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Marius Weyers, Sandra Prinsloo, N!xau, Louw Verwey, Michael Thys ... see more see more... , Jamie Uys , Nic De Jager , Ken Gampu , Paddy O'Byrne , Brian O'Shaughnessy , Joe Seakatsi , Fanyana H. Sidumo , Hans Strydom , Lena Farugia

Kalahari bushman Xi (played by genuine bushman N!xau) is as surprised as the rest of his tibe when a Coke bottle, thrown from a passing plane, lands in the middle of their village. This "gift from the... read more read more... gods" proves to be a mixed blessing when the tribesmen fight over it and eventually use it for a weapon. To keep peace in the village, Xi is assigned to take the bottle to "the end of the earth" (actually a lush valley) and throw it back to the gods. Meanwhile, back in urbanized South Africa, Kate Thompson (Sandra Prinsloo) leaves her office job in the city to take a job teaching Kalahari children; once in the wilderness, she finds herself constantly bumping into clumsy microbiologist Andrew Steyn (Marius Weyers). And meanwhile, maniacal Sam Boga (Louw Verwey) is leading a military coup against the government. How do all these various and wildly divergent characters fit together? You'll have to see The Gods Must be Crazy yourself--if you haven't seen it already. This Botswanian comedy/melodrama was directed by Jamie Uys, who had helmed dozens of films before Gods and would make many more afterwards. Originally slated for limited domestic distribution in 1982, Gods Must Be Crazy was picked up for American consumption by 20th Century-Fox in 1984. Within a few weeks, "word of mouth" transformed Gods into the biggest foreign boxoffice hit ever released in the U.S. The 1989 sequel didn't do quite as well, indicating that perhaps the bloom was off the rose for N!xau and his confreres. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Flixster Users

78% liked it

47,753 ratings

Critics

95% liked it

22 critics

PG, 1 hr. 49 min.

Directed by: Jamie Uys

Release Date: January 1, 1980

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DVD Release Date: June 1, 2004

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Stats: 2,572 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (2,572)

  • spielberg00
    November 19, 2011
    spielberg00
    Fast-paced, bizarre '80s comedy is ridiculously funny, if politically incorrect. Much of it seems like South Africa's equivalent to Monty Python, especially the narration, which is a subtle reminder to all Python fans of the tree-bombing skit in AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY ... read moreDIFFERENT.

    Though this film was extremely funny, I must speak against its overall message. Even though it was made in South Africa and Botswana, the film seems to be promoting the idea that African tribes are clueless of their surroundings, some of which Western civilizations find to be obvious and a staple to their own lives (like a Coke bottle).

    Full Review: http://wp.me/p1Urcx-t5
  • TomBowler
    November 16, 2011
    TomBowler
    Very funny if a little far-fetched. Full review later.
  • ScoopOnline
    December 19, 2009
    ScoopOnline
    This is very funny Movie.
  • matertenebraum
    November 15, 2009
    matertenebraum
    No other film I ever saw has been able to show, so well, that "civilized" man lives in TOO COMPLEX A WORLD.. the bushmen have it ok.. technology is not needed, al these SURPLUS HUMANS THAT COVER THE GLOBE ARE NOT NEEDED! ABANDON YOUR TECHNOLOGY! ABANDON AGRICULTURE!! Ok, well i'm... read more not abandoning these things either; I've grown so attached to my films, photography, reading, etc.

    The technical aspects of this film may at first bother you, when I first saw this film about 5 years ago, I knew then that the editing was a bit sloppy, or.. maybe not sloppy, but not seamless, how about.. but it doesn't matter - what matters foremost is that the idea, the communication GETS ACROSS.. it does. I may have "the message" of this film all wrong but that's ok, because it's up to me to have my own interpretation! it doesn't have to be the same as yours. what a wonderful life the bushmen have; they don't have to worry about being old, insurance, paperwork, jobs, bills, phones, electricity, car keys, etc. - granted, their life would NOT be for everyone but most people on this planet don't have it easy; in fact, few do, and I suspect that they are not "happy" or "fulfilled" and I don't care.. I'm not going to cry over the plight of any humans whose purpose for existing was/is largely an afterthought.. think about why, before you make more people.. think about the facts that they may never like you, that they may want to die at 16 years of age, that they might want to join an organization that harbors beliefs which conflict utterly with yours, that they might want to be an anti-humanity activist (contact me if the latter is the case with YOU, and I will tell you how you can help me with my propaganda)

    The bushmen are PART OF SOMETHING, they have a way of living that works for them, and that's something ALL "civilized" "societies" NEVER DEVELOPED, and now it's rapidly becoming too late - populations are swelling, "resources" are being taxed, some to the point of nonexistence (or soon anyway)..

