I do not not understand the low rating. Its funny. Trust me you will laugh. This film is based on the myth that the "Little People" who were in "The Wizard of Oz" became party animals when they were all staying at the same hotel when the film was in production. However in this film also has winks to the audience that will even make the hardest critics smile. It has a few things "Oz" related plot points. It also a screwball comedy that spoof's natzi's . Chevy Chase and Carrie Fisher star. Look fast for Zelda Rubinstein (Poltergeist).

Though this film has a rather low score here at the internet movie database, I thought this film was a funny light comedy. Nothing great mind you, but to me it worked. Basically, a story of crime and intrigue and the little people who would go on to star in the famous movie "The Wizard of Oz". I enjoyed Chevy Chase in this role as I usually do. I always find him very funny, mainly during the 80's, he kind of disappeared in the 90's. Carrie Fisher is also in this one, one of her few movies outside the "Star Wars" universe. I enjoyed the whole dog subplot and a few of the other jokes like the mistaken identities and such. Billy Barty is in this one too and I usually enjoy seeing him in a movie too. Though not in that Roger Corman film where he played an imp. The film is not perfect though, I did not enjoy the way the film ended as I usually hate the ending presented here as to me it is a cop out. Sure they can try to paint it as a tribute, but I say it is because you do not really have an idea on how to end your movie. Still, while it is nothing really grand, I did enjoy this light comedy.

As for a Chevy Chase vehicle (and I remember this being my first encounter of his work in films and still a favourite), it's not much of one, but I still don't get the negativity towards this extravagantly wacky period comedy enterprise. I love Chevy Chase (and most of his films), but here he goes about things in kind of a laid back manner with everything else soon rising head over heels with its madcap humor and zany visuals. Truly there's so much going on (plenty of episodic sub-plots for the fodder), making it very unforeseeable with the style of 'Under the Rainbow' being very old-fashioned, but amusingly daring and erratically insane in its lack of respect for correctness. It looks cheap (but from my understanding it wasn't), but has a grand feel to it.The story sets up the events of 1938, when a major studio with plans to make a fantasy film called 'Wizard Of Oz', assembles 150 midgets to play munchkins and book them into the Culver Hotel… only to find that there reservations were lost and leaves their talent coordinator Annie Clark (a completely delightful Carrie Fisher) with a headache. Also at the hotel is an American secret Agent Bruce Thorpe (smoothly played by Chase) looking after two international guests the Duke (a terrific Joseph Maher) and Duchess (a perfectly airy Eve Arden) with an assassin (A fidgety Robert Donner) close behind. No it's over yet, because a very miniature German spy (who gets mistaken as one of the cast members) arrives at the hotel looking for a Japanese spy to hand over some very important documents, but his luck the hotel is filled with Japanese tourists. Now watch how everything raucously mingles together. Nothing is safe from the onslaught.There's something that's engaging about this gimmicky idea, which it caps it off rather nicely when it comes to the closing. Quite a clever touch. The cartoon-like screenplay is potent and elastic, although feels a little on the rushed side. Some of the gags do get tiredly reused, but its concentration on the eccentrically bumbling details of accidents, mischief and distractions getting out of hands and then coming together amongst a party atmosphere holds some charm. Everything falls into place… for some it might be like watching a car smash… but I liked this recklessly spontaneous fiasco.Steve Rash's busy handling is direction-less, but cheerfully staged with moments of a gliding camera working the action considerably well. The score is a bellow of dramatic sounds. The cast really do give it their all and I enjoyed watching them. Chevy Chase and Carrie Fisher made for a likable pairing. A flighty Cork Hubbert is fine. Bill Barty is quite fun as the dwarf German spy and Mako as the icy Japanese spy. Adam Arkin as the fill-in hotel manager is rather fitting too. Also appearing were Richard Stahl, Phil Fondacaro and Debbie Lee Carrington.

I am surprised this film is rated so poorly, it is one of my top 10 movies. A zany farce that takes place in a absolutely crazy party that I would so want to be at, with the glamor of the old Hollywood movies and a spy thriller thrown in.This film has been attacked for being discriminatory to Japanese and Dwarfs, I feel the film's Japanese character is shown to be sympathetic and and the dwarfs are shown to be doing fun athletic things, while the two stars of the film that happen to be dwarfs, needn't necessarily have been dwarfs to make the film work.If you don't take this film seriously, if you realize this is a wacky fun time, then you should love this film.