Released in 1980, Stir Crazy is the second of four movies that would star the iconic due of Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor, two of the most popular comedians of the 70s and 80s. If you like this pairing, there is more than enough to have fun with here. However, I feel that See No Evil, Hear No Evil is the ultimate Wilder/Pryor movie and that still holds up incredibly well to this day, Stir Crazy on the other hand is just ok.
How to Download Stir Crazy
Stir Crazy was released on December 12, 1980. You can download or stream the film from a digital platform. Click on the Download button at the end of this review and make your choice. If you like comedy movies, check out our reviews of 9 to 5 or The Jerk.
The Movie Review: Stir Crazy’s Story and Characters
The thing with Stir Crazy is that I think the first half of the movie is so much better than the second half. We have two aspiring actors in Harry, played by Richard Pryor, and Skip, played by Gene Wilder. They live in New York and work mundane jobs waiting for their big break, but they both end up fired at the same time. This is the shot in the arm that Harry needs and he persuades Skip to head out West to California where they can really try and make it as actors.
From New York to Jail: The Plot Thickens
New York to LA is a very long way so they have to stop to make some money. Thankfully, in Arizona, they get the chance to dress as woodpeckers for an advertisement, but those costumes end up stolen and used in a bank robbery. Harry and Skip have been framed and the judge is not having any of their story and they are thrown into a maximum security prison with a 125 year sentence!
Prison Life and a Corrupt Warden
To be fair to Harry and Skip, they adjust to prison life pretty easily and make friends with a few guys from the prison. However, as is the case with all movies like this, there is a corrupt warden who loves to make the prisoner’s lives hell! Now, in my opinion, up to the first little, while they are in jail, the movie is great and a lot of fun, but it is once we get to the jail and the “real plot” starts to unfold that the movie starts to lose me.
The Rodeo Competition Plot: A Shift in Tone
Basically, there is an inter-prison rodeo competition that the wardens of the prisons use to line their own pockets and it turns out that Skip is a very talented bull rider. The warden forces Skip to take part and he does so with a list of conditions, conditions that are there to help him and his friend escape.
Weak Points: The Love Story Subplot and Pacing Issues
My main issue with Stir Crazy is that there is a subplot with Harry and Skip’s lawyer which develops into a weird love story. This part of the movie feels tacked on and once the plot of the whole rodeo competition starts, the movie just kind of plods along. Sure we have the charm and amusing antics of Wilder and Pryor, but there is just something lacking here as the movie makes its way towards the end.
Final Thoughts on Stir Crazy
I would never say that Stir Crazy is a bad movie and if I were flicking through the channels and it was on, I perhaps would stop and watch it. Yet, I cannot say that this would ever be a movie that I would make a real effort to sit down and watch. If you want some Pryor and Wilder magic, always go for See No Evil, Hear No Evil!
