Success makes people rotten this movie reminds us, and for singer Julie Budd, her character winning a Grammy makes her a monster, something that pleases devil's advocate Bill Cosby in one of his most disappointing roles. He's like Satan's attorney, following Elliott Gould around and giving him the keys to steal the souls of three people who are basically good when Gould gets another chance to live his life after being returned from the underworld. An uncaring landlord (more apathetic than evil),he's killed after being hit by a bus load of Hari krishnas, and his descendants into hell is quite disturbing to watch as he fall slowly as others fall faster around him. When he gets down to the land of nothing but red, he's sentenced to level four, apparently the worst level, yet agrees to return to Earth to do further damage. Among those he plot against are Budd, young Adam Rich and his mother Susan Anspach and race car driver Sonny Shroyer.

Yes the visuals of hell that are presented are visually stunning, but the psychological emotions that go along with it are a disturbing element of the film. Outside of a few moments when he returns to earth, very little of those segments are interesting, and outside of some of Budd's story, the supporting characters aren't very interesting. Obviously being a Disney film, a lot of what is done here was for shock value and to move them into the 1980's with something different, and it's a mixed bag. Rich is as adorable as he was on "Eight is Enough", but the most disturbing part of the film is the idea of a little kid being used so he can be damned in order for Gould to be saved from his initial fate. There's little in the way of humor so as a supernatural comedy, it's a big disappointment. Perhaps it works better as a drama about atonement, and Gould does get to at least partially atone. This is not a film that I can comfortably recommend, and perhaps a more charismatic leading man would have been a better choice.

With the past several years and all the bad publicity that has come out about Bill Cosby the fact that he could be cast as an emissary of Satan himself seems less ironic these days. The other half of the title of The Devil And Max Devlin is played by Elliott Gould who is destined for the lower depths after falling into a manhole unless he agrees to get three innocents to pledge their souls.

Where to find innocent souls in 1981 is the question, but in his new guise as a manager/promoter he finds promising singer Julie Budd, a BMX racer David Knell and a little kid Adam Rich with a real pretty mom in Susan Anspach.

I have to tell you that I was a bit uneasy in the scenes involving Gould and Rich. It was like he was stalking as a pedophile would. How Disney Studios were comfortable with that God only knows.

The Devil And Max Devlin has some interesting moments, a few laughs but not quite the hit it could have been. I would have not used the whole business with Adam Rich if I were producing the film

This is a film I watched as a kid and I viewed several times. It's cute and it was a popular comedy movie back in the day. The movie has a few moments of being hilarious for an old Disney film.

The movie is OK - I don't think it's the type of movie a person would want to watch several times but it is, however, a movie that is good the first time you view it so I do recommend it for those that want a silly comedy without a bunch of questionable language in it.

If you liked the "Oh God" movies with George Burns then you will most likely enjoy "The Devil and Max Devlin".

6/10