Some stupid Indian death cult (which, oddly, is made up of folks who don't look the least bit Indian--such as Leo McKern) insists on killing Ringo because, somehow, he's wearing some sacred ring that is worn by folks who MUST be sacrificed. So, through much of the film, the cult members randomly appear and try a variety of cartoony ways to either kill Ringo or cut off his fingers. In addition, an insane scientist and his minion have decided that they MUST have the ring and also try many cartoon-like ways to kill Ringo or tear off the ring.
In the 1960s, The Beatles were a hot, hot commodity. So hot that even though they had no acting ability whatsoever, it didn't bother the movie studio--they would just shoot around this! And, in light of this, you can understand how, according to the IMDb trivia, the Beatles felt like extras in "Help!"! In other words, through much of the films, the Fab Four perform a variety of nice songs and in the rest of the movie they just seem to stand around and have all the actors act around them! Certainly it's no great artistic masterpiece (though die-hard Beatle fans STILL insist it is!), but there is a quirky weirdness that makes it a film that is difficult to hate because it's filled with so many ludicrous sight gags (some of which actually work). Plus, it's hard to find a soundtrack more enjoyable than the one in this film--as it's packed with hit after hit by the boys (such "Ticket to Ride", "A Hard Day's Night", "You're Gonna Lose That Girl" and, of course, "Help!". So, if you are looking for a coherent script, decent acting or a chance to see who the Beatles REALLY were, then you probably won't be particularly satisfied. Overall, I'd say that if you were alive when The Beatles were a band, then you'll be more likely to enjoy this. If you are younger, then you're likely to think your parents were nuts for enjoying this sort of goof-ball movie! Final verdict--kind of dumb but likable.
Some cute moments to look for: when Paul is shrunk, the crowd singing "Ode to Joy" (and knowing all the words in German), the swimmer and the cult leader winning a ski jumping medal.
Also, while I'd NEVER encourage drug use, my assumption is that this would improve your enjoyment of this film tremendously.
In the 1960s, The Beatles were a hot, hot commodity. So hot that even though they had no acting ability whatsoever, it didn't bother the movie studio--they would just shoot around this! And, in light of this, you can understand how, according to the IMDb trivia, the Beatles felt like extras in "Help!"! In other words, through much of the films, the Fab Four perform a variety of nice songs and in the rest of the movie they just seem to stand around and have all the actors act around them! Certainly it's no great artistic masterpiece (though die-hard Beatle fans STILL insist it is!), but there is a quirky weirdness that makes it a film that is difficult to hate because it's filled with so many ludicrous sight gags (some of which actually work). Plus, it's hard to find a soundtrack more enjoyable than the one in this film--as it's packed with hit after hit by the boys (such "Ticket to Ride", "A Hard Day's Night", "You're Gonna Lose That Girl" and, of course, "Help!". So, if you are looking for a coherent script, decent acting or a chance to see who the Beatles REALLY were, then you probably won't be particularly satisfied. Overall, I'd say that if you were alive when The Beatles were a band, then you'll be more likely to enjoy this. If you are younger, then you're likely to think your parents were nuts for enjoying this sort of goof-ball movie! Final verdict--kind of dumb but likable.
Some cute moments to look for: when Paul is shrunk, the crowd singing "Ode to Joy" (and knowing all the words in German), the swimmer and the cult leader winning a ski jumping medal.
Also, while I'd NEVER encourage drug use, my assumption is that this would improve your enjoyment of this film tremendously.