The 2000 Year Old Man

When Carl Reiner and Mel Brooks adapted their famous sketch into animation, they kept the setup simple and let the jokes do the work. Reiner plays the interviewer, posing quick, matter-of-fact questions to Brooks, who claims to be two thousand years old and fires back with outrageous stories and barbed observations. The short hops from historical riffs like Robin Hood to silly modern inventions, trading on surprise and contrast instead of a conventional plot. Animation amplifies certain visual gags, but the heart of the piece is the rapid back-and-forth and the impression of improvisation between the two performers.

Released in 1975 and directed by Leo Salkin, the animated short adapts a Mel Brooks and Carl Reiner sketch, moving their audio routine into cartoons while keeping Brooks as the two thousand year old man and Reiner as the straight interviewer.

Box office records for the film are scarce, and it never registered as a major commercial hit. A niche, adult-oriented animated comedy tied to a vaudeville-style routine, it tended to circulate more through recordings and television than wide theatrical success.

Though the short itself is modestly known, the 2000 Year Old Man routine is iconic in comedy, helping cement Brooks and Reiner's reputation as an influential duo. Their interview format and improvisational feel inspired later sketch performers and comedy podcasts, and the animated version gave bits a fresh visual spin.

Critical response has been mixed, reflected by a modest vote average of 6.5/10 from a number of voters. Fans praise Brooks and Reiner's timing and satirical takes on history and modern life, while some critics find the material uneven or dated; the piece centers on satire, repartee and observational humor.