If you got it, flaunt it,” sings Uma Thurman as Swedish secretary Ulla in the film adaptation of the Mel Brooks’musical The Producers. Indeed, The Producers, now nominated for four Golden Globes, isn’t afraid to “flaunt it” and show audiences why the musical of the same name has been one of the most successful Broadway shows in recent history.

The film stars Matthew Broderick and Nathan Lane, the two actors who originally starred in the Broadway version. Broderick and Lane play Leo Bloom and Max Bialystock, an accountant and a Broadway producer who concoct a plan to get rich: get people to invest in a show that’s sure to fail the first night so they don’t have to pay investors.

The Producers, directed by Susan Stroman, chronicles the story of their scheme – from finding the worst play ever written to finding the worst director, and everything in between.

If viewers have already seen the Broadway version, the silver screen version will be largely a repeat of what was seen on stage, and for those who haven’t had the opportunity to see it performed, the movie gives an accurate representation.

Those who enjoyed it on stage already may find the movie version somewhat repetitive, but entertaining nevertheless, if for nothing else to see the on-stage chemistry between Broderick and Lane that helped make the Broadway show the success it was.

At certain points it appears that Broderick is overacting, almost as if he forgot he was not acting on stage. And Thurman, though an accomplished dancer, has lackluster vocal skills. But the always-witty Will Ferrell doesn’t disappoint as the eccentric Franz Liebkind, the Hitler-loving author of the play the producers choose, Springtime for Hitler.

In adapting the hit show for movie theaters across the country, The Producers successfully accomplishes something that is often attempted but rarely perfected.

– Christina Amoroso