Three Ages

Not really one of Keaton's better working movies for me. It's all down to singular gags and you really think the idea behind it would have created better material.

A few funny moments interspersed with long sections of oddly paced narrative. The car gag is great, the restaurant scene is alright, and the final chases are pretty solid. However, the film mostly feels repetitive rather than clever. And the craps joke? Ouch.

Buster's somewhat cautious venture into features is actually three short subjects joined by a common theme: LUHVE. The results are uneven, with some wonderfully funny material undercut by the narrative device, which does effectively parody D.W. Griffith's INTOLERANCE. His comic mind is hard at work, but the momentum isn't there. Still a pleasure if you catch it in the right mood. Nifty stop-motion dinosaur and pantomime lion for those of us who delight in such things.

The star's first feature film, not his strongest, is saved by the final chases.

Fun enough early example of the parody film, taking aim at Intolerance eight years after that movie was released. There are some clever bits and good gags, but it's not nearly as good as the best Keaton when it comes to laughs, stunts, or story.

This one almost feels like they came up with the gags and stunts first and then tried to make a story that could use those. I think I liked the Roman Age the best (the license plate on the chariot a nice touch), but shaggy Buster in his bear slippers was funny-looking even when he wasn't trying to be funny.

Better than I was expecting, though the Stone Age and Roman gags are pretty asinine. Could have easily been a two- or three-reeler with a couple of cutaways to the past to make the point. But, it's still fun.

Really rewatched. Must have been in a bad move or tired the first time. Watched again and loved it. Falling out of my chair laughing when the restaurant scene happened.

85.50

A lovelorn nebbish (Buster Keaton) tries to get the girl (Margaret Leahy) in three separate eras - the Stone Age, ancient Rome, and the modern day. Wallace Beery is his foil in each lifetime. Buster's first autonomous feature is really three interwoven shorts (it was designed as such), none of which are quite among his best work, but it certainly has its share of good gags.

With its mix of three storylines momentum is constantly interrupted. Thus, storylines are also underdeveloped.

Though the first two acts of each segment in this triptych of shorts are a little laboured, the respective final instalments all feature a number of brilliant gags and result in a worthy payoff in each case. It’s the film which established Keaton as a star of features, and there’s naturally a good deal of seriously impressive stunt work.

Three middling Buster Keaton shorts for the price of one, essentially. Not bad, but tepid and tentative for Keaton's feature debut. It has a few good bits though: the car in the opening, the roof jumping stunt, the chariot race, etc.

tries to be clever instead of brazen, and it doesn't really work at all. i only laughed properly at the car joke. so we can only rely on the narrative, which is very tedious, and just like most other american silents, where the actor-director imagines himself as a bumbling but brave and oh-so-lovable hero who blunders through a series of hilarious misadventures so he can win the love of the beautiful woman. and buster, you just couldn't stop yourself from adding a touch of racism, could you?

Even the gags are bad [with the exception of the car one-- that was fucking cool]. I will choose not to comment on the rest.

Much like Seven Chances, it's weak in the beginning. Repetitive puns, random racist jokes. But as Keaton ups the physicality in the second half the movie greatly improves. Absolutely love the climax of the prehistoric sequence. Also, is this the first instance of the "sundial watch" gag?

the STONEFACE age was cool! I also loved the blazed lion

Not as good as Keaton's best-for my money, Sherlock Jr.-but still very worth watching. I am still struck by the extravagant imagination of the stunt work. You can see why Jackie Chan loves him so much.

Coming from someone who really liked "Intolerance" (you may now ignore the rest of this review) I was somewhat disappointed by how a lot of comedic potential was kind of missed. But I guess that it is actually pretty good on its own.

Though the jokes have aged considerably politically (Keaton pulling his lover by the hair in the caveman skit), they are all brilliantly silly, and the structure keeps the ante up high. A good watch.

Keaton's Intolerance! I liked "Last National Bank" and gambler slaves gags most at the beginning.

The best gags are not good enough to make this notable.

Buster's car falling apart is probably one of his best gags. A solid short.

It's the same story told three times, but switching between time periods keeps things from becoming stale. Some cute (and corny) effects and a few cool stunts.

lol Wallace Beery

Buster Keaton's first feature-length directorial effort is one of the most influential comedies of all time, paving the way for trend-spoofs like Mel Brooks and the recent "____ Movie" craze. My first impression was that the periods shouldn't be presented in an intertwined fashion, but this lends the movie a swift pace that constantly refreshes itself. The gags don't rely on the large-scale choreography Keaton is known for, but it's still very funny, with frequent use of hilarious anachronisms.

This movie quite possibly created the stereotype that cavemen drug women around by their hair--and on top of that it has the earliest Claymation I've ever seen. Aside from those two things, this movie really doesn't have enough Keaton-esque antics to make the first half engaging at all, now the second half...that is much better.

Some nice ideas and some really stupid ones.

Quite an entertaining Keaton film. The way the three stories are weaved together is effective and even though the plotting is predictable it doesn't fail to be amusing and reasonably engaging.

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