Sylvester

This film is advertised as a comedy, and that is the biggest joke of all. It is dull, flat, routine, uninspired and full of boring characters and equally uninteresting actors. Funny it it not, embarrassing it most certainly is. The humour falls flat on its face and the sentimental episodes are toe-curlingly cringe-making. It falls into the "what were they thinking of when they made this" category. Pity the poor projectionist (me) who had to run this waste of film. And it seems now that you cannot see a movie without Michael Douglas popping up somewhere. Is he really so short of money that he has to appear in dross like this? Or is he trying to prove something? Perhaps the latter - it goes with the cosmetic surgery. Talking of which, as I said in my notes on The Sentinel, the most interesting part of a Michael Douglas film is trying to spot the face-lift scars.

A critic recently described modern films as overpaid people running away from explosions. With, he could have added, a liberal dose of helicopters and swarms of armed response police teams. The basic story line of "The Sentinel" is so trite and has featured in so many movies that you wonder why anyone would ever want to trot it out again. Presumably, it is just a cynical means of lining the pockets of all concerned. The direction is uninspired, unimaginative and strictly formulaic. The film is far too long and could easily lose half an hour. And, as with so many modern movies, the music score is as overblown as it is dull. As one of the previous reviewers stated, this should have gone straight to television or video. You know you are watching a bad film when you are spending more time trying to spot Michael Douglas's cosmetic surgery scars than you are following the plot.

Despite the hype at the time of its release, this musical offering was never particularly good and, if you are expecting to hear any classic sixties tracks, then go and buy a CD. For the most part the music consists of numbers which you would be disappointed to find on the 'B' side of a single. The dancing is similarly uninspired - the usual (for the time) jumping up and down and from side to side with arms outstretched, rather like a manic aerobics session. The love triangle and older versus younger generation plot is simplistic. The acting is variable with stalwarts such as Ron Moody, Liz Fraser and Michael Ripper there to balance the less able pop artistes. However, as a piece of sixties nostalgia,particularly with its holiday camp setting, the film is well worth a look and Freddie and the Dreamers are always value for money.