Mutiny on the Buses

Bus driver Stan gets engaged to sweetheart Suzy - much to the annoyance of Stan's mother, sister and brother in law; how will they afford to pay the rent without Stan's money coming into the house? In order to be able to move out, Stan agrees to help Arthur get a job on the buses with him. However his attempts to teach him how to drive the bus are frustrated by Blakey's new boss and his efficiency drives.

Anyone approaching On The Buses cannot really complain about the humour being basic, sexist and crude - this is a given. However it is the other qualities that make this a bad film. True the humour is very broad, sexist and silly but this wouldn't have been a problem for me if it had even managed to ever be funny more than once. Sadly it doesn't and is depressingly devoid of laughs throughout. This is made worse by a plot that actually has no idea where it is going - it uses the very basic frame of Stan's engagement but where it goes with it is just all a bit silly and doesn't really work. The collection of scenes that make up the plot are supposed to be wacky and fun but actually just stand out as badly dated and banal, certainly laughs are not part of them.

The material also lets down the characters as none of them are engaging - it is a damning comment on the script that I never cared one way or another what happened to the characters here. The cast don't help - the drivers are all womanising lads, the bosses all incompetent and flustered and the girls either battleaxes or `hot totty'! Varney and Grant don't display much in the way of comic ability here as they are not given anything to work with but the most basic tools. The only character that stands out is Blakey but that is more down to his memorable and oft-imitated line; he isn't great but his character is the most enjoyable of a bad bunch.

Overall it is unfair to complain that this film's humour is broad and sexist because what else did you really expect from this film series? However it is fair to complain that the film lacks laughs, any sort of plot and is really difficult to enjoy even if you expect it to be broad and basic. A really poor film that is wholly lacking in laughs and is pretty unenjoyable all told.

One of the better film comedies of the early seventies trend of making the transition from the small to the big screen. All three films easily surpassed the blandness of the TV series which is currently (Aug 2000) enjoying a re-run on Granada Plus in the UK.

Forget for a moment the PC argument that haunts this series this big screen spin off reflects the time it was set in and the era for this type of comedy. Jack and Stan are back laughing away manically at every single thing that happens usually to their hapless sidekick Blakey who surely goes down as one of the funniest ever sitcom characters. Here we have an engagement plot involving the usual twenty something who is lusting after middle aged Stan Butler. Lots of very funny scenes around this and a there is a good strong storyline involving the plot around them finding somewhere to live. We also have the usual antics around Stan Butlers cramped home with a good chunk of time spent dealing with Olive and Arthur and their very flatulent toddler ' little Arthur'. Lots of slapstick in this one and it is mainly set in the bus station and at Stans home which gives it an authentic feel of the original tv sit com. Stan and Jack still have every single female that crosses their paths lusting at their feet but this was part of the joke surely and massively adds to the preposterous idea that this would happen in reality. Hilarious scenes also in the safari park with Blakey and Stan and overall I would say this is the best film of the three cinematic outings. Forget the criticism which is totally unjustified , this was the early 1970s for heavens sake and it's very very funny stuff and well worth a watch for that factor alone.

If you're a fan of the series then you will adore this film, as an avid fan myself i find this to be the second best film after holiday on the buses. Some of the gags are classic, and the film feels so full that it never loses your attention. A highly recommended one to watch!

Not the best of the series of films, but still easy going fun. Of course there is the sexualisation of women, whilst two letchy men ogle and make their rounds, but it is a sign of the times.