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Entertaining from beginning to end, it maintains the spirit of the franchise while establishing it's own seal with a fun cast

what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

It's a movie as timely as it is provocative and amazingly, for much of its running time, it is weirdly funny.

The joyful confection is coated in a sparkly gloss, bright enough to gleam from the darkest, most cynical corners.

it remands me the Travels of Gulliver. same sarcastic image of society and political system. same form of patriotism in clothes of high criticism. for many, it is a tool for revenge against an unfair country. in fact, it is only a precise picture of a country who, in the name of democracy, destroy its roots. level by level. step by step. in frontal manner Chaplin explores the sins, the errors, the selfish and absurd rules. maybe, a version of Modern Times. but more desperate. and not comfortable . a film about human rights and about the need of change. about art, politic, moral code. in a brutal- honest manner. because it represents a declaration of love for a country and piece of war against sick system. a film who propose a different Chaplin. not as author of another The Great Dictator but as citizen who defends the values of his adoption country. a piece from a war. at the first sigh. fresco of a dark period from American history. in essence, a letter of love. who reminds the values of an entire life.

As probably one of Chaplin's lesser efforts, this falls short of the level of sheer genius to the level of mere mortal excellence.As proof of Americans' depressing ability to laugh at any ethnic group or nationality except for themselves, at the time, this movie got many Americans' hackles up, and by the looks of the comments here, still does for some people. However, Chaplin's tone in this film, described by some as bitterness, I would more accurately call incisiveness.Of course this movie had to be made in Britain, and wasn't shown in the USA for about 20 years, until after the youthquake of the late 1960's and the changing of the generational guard, proving Americans are not fond of having their foibles and hypocrisies pointed out to them in a rather obvious manner.Some of the more satirical aspects of the film, including the film trailers, TV advertising, the reality television show (Chaplin about 40 years ahead of the curve on that one) and the whirlwind feel of New York City, represent rather gentle pokes at a society in which, to remind everyone, Chaplin had worked in and made his fame and fortune in for over 40 years.It's only when the Senator McCarthy inspired storyline takes hold, around halfway through the film, that the story turns markedly more serious. Chaplin sprinkles the film throughout with references to the US Constitution, and freedom of speech, and "American blood boiling." Clearly he is on the side of freedom versus totalitarianism, and against the witch hunt like tactics of HUAC that destroyed American careers, drove people into poverty or exile, and provably never found one person that was a real, imminent danger to American society. Looking back from this point, almost everyone agrees that HUAC and its blowback were a blot on the history of the United States and its aspirations of freedom, and rightfully so.Although this aspect of the film is a bit heavy-handed, and the rather sad ending is somewhat disappointing but rather realistic within the context of the times, I feel that this only detracts mildly from the comedy on offer, Chaplin's amazing screen presence, and artistry as a writer, actor and director. It is enough to make me wish he had done more than three talking films in his career. Yes, that guy in his 60's up there on the screen with the gray hair certainly isn't the little tramp of 1920, but he is a character almost equally as compelling, and much more formidable.Not mentioned by many is the fact that Chaplin even composed the score for this film, which is in itself worthy of praise. Chaplin probably could have carved out a career as a successful film composer, over and above his other gargantuan talents.See it if you can. A King in New York is a treasure.

Of course, Charlie Chaplin is mostly remembered for non-speaking roles. A King In New York is a satire by Chaplin about his impressions of America. It is refreshing to see a movie that is critical of America. Chaplin plays a king of a fictitious eastern European country who is forced, due to a coup, to flee to New York City. Chaplin show his versatility as a talking actor by really sincerely getting down the mannerisms of a European monarch. He is an older man, but very charming. Soon, however, the king finds that his natural goodness and true compassion is exploited by commercialism and political opportunism. At first the king is entranced by America's freedom, but soon discovers that American is a brash society of loud big bands, and brash advertising and movies. When the king finds himself broke, he is used by a beautiful young woman (Addams) to do advertisements. Addams excellently plays the superficial American. She is always smiling, but ever criticizing about the monarchs age and lack of television persona. When he gets self-conscious, she says 'No, you're great. You just can't appear on TV with a sagging face'. She convinces him to get a face lift, but it ends up that his face is so tight that if he laughs, he will end up in the hospital. The evening after the face lift, he unfortunately goes to a club and is subjected to slapstick humor that literally forces him to go back for emergency surgery.The movie's only flaw is that at times it gets a little dull. Other than that it is a brilliant look at America - where image and appearance are everything. The climax of the movie deals with McCarthyism. For dare helping out the child of disgraced communists (the child played by Chaplin's real life son), the king is forced before the Committee On UnAmerican Activities. The conclusion of the movie is very funny. In conclusion, this movie displays the full range of Chaplin's great talents. His comic touch, his dramatic-ism, his political satire, his slapstick gifts, and his kind demeanor are fully displayed in this film. I highly recommend this film.

