''Cheech & Chong's The Corsican Brothers'' is an American film released in 1984, the sixth

feature-length film A feature film or feature-length film is a narrative film (motion picture or "movie") with a running time long enough to be considered the principal or sole presentation in a commercial entertainment program. The term ''feature film'' originall ...

starring the comedy duo

Cheech and Chong Cheech & Chong are a comedy duo consisting of Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong. The duo found commercial and cultural success in the 1970s and 1980s with their stand-up routines, studio recordings, and feature films, which were based on the hippie a ...

. Cheech Marin and

Tommy Chong Thomas B. Kin Chong (born May 24, 1938) is a Canadian-American actor, comedian, musician, activist. He is known for his marijuana-themed Cheech & Chong comedy albums and movies with Cheech Marin, as well as playing the character Leo on Fox ...

star as the two twin brothers in a parody of various film adaptations of the 1844 Alexandre Dumas novella, ''

The Corsican Brothers ''The Corsican Brothers'' (french: Les Frères corses) is a novella by Alexandre Dumas, père, first published in 1844. It is the story of two conjoined brothers who, though separated at birth, can still feel each other's physical distress. It h ...

''. To date, it is the last live-action film starring the duo, and the only one that does not heavily revolve around the normal elements of

stoner comedy Stoner film is a subgenre of comedy film that revolves around the recreational use of cannabis. Generally, cannabis use is one of the main themes and inspires much of the plot. They are often representative of cannabis culture. "Stoner film" as ...

(being that there are very few references to marijuana). Instead the film elects to be a straightforward farce of

swashbuckler A swashbuckler is a genre of European adventure literature that focuses on a heroic protagonist stock character who is skilled in swordsmanship, acrobatics, guile and possesses chivalrous ideals. A "swashbuckler" protagonist is heroic, daring, ...

films.

Plot

Los Guys, a

rockabilly Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music. It dates back to the early 1950s in the United States, especially the South. As a genre it blends the sound of Western musical styles such as country with that of rhythm and blu ...

band, has developed a racket playing loud music on the streets of

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

and accepting payment for them to stop playing. While at a nearby restaurant counting the proceeds from their latest "gig," two lead band members meet a

gypsy The Romani (also spelled Romany or Rromani , ), colloquially known as the Roma, are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group, traditionally nomadic itinerants. They live in Europe and Anatolia, and have diaspora populations located worldwide, with sign ...

storyteller. She tells them the story of ''

''. The story begins with the birth of two superfecund twin brothers, Louis and Lucien (played by adult Cheech and Chong as babies, children and adults), each by a different aristocratic French father; the two fathers end up dead in a botched duel over their partner's infidelity, with the twins raised as orphans. At age nine, their trait of feeling pain from the other's injuries becomes apparent (it becomes the film's predominant

running gag A running gag, or running joke, is a literary device that takes the form of an amusing joke or a comical reference and appears repeatedly throughout a work of literature or other form of storytelling. Though they are similar, catchphrases are no ...

); they accidentally burn down their house while playing with this power, and they decide to split up. At age 30, they reunite: Louis (now Luís) wound up in

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

working low-end jobs (though he claims to be a wealthy businessman) and Lucien, who stayed in France, has grown resentful of the royals' harsh treatment of peasants in the country, particularly that of the queen's

regent A regent (from Latin : ruling, governing) is a person appointed to govern a state '' pro tempore'' (Latin: 'for the time being') because the monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge the powers and duties of the monarchy ...

, the sadistic ( in more ways than one) Fuckaire, who usurped the king after his disappearance. The cowardly Luís is reluctant to help his brother's revolutionary plans, but both find themselves drawn to two of the queen's daughters (played by Cheech and Chong's real-life wives). The crux of Lucien's scheme is to disguise themselves respectively as a gay Spaniard hairdresser and

Nostradamus Michel de Nostredame (December 1503 – July 1566), usually Latinised as Nostradamus, was a French astrologer, apothecary, physician, and reputed seer, who is best known for his book '' Les Prophéties'' (published in 1555), a collection ...