    Personally, I'd rather be in a situation like the bushmen. I don't feel any need to live to see 50, 60, 70 years of age.. Why? What's the point? So one can procreate? And see their offspring procreate? On this planet? With what it's becoming, and the people that are responsible? No. no reason I can see to contribute to a population which is already way, way out of hand.

    Right.. there is a story in The Gods Must Be Crazy, and I must really like it, too, as I can't count how many times i've seen the film.. it may be that some of the story was simply a device which would allow the filmmaker's preoccupations to be spread around, maybe not. again, this is my possible interpretation, which is neither right or wrong, necessarily. make your own conclusions; I urge you to see this film. if the technical aspects are too much for you to handle, then go watch some drivel like Pearl Harbor, I'm quite sure Ben Affleck has the answer to all your little problems.

    In fact - this movie may have NO MESSAGE, but I think it has many. and this is something I like, is that there isn't ONE MESSAGE FORCED ON ME, which is the case with so, so, many excuses-for-films i've witnessed.. of course, a closing reminder that GOOD movies and BAD movies truly do not exist - rather, there are only films, and YOUR TAKE ON THEM. keep all that in mind.

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  • pier007
    March 21, 2008
    pier007
    over-the-top, amazing, clever, but above all hilarious analysis of our humanity. The curious and naive bushman N!xau effortlessly steals the show. one of my childhood favorites.
  • YosemiteSamFan
    July 5, 2007
    YosemiteSamFan
    I found this movie cute and slapstick. It wasn't the roll-on-the-floor-laughing experience that some have described. The fast-motion goofiness made me chuckle briefly.
  • purplemegan
    March 20, 2007
    purplemegan
    So the first time I saw this was in seventh grade. All I could remember was that it was a movie involving a Coke bottle that fell from the sky. It was still pretty funny. Watching behind the scenes stuff on the second movie talked about the choppiness of the movie and how the ... read moredirector did that on purpose.
  • timandterrybarker
    February 9, 2007
    timandterrybarker
    One of my favorite comedies. Charming, innocent, and off-beat.
  • deano
    December 17, 2006
    deano
    This is the first time I watched a South African comedy film - wonderfully, screamingly and tearfully funny.
  • husky10000years
    October 19, 2007
    husky10000years
    This is the first time I watched a South African comedy film - wonderfully, screamingly and tearfully funny. This movie was the funniest movie I've ever seen.

View All The Gods Must Be Crazy Reviews

Critic Reviews

Austin Kennedy
May 13, 2012
Austin Kennedy, Sin Magazine

The comedy has a Keystone Cops feel and the film is also occasionally touching. These kinds of silly movies just aren't made anymore and that's too bad. Full Review

S. Jhoanna Robledo
May 11, 2012
S. Jhoanna Robledo, Common Sense Media

Charming family film makes you think; expect some shooting. Full Review

Emanuel Levy
June 25, 2011
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com

A funny comedy, done is slapstick style, about a single but origianl idea of how a bottle of Coke changes the entire lifestle of a tribe. Full Review

Steve Crum
March 14, 2009
Steve Crum, Video-Reviewmaster.com

Sleeper that became a huge hit; all about the discovery of a soft drink container by a bushman. Funny, fascinating.

Rich Cline
November 8, 2004
Rich Cline, Shadows on the Wall

delightfully entertaining

Scott Weinberg
May 17, 2004
Scott Weinberg, eFilmCritic.com

There's an earnest sincerity to the messages offered within, plus the presentation is colorful and exotic and quite funny throughout. Full Review

David Nusair
March 16, 2004
David Nusair, Reel Film Reviews

It's not hard to understand why the film was such a worldwide sensation... Full Review

David Bezanson
February 8, 2004
David Bezanson, Filmcritic.com

an offbeat movie that is also brilliant Full Review

Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
July 23, 2003
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality and Practice

A slapstick comedy that really works! Full Review

Rob Thomas
May 15, 2003
Rob Thomas, Capital Times (Madison, WI)

Whimsical mix of African folk tale and slapstick comedy

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The Gods Must Be Crazy Trivia

  • what film had a lot of international success just because of a falling coke bottle   Answer »
  • In the gods must be crazy 2, the Bush people refer to an object that has brought them grief because of the jealousy and chaos it caused. They called the object The thing, what was the thing:  Answer »
  • In the movie "The Gods Must Be Crazy", what fell from the airplane in the beginning of the movie?  Answer »
  • What caused all the trouble in the movie "The gods must be crazy"?  Answer »
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