Peter Sellers frequently organized a catered party for his film club in 1968. Shortly before one of these parties, Sellers learned the print of the film he wanted to show would not arrive that evening. Luckily, one of the guests remembered he had a movie titled The Producers in the trunk of his car. Nobody had heard of it or of Mel Brooks, who was making his directing and screenwriting debut with this particular movie. 

Sellers figured showing any film was better than none. After the screening, Sellers bought several full page advertisements telling the American public how wonderful Brooks' film was. Praise received from Sellers launched Brooks' career and made him a household name. Much later, The Producers spun off into a hit Broadway musical starring Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick, who reprise their roles in this film version of the Broadway show.

Leo Bloom (Broderick) is an accountant who works in a sweatshop environment. He longs to do something else with his life but is afraid of his own shadow and still clings to the rag that was once his security blanket. It helps comfort him when he cannot deal with confrontation, conflicts or new situations.

Leo has been sent to audit the books of Max Bialystock (Nathan Lane), a Broadway producer who can't seem to  produce a successful show. Max sleeps with wealthy elderly women to get the millions needed to pull off another dreadful production because nobody within the industry will take him seriously or back his efforts. (This character is based on a real-life producer Brooks interned with as a teenager.)

Leo soon discovers $2,000 of the money invested in Max's last effor is missing. He correctly assumes Max has pocketed it for himself. Thinking aloud, Leo mentions to Max that if he were a dishonest man he could make millions off a flop by securing far more than he needed to stage it. He could then pocket the difference with the investors believing all their money had been used and, therefore, could not be returned. Max thinks this is an ingenious scheme and gets Leo involved despite his original protests. Leo has always wanted to be a producer, so he finally agrees. 

The problem? Finding one production guaranteed to offend people, cause them to walk out after the first number and close on opening night. The two men need a show that's  horrendously written and impossible to execute. The pair settle on Springtime for Hitler. They approach Franz Liebkind (Will Ferrell), the author of the play, asking him to  hand over the rights so it can be produced on Broadway. But nothing works with Franz until the two men perform rituals with him and pledge allegiance to the dictator. With the rights secured, the play is cast with the worst actors and director Max and Leo could find. Unfortunately, the audience thinks the show is a comedy. The reviews are in and it’s a hit.

Will Ferrell stands out as Franz Liebkind, a playwright who idolizes Adolf Hitler. Like Hitler, Ferrell’s character has grandiose delusions and visions that have taken hold of him blurring reality and making way for hilarity as Max and Leo attempt to put on his production and humor him about his views.

Ferrell, who was nominated for a Golden Globe for this performance, is a riot and most effective when given ridiculous song and dance numbers. Lane and Broderick on the other hand, appear bored and uncomfortable in reprising their Broadway shtick here. Lane goes over the top as Max, and Broderick is best in song and dance routines. Both performances are uneven. Overall, the characters in this film version seem undeveloped. Uma Thurman’s performance as Swedish Secretary Ulla is largely lost on the audience until her “If You’ve Got It Flaunt It” musical number.

If left to an experienced movie director, The Producers might have worked. With her feature film debut, Susan Stroman (who helmed the Broadway show) delivers overblown glossy production numbers and little in the way of substance. If Max and Leo were looking for the perfect flop, they would have found it here.

(Released by Universal Pictures and rated "PG-13" for sexual humor and references. Opened in select cities on December 16 and expands nationwide on December 25, 2005.)