Diagonaldi Very well executed

Mjeteconer Just perfect...

Matho The biggest problem with this movie is it’s a little better than you think it might be, which somehow makes it worse. As in, it takes itself a bit too seriously, which makes most of the movie feel kind of dull.

Bumpy Chip It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

kms6333 They were not crooks but it was gambling. Basically a church member gambles part of a church fund and the pastor and parishioner help the police close down the gamblers. Then they take money from the final apprehension to put back in the church fund which I always thought odd. It was funny a thing at the time.

johnstonjames huh? is that a bear in the back of Barbra Harris's station wagon? this is a pretty kooky, quirky little Disney comedy that is pure, wholesome Disney fun with a little social comment thrown in as well.this family comedy was made at a time when a mainstream film was not embarrassed by having good, wholesome Christian and family values. but despite some good Christian messages, this is not really a movie about Chritianity or the Church really, it's actually a film about average, American middle class nobodies attempting to make a difference in their mostly ordinary world. in a sense the Church is only a kind of metaphor, if you want, of the soul and spirit of the average American.the message of this film is true social commentary. it's about average people fighting back against local corruption that even goes as high as the city office (whoa think about it). pretty intense for usually non-committal Disney fare. but there is no heavy handed commentary and it's done with a EXTREMELY light weight touch. but it's simple little message is clear, the average person can make a difference. even if you are a housewife and church lady.this is also a film with a mild feminist message. these Church ladies are no mere Stepford wives, they are as resourceful as any gal from 'The First Wives Club'. their resilient strength is evident in the hilarious opening scene where the ladies save the church maintenance man after he falls off his ladder and is left hanging on to the Church roof. scene after scene of incompetence, but these ladies keep on coming and are determined to get the job done.most of this film is just mildly amusing, but it is capable of some truly hilarious moments at times. like where the cop yells at Barbra Harris to pull her station wagon over to the side of traffic and instead she evades arrest by driving her family wagon onto the sidewalk and peels away. the ending crash up at the crook's money bank and hide-out is also, ahem, a total crack-up.there's nothing to offend the puritanical or prudish because this is so obviously 'G' rated family fare. and very respectful of the Church. the only things that might unnerve are a scary Church bombing and scenes of child endangerment when the ladies race around in their family wagons with babies and little children in the back seat.this movie is also a little more off the cuff then you would think. i mean little miss goody two shoes Karen Valentine going under cover as a trampy lady and Ruth Buzzi as the "Ecumenical Enchantress" is going a little out there. and is that a BEAR in the back of the mom's station wagon when she's taking all the kids and their pets to the pet show?!this is not a great movie or even a great classic Disney film, but it is a good movie and a very funny one. and it's message is a constructive one, YOU can make a difference if you put your mind to it. and also with a little help from your friends.

happipuppi13 Not long before Disney faded out for a time in the early 80s,they made a few good "family films". This certainly is one of them. The plot (which was not over my head even at 10) is simple. The town Reverend recruits the neighborhood ladies to try and uncover illeagal gambling going on in their area.The ladies are hilarious as they try to keep their cool while (I'm, guessing) trying to be like crime solvers they've seen on TV. One car chase happens when one of them has just come from the grocery store with her kids. Nothing stranger or funnier than an action car chase w/ a station wagon! It's like being pursued by The Bradys! Another scene,one of them is asked to describe a car making a getaway and she says,"It's green". "Maybe olive green or avacado green etc. & so on!It was great to see the late Alan Hale Jr. in the film too,playing something besides "Skipper". I may be 27 years older but none of it seems dated to me. If it feels so to others,I can only assume they've lost their inner child somewhere. For families and even those who look back fondly on being a kid....enjoy! ...and check your "21st century mind" at the door! (END)

Blueghost The "Family Film" label is too often attached to children's films, which have nothing to offer adults or more mature adolescence. "North Avenue Irregulars" is still a Disney film, and it still caters to a younger audience, but, unlike other so-called family-films, this movie won't insult the intelligence of the adolescent nor college age film viewer.Again, even though it has a little more spunk than other Disney films, it is, afterall, a Disney film. As such the topic of locals tackleing organized crime is kept G-rated (clean language, minimal violence, and so forth), but the comic moments and action balance quite well in one of the last of the truly classic Disney Family Films.Anyone who grew up in the suburban 70's and 80's will feel very much at home with the portrayal of what used to be suburban America; everything from the PTA mom down to the wood paneled station wagon. It's worth a night's viewing.