopies features a fine transfer with DTS-HD 2.0 sound. Extras include audio commentary by film historians David Del Valle and Jesse Merlin. Bottom line: a so-so star-studded comedy epic debuts on Blu-ray.]