Director: Oliver Parker
Writer: Hamish McColl (Screenplay) David Croft, Jimmy Perry (Original Series)
Starring: Toby Jones, Michael Gambon, Bill Nighy, Blake Harrison, Tom Courtenay, Bill Paterson, Catherine Zeta-Jones
Plot: The Walmington-on-Sea Home Guard platoon deal with a visiting female journalist and a German spy as World War II draws to its conclusion.
There may be spoilers the rest of the review
Verdict: Insultingly Bad
Story: Dad’s Army starts as World War II could have been lost when a carrier pigeon is released from London but we move to Walmington-on-Sea as we meet the Home Guards, there is Captain George Mainwaring (Jones), Walker (Mays), Frank Pike (Harrison), Godfrey (Gambon), Arthur Wilson (Nighy), Frazer (Paterson) and Jones (Courtenay) who are preparing for any invasion.
With journalist Rose Winters (Zeta-Jones) arriving in town to report on the Home Guards we learn her truth motive and the unlikely heroes must show their real skills.
Thoughts on Dad’s Army
Story – I am a big fan of the sitcom and the mishaps the home guards must go through, this story is so insulting to what the sitcom was we are left with a flat story that has ruined the much-loved character for no reason what so ever.
Comedy/War – This should be a comedy, it is not, but the war based side of this story works well enough.
Characters/Performance – The characters are easily the most popular British sitcom character but this films turns them into laughing stocks not understanding where the comedy comes from characters except Godfrey. These actors don’t know how to re-create the comedy struggling to reach any of the levels they need to reach.
Settings – The setting looks well re-created and might be the only thing the film gets right.
Final Thoughts – This is easily the biggest insult from British cinema trying to re-capture the fun of a sitcom which was near perfect.
Overall: How did I get through this pathetic attempt that only butchers the source material.
Rating
