It is not the blockbuster the (Coen) brothers hanker after, and it is not going to be a critical success, but, for me, it is the best comedy they have managed.

Some wicked pleasures for mature teens and adults.

The Ladykillers is small and compact -- it doesn't kill, it's just a doodle -- but it's a very pleasant cartoon for grown-ups. It's some sweet fodder.

Hanks performs admirably as the eccentric Professor Goldthwait Higginson Dorr III, whose every utterance reeks of pompous southern verbosity.