I'm for the Hippopotamus

The Hill & Spencer movies were never famous for their brilliant stories, but this one doesn't even make an effort. Plotless, slow-paced, boring and only occasionally amusing, it feels like a film that was made out of obligation, rather than like something that the stars and the filmmakers put their hearts in. At least with its animal-friendly messages you could say it's good for kids, but no - they'll be as bored with it as anyone else. (**)

This is fairly standard Hill/Spencer stuff, except for the fact that Joe Bugner (the former British, Commonwealth, European and Australian Heavyweight champion) plays the part of the villain. The film is worth watching simply for Joe's fantastic acting and South African accent. As expected in Hill/Spencer films, Joe gets beaten up in the end with the usual variety of kitchen utensils and everything ends up happily ever after.

For the most part I'm for the Hippopotamus is a standard Hill & Spencer offering, consisting of mild comedy mixed with some fist fights. Like usual the plot isn't much to talk about, and mainly exists as to supply some bad guys for them to brawl with. In this case Jack Ormond and his gang of poachers, who are catching African wildlife which they want to sell to a Canadian zoo! Tom and Slim have to team up to prevent this whichever way they can, misbehaving themselves at lunch, putting up a casino scam and off course talking with their fists...

So far nothing we haven't seen from them before, and the quality too is as usual. Although dated, it has the just OK production values we're used to in a Hill & Spencer movie. Nevertheless it's among my favorites of their work, and that has to be because of the nice scenery together with all the wild animals. We get to see quite a few lions, cheetahs, elephants, zebras, ostriches and wildebeests. Not only nice to look at but they do interact with them in a respectful if not loving way which is quite an accomplishment while sending out a powerful message.

Well worth a watch for that alone.

"I'm for the Hippopotamus" is a good movie! It maybe hard for non Terence and Bud fans to like it, but its damn funny! Its about Slim and Tom having to stop a german tyrant called Jack Ormond from sending half the african wildlife to the Toronto Zoo in Ontario, Canada. It doesnt sound like much of a plot but there are some priceless scenes here, like the fights, the pawn shop "robbery", escaping from jail with a bulldozer, Silm drinks caviar mixed with butter,salt, pepper, and champagne. The whole casino bit! That was good! Joe Bugner's performance as Ormond was better than expected! IT'S A MUST FOR TERENCE AND BUD FANS LIKE MYSELF! My vote, 9/10. >

GRAU GRAU GRAU!! Love this movie! Only in a Spencer/Hill movie can you see a man eat a lobster whole, comic fight scenes, & a bulldozer jailbreak. This has to be one of the best non-western films the pair has done. They are out to save wildlife from the greed of poachers, The former heavy-weight champ bad guy is terrific. Spencer does a bunch of his fist hammers on the top of the bad guys heads (NEVER gets old to see that!)Hill avoids punches, moves out of the way so they end up punching a fellow bad guy (Also.. NEVER gets old!). Lots of fun in this film, Great comdey that was often duplicated by other filmakers but never done as good as these guys can do it. Track down a copy of this and sit back & enjoy it.