Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- irreverent
- witty
- kinetic
- classic comedy night
- mel brooks marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film's controlled visual comedy, energetic performances, and humanistic undercurrent, while acknowledging uneven pacing and a weaker second half.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Ippolit Vorobyaninov and Father Fyodor separately search for the chair containing the hidden jewels.
The critical reception specifically highlights physical insult, sight gags, speed-ups, slow motion, and silent-era comic technique.
The former nobleman and priest pursue their family fortune after adjusting, unsuccessfully and opportunistically, to the commissars' Russia.
Critics identify the emerging bond between the two central treasure seekers and the film's interest in honor among thieves.
Films like The Twelve Chairs, and why
It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
shared broad physical comedy, treasure-hunt structure, and escalating ensemble misadventures
The Producers
shared irreverent comedy, theatrical farce, and Mel Brooks's interest in human flaws beneath the jokes
The Great Race
shared comic pursuit of hidden wealth, eccentric characters, and period-adventure farce
Movie Details
- Director
- Mel Brooks
- Release Date
- 1970-10-28
- Runtime
- 94 min
- Rating
- 6.2 / 10 (156)
Cast
- Ron Moody
- Frank Langella
- Dom DeLuise
- Andréas Voutsinas
- Diana Coupland
- Mel Brooks
- David Lander
- Vlada Petrić
- Elaine Garreau
- Robert Bernal
Common questions
- What is The Twelve Chairs about?
- An aging aristocrat and a greedy priest race across Soviet Russia to locate jewels hidden inside one of twelve identical chairs.
- What is The Twelve Chairs like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Twelve Chairs as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The Twelve Chairs violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in The Twelve Chairs as mild.
- What did critics think of The Twelve Chairs?
- Critics broadly praised the film's controlled visual comedy, energetic performances, and humanistic undercurrent, while acknowledging uneven pacing and a weaker second half.
- Which films are like The Twelve Chairs?
- Films with a similar feel include It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, The Producers, and The Great Race.
- How long is The Twelve Chairs?
- The Twelve Chairs runs 94 minutes.
