This film doesn't comfortably fit in any American format of humor. There's a tiny bit of slapstick but not much, it's not screwball, it's not a situation comedy or a sophisticated one, it's not particularly visual...The Brits had their sparkling Ealing comedies, beloved around the world, tightly directed by some great people. These comedies were brilliantly written and wonderfully acted. And they all had places to go. This is a roller-coaster ride of words following words, non-stop. The comedy is broad to say the least - no subtlety here - and I found myself waiting it out until the end. No, it's not Lean, of course, but the Pickwick Papers couldn't match David Copperfield either I wish I could find something positive to say. The "Carry On" series had the public in Great Britain begging for more. They flopped here so maybe that's the answer - the cultural approach to humor that works better for some countries than others.
Review of The Pickwick Papers
