trevorwomble

This film has an interesting story but suffers from very average direction and a badly miscast Dirk Bogarde and Denholm Elliott.

The great Lewis Milestone just seemed to be going through the motions as director here, with some poor model work and effects shots. It doesn't help that the script is as flat as a pancake and that Dirk Bogarde is badly cast and just doesn't cut it as a heroic action star, having little of the charisma he would later find in roles better suited to his talents. The wonderful Denholm Elliott doesn't have much to do other than argue with people and the supporting cast are little better than cardboard cut outs. Elliott was always great value as a slightly slimy or nervous down on his luck toff but he gets lost in this film, coming fairly early in his career when he hadn't really found his on screen personality.

This film comes across as a dummy run for the far superior The Guns of Navarone, a film that has parallels to this but bigger budgeted, better scripted, edited and with a cast that seems more engaging in a war film. In comparison this is relatively dull and lacking in excitement.

This film is a logical sequel to the 1984 classic, catching up with the band 41 years later during a one off reunion gig.

Whilst it falls a little short of the absurdity and satire of it's famous predecessor it's still very funny with Paul McCartney and Elton John both game to send themselves up too. It lacks the freshness and set pieces of the original but the dialogue still crackles and is where most of the belly laughs are located.

Personally I really enjoyed it although I noticed several scenes in the trailer did not make the final cut (and will probably be included on the dvd release). And although the main cast has obviously aged, Rob Reiner's Martin DiBergi curiously looks pretty much as he did back in 1984 (including the same hat!). And considering the songs the band sings are deliberately twee or pompous and hilarious, they are so well performed you just get caught up in the whole thing.

A worthy sequel to a stone cold classic that made the audience laugh out loud at least every two minutes (which is more than the Naked Gun reboot did) and is probably best enjoyed on the big screen.