Charles Chaplin had a love-hate relationship with the United States of America. On the one hand, it was in Hollywood that the British-born comedian and filmmaker built a successful life and career, immortalising himself as one of the most beloved directors and stars in the history of cinema. On the other hand, Chaplin's political attitudes during the 1940s – that America should form an alliance with the Soviet Union in order to fight Adolf Hitler's fascist regime – led to his being labelled a Communist or Communist sympathiser. In 1952, Chaplin returned to his home-town of London for the premiere of the brilliant 'Limelight (1952),' where he was greeted with great enthusiasm, though with his arrival came the news that the American government had rescinded his re-entry visa into the United States. Over the next few years, the aging filmmaker toyed with numerous ideas for his next film – including a possible resurrection of the Little Tramp – before settling upon 'A King in New York,' whose screenplay took about two years to complete.'A King in New York (1957)' tells the story of King Shahdov (Chaplin), a dethroned monarch who seeks refuge in the United States, his entire wealth cunningly stolen from him. The film starts off as an amiable slapstick comedy, which is basically what I had been expecting, before branching off into darker territory, become a scathing satiric assault on almost everything that America stands for. When he first arrives in the country, King Shahdov revels in the peace and liberty of this grand nation, exclaiming to his dedicated ambassador, Jaume (Oliver Johnston): "if you knew what it means to breathe this free air. This wonderful, wonderful America. Its youth, its genius, its vitality!" However, through his relationship with a brilliant young boy, Rupert Macabee (Chaplin's own son, Michael), whose parents happen to be members of the Communist party, Shahdov becomes embroiled in the period's rampant McCarthyist witch-hunts, revealing the devastating truth that perhaps America's notions of freedom have become a mere illusion.Despite Chaplin's insistence that "my picture isn't political," it most undoubtedly is, with the director – just as he did in the final scenes of 'Monsieur Verdoux (1947)' – evidently expressing his distaste for what society has become. It's easy to dismiss 'A King in New York' as pro-socialist propaganda, but to do so would be completely missing the very idea behind the film. Personally, I'm unsure of Chaplin's official stance on Communism itself, but the filmmaker certainly reviled the manner in which the United States government approached the issue, citing it as an immoral invasion of privacy and liberty. Chaplin described himself as having no political convictions: "I am an individualist, and I believe in liberty." Perhaps referring to the Hollywood blacklist, he once said: "These are days of turmoil and strife and bitterness. This is not the day of great artists; this is the day of politics."'A King in New York' was filmed at Shepparton Studios in London, and the film does a very successful job of imitating the hustle-and-bustle of the Big Apple. As well as expressing his stance on McCarthyism, Chaplin also aims a few effective jabs at commercialisation and popular culture, prophetically predicting the prominence of commercial chain-stores, cosmetic surgery and reality television {when King Shahdov is unwittingly coaxed into attending a televised dinner party, continually baffled as to why his lady interest (Dawn Addams) keeps unexpectedly launching into advertisements}. Though my review has stressed the political implications of the film, 'A King in New York' also works pretty well as a light comedy, and I almost died laughing when Chaplin walked into the House Committee on Un-American Activities with a fire-hose attached to his finger. Michael Chaplin's impassioned tirades on the degradation of America were also a riot to watch, even if the young actor can occasionally be spotted mouthing his father's lines. Owing to its somewhat disagreeable stance towards the United States, Chaplin was unable to find any willing American distributors, and so 'A King in New York' remained unseen there until the 1970s. "Freedom of speech," indeed.