Gene Wilder brings comic charm to what is essentially a crime picture in Silver Streak, a flick that starts out well, more or less in the tradition of such films as The Lady Vanishes and Night Train to Munich, but Wilder keeps getting thrown out of the plot. That's funny to a point, but the film gets into trouble with these shifts, leading to a boring, shoot-em-up resolution. And then there's Wilder's first team-up with Richard Pryor. They have good chemistry, but it makes for an odd structure where the person you think of as the co-lead shows mid-movie and seems to have this inexplicably heartfelt loyalty to Wilder's character. They make it feel natural, but it's not really earned by the story. Pryor also permits a brief black face moment; they just about get away with it, I guess. From the first act, I was expecting something a lot more clever.

Suprised it's only got a few checks, though I sure this will increase with the imminent death of Wilder.

The film is ok but the classic Pryor/Wilder chemistry is very rough here.

It's not a laugh riot, granted, and it probably shouldn't be on a comedy list, but it's still a solid mystery/thriller with elements of comedy and romance.