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I'm quite surprised, but compared to the Coen brothers' remake, I didn’t find that the original The Ladykillers was as good. It's not that the film wasn't entertaining, it's not that Alec Guinness didn't portray the ultra-slimy gangster well, it's not that the rest of the cast was bad (I was most entertained, sorry Mr. Sellers, by Herbert Lom, whose murderous look is simply unique) and it's not that the old lady wasn't wasn’t worth killing... I just laughed less than I expected. Nevertheless, the film deserves four stars. (01.03.2011)

I consider the Coen brothers remake of The Ladykillers to be an artistic defeat and the only Coen film that I outright disliked. After watching the original classic, I have to say that the English version is truly better, of course, except for the star-studded cast because the old version understandably doesn't have renowned actor Tom Hanks. Many of the participants did become stars, but back then it was still their beginnings and they were relatively unknown faces. The 55-year gap is naturally noticeable, and I just didn't have the feeling of a comprehensive genre film like The Lavender Hill Mob with The Ladykillers. Moreover, it is a film where the viewer feels on some occasions how the jokes are unfinished and one wonders how it could have been done better. Nevertheless, The Ladykillers effortlessly surpasses the majority of today's comedy productions. Contrary to the original scriptwriter's intention, which undoubtedly assumed that sympathies would be on the old lady's side, I was a fan of any of those five poor crooks subjected to her nagging and annoyance. Overall impression: 75%. (26.11.2010)

Alec Guinness is an incredible chameleon. I already knew it because the movie "Noble Heart and Noble Crowns" is a unique proof of that, but this film still pleasantly surprised me and showed me that Alec Guinness was truly born for every role. Just like Peter Sellers or Herbert Lom. (23.12.2014)

Five nobodies who are dangerous to themselves and one lady who is so nice that one could kill her. The perfect setup for a comedy in which a life is at stake. For light entertainment, The Ladykillers is superbly directed, which is true of both the comedic and thriller scenes. The deaths are chilling. The characters, who represent a caricatured sampling of English society at the time, are not treated with any respect, though it can’t be said that they would deserve any. If the ossified generation overpowers the up-and-coming generation, it is not because of their resourcefulness, but because of their inability to come to an agreement with others. This, the last great film of Britain’s Ealing studio was successful not only in its country of origin, but also in the United States (most likely because of how biting it is in comparison with Hollywood movies of the day), to which director Alexander Mackendrick was also lured by Sweet Smell of Success two years later. Appendix:  What was essentially British about the original comes through in the Coen brothers’ successful remake, which shifted the plot to the American South, dispensed with the cold-blooded moments and reached for more straightforward humour. 80% (31.08.2012)