The Russians Are Coming! The Russians Are Coming!

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The Russians Are Coming! The Russians Are Coming!

1966

2h 6m

Comedy

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

81%

Tomatometer

21 Reviews

75%

Popcornmeter

2,500+ Ratings

When a Soviet submarine gets stuck on a sandbar off the coast of a New England island, its commander (Theodore Bikel) orders his second-in-command, Lieutenant Rozanov (Alan Arkin), to get them moving again before there is an international incident. Rozanov seeks assistance from the island locals, including the police chief (Brian Keith) and a vacationing television writer (Carl Reiner), while trying to allay their fears of a Communist invasion by claiming he and his crew are Norwegian sailors.

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Variety Staff

Variety

Aug 8, 2008

Arkin, in his film bow, is absolutely outstanding as the courtly Russian who kisses a lady's hand even as he draws a gun.

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Nell Minow

Movie Mom

Jun 19, 2003

4/5

Fabulously funny!

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Marjorie Baumgarten

Austin Chronicle

Mar 10, 2003

The cast is great and the scene in which Carl Reiner and vaudeville vet Tessie O'Shea are lashed together is unforgettably funny.

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Feb 10, 2024

2.5/4

From the same school of wacky, overblown, sixties comedies as It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World and The Great Race comes this wacky, overblown, sixties comedy whose greatest asset is Alan Arkin in his memorable, Oscar-nominated film debut.

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Danielle Solzman

Solzy at the Movies

Jan 18, 2024

4.5/5

The Russians Are Coming! The Russians Are Coming! addresses serious themes in a farcical manner and gets a breakout performance from Alan Arkin in the process.

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Wendy Michener

Maclean's Magazine

Jun 27, 2019

The Russians Are Coming is not the best comedy of the year but it stands out in a lean period for good old American slapstick.

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Martin B

@RT44235356 1 day ago

Other then being too long just a terrific movie that holds up well over time. The cars, scenery and loaded cast make the movie combining the antics of small town America residents with an incident having serious international implications a great way to spend a couple hours.

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Robert P

@Superbad Sep 20, 2026

This Comedy is worthy of *4* stars!

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Leaburn O

@RT35452347 Apr 30, 2026

A passable Cold War comedy that highlights the absurdity of much of the conflict and scaremongering. Watched on Amazon Prime.

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Bucky R

@Bucky3085 Apr 27, 2026

Cute premise, deadly slow.

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Kem S

@Fordstar Aug 30, 2025

As someone who grew up in a small town in the late 50's/early 60's I can vouch for the accuracy of this tale. A little exaggerated, perhaps, but not much!! I knew all these people personally, just the locale and names have changed.

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alan g

@agenser Jun 24, 2025

A very touching action comedy of errors. Great acting and a happy ending. A movie about coexistence during the height of the cold war. Best cold war comedy. Sometimes it takes a crisis to bring people together and understand we are all the same. Just as relevant today as it was then.

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Norman Jewison

Director

Carl Reiner

Walt Whittaker

Eva Marie Saint

Elspeth Whittaker

Alan Arkin

Lt. Rozanov

Brian Keith

Police Chief Link Mattocks

Jonathan Winters

Officer Norman Jones

The Russians Are Coming! The Russians Are Coming!: Official Clip - Trust the Enemy

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The Russians Are Coming! The Russians Are Coming!: Official Clip - Finding the Keys

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The Russians Are Coming! The Russians Are Coming!: Official Clip - Down the Stairs

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The Russians Are Coming! The Russians Are Coming!: Official Clip - Hanging Around

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The Russians Are Coming! The Russians Are Coming!: Official Clip - Under Arrest

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The Russians Are Coming! The Russians Are Coming!: Official Clip - The "Norwegians"

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The Russians Are Coming! The Russians Are Coming!: Official Clip - We've Got to Get Organized

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The Russians Are Coming! The Russians Are Coming!: Official Clip - Nothing Personal

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Synopsis

When a Soviet submarine gets stuck on a sandbar off the coast of a New England island, its commander (Theodore Bikel) orders his second-in-command, Lieutenant Rozanov (Alan Arkin), to get them moving again before there is an international incident. Rozanov seeks assistance from the island locals, including the police chief (Brian Keith) and a vacationing television writer (Carl Reiner), while trying to allay their fears of a Communist invasion by claiming he and his crew are Norwegian sailors.

Director: Norman Jewison
Producer: Norman Jewison, Walter Mirisch
Screenwriter: Nathaniel Benchley, William Rose
Distributor: United Artists, MGM/UA Home Entertainment Inc.
Production Co: The Mirisch Corporation [us]
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): May 25, 1966, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 16, 2008
Runtime: 2h 6m

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