Bananas

Bananas (1971)

  • 89% of critics liked it
    (18 reviews)

  • 73% of users liked it
    (17,272 ratings)

One of Woody Allen's earlier, more slapstick-oriented efforts, Bananas tells the story of Fielding Mellish (Allen), a neurotic New Yorker who follows the object of his affections, Nancy (Louise Lasser), to the fictional Central American country of San Marcos, where she is involved in a revolution.… More

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PG-13, 1 hr. 22 min.
Directed By
Woody Allen
Written By
Woody Allen, Mickey Rose
Genres
Classics, Comedy
In Theaters
Apr 28, 1971 Wide
On DVD
Jul 5, 2000
MGM Home Entertainment

Critic Reviews

  • Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader

    It is a funny picture - not too consistently, and certainly not too coherently, but when it hits, it hits.

  • Fernando F. Croce, CinePassion

    A study of the Cuban Revolution by way of Freedonia

  • Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com

    Inspired by the Marx Brothers comedies (specifically Duck Soup), Woody Allen made a leap forward as filmmaker in his second feature, a zany satire composed of riotous sketches and incoherent but funny one-liners.

  • Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews

    An attempt to capture the same zaniness the Marx Brothers had in Duck Soup.

  • Steve Crum, Kansas City Kansan

    I still love Woody's masked parents.

Read all 10 critic reviews

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

  • Alexander D


    Though BANANAS is funny, it couldn't be made today. From the very opening scene in which a Central American television reporter informs us that we are about to see their president publicly assassinated, it is clear that it would be considered mocking toward Latin American… More

  • Jonathan H


    The popular conception of the arc that Woody Allen films have taken over the past 30 odd years is that it goes from silly to serious. It is certainly true that his early films (this film, What's Up, Tiger Lily? and Take The Money and Run, for instance) are faster, sillier, and… More

  • Greg S


    Trying to get over his breakup with Lousie Lasser, nebbish Fielding Mellish (Woody Allen) winds up in the fictional banana republic of San Marcos, eventually (and reluctantly) rising to the position of El Presidente. From the opning scene (with Howard Cossell covering the political… More

  • Jennifer X


    Comparable to Sleeper but less funny. Still, I liked it.

  • xGary X


    One of Allens "early funny ones" that he has treated with such disdain for the past two decades. Well excuse me for prefering to laugh at funny jokes, rather than listen to an absurdly wealthy and inexplicably well respected kiddy fiddler whinge about his… More

Read all 9 featured audience ratings

Cast

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