, who are prepared to visit the queen with the Marquis du Hickey. Despite a setback in which they are temporarily imprisoned because Lucien would rather fight outnumbered than flee from danger as Luís wanted, Lucien manages to escape. At Luís's execution, Lucien and the peasants storm the festivities, Luís is freed and Fuckaire is deposed. As Luís prepares for the dual wedding between the brothers and princesses, he suddenly fears for their future, and Lucien sweeps in to rescue him as they both leave the princesses at the altar, resolved to cross the globe and start a

revolution In political science, a revolution (Latin: ''revolutio'', "a turn around") is a fundamental and relatively sudden change in political power and political organization which occurs when the population revolts against the government, typically due ...

in America. After their saga concludes, Los Guys resume playing in an outdoor cafe, covering

Chuck Berry Charles Edward Anderson Berry (October 18, 1926 – March 18, 2017) was an American singer, songwriter and guitarist who pioneered rock and roll. Nicknamed the " Father of Rock and Roll", he refined and developed rhythm and blues into th ...

's " Nadine," to an indifferent audience. Much of the film's humor comes from anachronisms: ''The Corsican Brothers'' is set in the 1840s (in the film it is portrayed closer to 18th-century, pre- revolution France), but Nostradamus, who lived and died three centuries prior, makes an appearance, and Luís is said to have spent time in a modern-day Mexico.

Cast

* Cheech Marin as Luis Corsican *

as Lucian Corsican *

Roy Dotrice Roy Dotrice (26 May 1923 – 16 October 2017) was a British actor famed for his portrayal of the antiquarian John Aubrey in the record-breaking solo play '' Brief Lives''. Abroad, he won a Tony Award for his performance in the 2000 Broadway r ...

as The Evil Fuckaire/Ye Old Jailer *

Shelby Chong Shelby Chong (née Fiddis; born February 1, 1948) is an American comedian, actress and producer who was the executive producer of '' Best Buds'' (2003) and the associate producer of four Cheech & Chong films. She is the wife of comedian and acto ...

as Princess I * Rikki Marin (Cheech's real-life wife) as Princess II *

Edie McClurg Edith Marie McClurg (born July 23, 1945) is an American actress and comedian. She has played supporting roles in the films ''Carrie'' (1976), ''Ferris Bueller's Day Off'' (1986), and ''Elvira: Mistress of the Dark'' (1988), and bit parts in ' ...

as The Queen *

Robbi Chong Robbi Lynn Chong (born May 28, 1965) is a Canadian actress and former model. Early life Chong was born on May 28, 1965, in Vancouver, British Columbia, the second daughter of Maxine Sneed and Tommy Chong, an actor, comedian, director and write ...

as Princess III *

Jean-Claude Dreyfus Jean-Claude Dreyfus (born 18 February 1946, in Paris) is a French actor, comedian, and author. He began his career in film acting in 1973 in the film ''Comment réussir quand on est con et pleurnichard''. Dreyfus is notable for his portrayal ...

as Marquis Du Hickey *

Rae Dawn Chong Rae Dawn Chong (born February 28, 1961) is a Canadian-American actress. She made her big screen debut appearing in the 1978 musical drama film '' Stony Island'', and in 1981 starred in the fantasy film '' Quest for Fire'', for which she received ...

as The Gypsy * Kay Dotrice as The Midwife * Jennie C. Kos as The Pregnant Mother * Martin Pepper as Martin * Yvan Chiffre as Tax Collector #1 * Dan Schwarz as Tax Collector #2 * Serge Fedoroff as Nostrodamus *

Pierre Olaf Pierre Olaf (14 July 1928 – 16 September 1995) was a French actor, cabaret artist, and clown. He first achieved success as a stage actor in Paris in the musical revues of Robert Dhéry. He achieved particular acclaim in Dhéry's ''Jupon Volé'' ...

as Courtier

Reception

Leonard Maltin Leonard Michael Maltin (born December 18, 1950) is an American film critic and film historian, as well as an author of several mainstream books on cinema, focusing on nostalgic, celebratory narratives. He is perhaps best known for his book of fi ...

said the film was "Staggeringly unfunny even by C&C standards; the ''previews'' for '' Start the Revolution Without Me'' have more laughs."

References

External links

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Cheech and Chong's The Corsican Brothers 1984 films Cheech & Chong (film series) Films based on The Corsican Brothers Orion Pictures films American comedy films 1984 comedy films Films set in France Films scored by George S. Clinton Films directed by Tommy Chong Films produced by Peter MacGregor-Scott 1980s English-language films 1980s American films