'THE MOUSE THAT ROARED'........THE KINDER, GENTLER 'RED DAWN'

The Mouse That Roared (1959) ........may stand, as far as we know, as the only comedy that depicts an armed invasion of the United States......

                ........although some film critics did laugh loudly at "Red Dawn" and Chuck Norris's 'Invasion USA'......but then those films weren't intentionally funny.

                And unlike 'Red Dawn', 'The Mouse That Roared' is about a victorious invasion....with the invading country, Grand Fenwick armed only with bows and arrows.

                   Grand Fenwick's a postage-stamp sized, semi-Medieval British enclave that somehow parked itself in the middle of France.  And G.F's seen their finances reduced to poverty level ever since sales of their principle export, wine, tumbled in the face of a competing cheap knockoff brand.

                  Here's where the film's inherently hilarious premise kicks in......Grand Fenwick's wily Prime Minister Rupert (Peter Sellers) convinces the kingdom's doddering monarch, Duchess Gloriana (also Peter Sellers) that the United States will shower Grand Fenwick with millions in foreign aid....once the tiny country declares war on the U.S. and then promptly loses.  

                  This seemingly easy task of waging a losing battle against the world's superpower is given to the country's bumbling gameskeeper Tully Bascombe (once again, Peter Sellers, scoring a comedy triple-play of roles equal to his work in 'Dr. Strangelove')

                   As comedic fate would have it, Tully and his dozen or so trusty bowmen land in a New York City emptied of people due to a Civil Defense test....(everyone's hiding in shelters)  Thinking the populace has fled the Grand Fenwick invasion, Tully and his tiny army declare victory and also  manage to kidnap an Army general, six New York cops, a nuclear scientist, his beautiful daughter (Jean Seberg)......and her father's apocalyptic invention, the 'Q' bomb, capable of wiping out half a continent.

                   We don't want spoil the witty satiric fun of watching all the further complications when Tully returns home not in cash-fueled defeat, but in global, money-less triumph.......much to the consternation of Rupert and Gloriana.  Very funny stuff, from beginning to end. 

                  If you've seen this before, we still recommend cheering yourself up in these dark times with a return visit. If you've never seen it, you should royally treat yourself to a viewing ASAP.....(we could never resist a movie that plays havoc with the Columbia Pictures Torch Lady....4 stars (****),