That's Entertainment, Part II (1976)

Good story, Not enough for a whole film

Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.

Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.

The movie really just wants to entertain people.

Disappointing follow-up to "That's Entertainment!" The clips are fine though not up to the first film's selection. They added non-musical clips that just don't seem to work as well, in my opinion. It's missing the added interest that came from seeing various silver screen stars of old walking around the dilapidated MGM backlot before it was torn down. That added a certain poignancy to what otherwise was just a simple compilation film. Instead, we get Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly walking around gaudy '70s style sets. Kelly is particularly cringeworthy, looking like a TV game show host. Astaire seems like a classy old gent but Kelly looks like an old man trying to cling to his youth. What was he thinking with that awful toupee? If the first film's undercurrent was one of regret and mourning for a bygone era, this one's undercurrent is second-hand embarrassment for Gene Kelly. Anyway, seeing the two of them dance together will make their fans smile. It's impressive to see them dancing at their age (especially 76 year-old Astaire). Overall, if you liked the first "That's Entertainment!" you'll probably like this one, though I doubt as much.

After a little more than 30 years, I watched That's Entertainment, Part II again on HD DVD. This time, Gene Kelly directed himself and Fred Astaire in new dance sequences with new lyrics to the title number that originally was in Astaire's The Band Wagon. They help introduce many segments that prove these numbers-despite some corniness of some lyrics-a little more entertaining than the written-if partially stilted-intros of the previous TE. Also appearing in a new segment was songwriter Sammy Cahn who segues to many scenes of characters in the process of writing a song of which one of the most entertaining was one depicting composing "Tales from the Vienna Woods". Oh, and it was interesting seeing Jack Benny just before they mention a couple of songwriters a few feet from him: Nacio Herb Brown and Arthur Freed, later producer of many of the great musicals showcased in both these compilations. Oh, and while there was still some overwhelmingness on the part of many musical clips coming one after another, they were at least partly broken by some comedy clips-represented by Laurel & Hardy, Abbott & Costello, and The Marx Brothers-and some dramatic ones, whether by a series of Tracy and Hepburn scenes or by many famous lines from either Clark Gable or Greta Garbo. Oh, and unlike many reviewers here, I highly enjoyed the Bobby Van jumping number. If there was one sequence I could have done without, it was all those "goodbye" scenes from the James Fitzpatrick travelogue shorts series which I would have been confused about had I not already known about them. Also have to compliment former M-G-M animators Hanna-Barbera for providing some new animation during one of the new linking segments. So on that note, That's Entertainment, Part II comes highly recommended.

The received wisdom is that sequels don't work but against that we need to consider French Connection II, Godfather II etc. That's Entertainment II works in the sense that for musical buffs a That's Entertainment XI would work if it offered MORE clips of musical movies even of the most dubious quality. This sequel rightly makes the point that 'entertainment' is not exclusively words and music and backs up the point by including snippets of comedy and drama at which MGM also excelled. Although in my book Astaire leaves Kelly for dead, always has, always will, it was still great to see them getting the lion's share (ouch) of footage as co-hosts even if - as more than one poster has stated - they were saddled with some of the most inept and cringe-making parody lyrics. A welcome addition to the genre.

Like its predecessor, THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT II offers two hours of film clips from memorable MGM movies featuring the likes of Judy Garland, Bing Crosby, Lena Horne, Louis Armstrong, and Doris Day. Unlike its predecessor, which organized the film clips into thematic sequences introduced by different MGM stars, THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT just throws the clips out willynilly without much rhyme or reason--and saddles narrators Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly with some of the clunkiest, corniest material imaginable. In consequence, it lacks the cohesion and the excitement of the original.But it still has its charms. Many of the individual clips are knock-outs: Ethel Waters performing "Taking a Chance on Love" from CABIN IN THE SKY, Bobby Van doing the famous "hop dance" from SMALL TOWN GIRL, Judy Garland belting out "I Got Rhythm" from GIRL CRAZY. In addition to such musical treats, the film also offers a look at the Marx Brothers with the famous "State Room Scene" from A NIGHT AT THE OPERA, a sequence of famous lines from famous films (such as Garbo's "I want to be alone"), and an extended tribute to Spenser Tracy and Katherine Hepburn. Most viewers will probably feel the film drags due to the uneven way in which the scenes are introduced and edited together, but just about every one will find plenty to enjoy. Recommended with reservations.Gary F. Taylor, aka GFT, Amazon Reviewer