Sleeper (1973)

Today's film is Sleeper, a great comedy with a sci fi twist.  Yes, it is a bit dated since it's what 1973 thought the future would be, but that actually makes it even funnier.  Most of the comedy is physical, and is accompanied by music by none other than the Preservation Hall Jazz Band.  I got to see them in New Orleans and it was awesome.  The comedy scenes are straight out of a silent film, like a Buster Keaton comedy.

Miles is from 1973 and is frozen following a botched routine surgery.  He is subsequently thawed out 200 years later, and the doctors hope he can help them overthrow their oppressive government.  Later, Miles escapes the clutches of the government disguised as a robot butler.  How everyone doesn't see him as a person dressed up escapes me.

The vision of the future is also funny.  Everything is still analog, such as the giant reel-to-reel film Miles learns how to use.  In the future, they learn that hot fudge and tobacco are very healthy for you and that they had been mistaken for many years.

One funny scene was when Miles (the main character) is stealing fruit from a farm when he is caught.  The fruit in the future is like 6 ft long, so he carefully peels a 6 ft banana.  He and the person chasing him keep slipping on the huge banana peel over and over.  It is so funny, because you know, banana peels.

I really liked the character Luna, who meets Miles disguised as a robot butler.  She dramatically transforms from a gentle poet artist to a warrior in the woods.  She rescues Miles when he is captured and brainwashed by the evil government. She and her really hot fellow rebel revive his memory by pretending to be his parents at the dinner table.  This unfortunately cracks his brain and he becomes the lady from A Streetcar Named Desire for a while.

They do end up successfully rebelling against the government, but it doesn't make a difference because eventually another terrible government will take its place.  Like in real life.  I enjoyed this film and my daughter thoroughly enjoyed the physical comedy.  I will give this film an 8/10.