I thought I wouldn’t hold back on that post title, especially since I didn’t write this review. Thanks to my mate Doug – not the comedian friend of John, but my friend from work – who wasted his money going to see it, then spent some quality time sending me this little write up – obviously not at work though, I’ll make sure your autosignature’s not included!
I’ll warn all fans of the TV series first, you won’t like this review, but you have to realise that Doug is a big fan of the series too before you start reading. Me? I couldn’t care two hoots. I saw one episode and didn’t get it at all, and the trailers I’ve seen several times now in the cinema, and the audience have held a deathly hush with the odd uncomfortable giggle afterwards, not good.
For a start, I was quite worried about the whole thing, as the comedy programme to big screen transition has been fraught with disasters over the years. You just have to look at Are You Being Served? and On The Buses to prove that point. At least they didn’t follow the 70s formula of simply taking the whole cast on a summer holiday to Spain.
Film starts off ‘teasing’ the audience with the more popular characters (Tubbs and Edward), but after the first 5 minutes or so they’re hardly in it and we’re left with 3 characters that never had particularly large parts on the TV – Hillary Briss (purveyor of ‘special stuff’), Herr Lipp (overly camp German) and Geoff Tipps (the hot-headed, impatient psycho who never gets jokes right). Was never really a fan of Hillary, but did like Herr Lipp. Unfortunately, whilst double entendre knob gags work in a sketch show, stretching them out for the full hour and a half is a nightmare.
Really disjointed feel to the film, as it skips between Royston Vasey, London and the Middle Ages. This is allegedly something to do with the fact that the guys were actually working on the middle ages story for a while and it was going nowhere, so it was used in this film. I find it a bit sad that the whole premise of this movie is that the creators are bored with Royston Vasey, as they’ve been doing it for 10 years, and want to end it. The characters find this out and set about changing the creators minds before they are killed off. I wasn’t aware that I was also bored with Royston Vasey, but this movie has pressed that point home to me.
There were a few silly moments when I chuckled to myself (such as when Geoff is being tortured by the middle ages characters and they think his name is George at Asda because of the label in his anorak), but they’re few and far between.
A real stinker.
I think I almost get what Doug is saying…it’s rubbish. Has anyone else seen it? Thoughts? Would you agree?
The League have always been self indulgent writers – having Tubbs and Edward come back only to kill them off again straight away in series 3 for instance, but it looks like they forgot to make a film that other people might find funny as well. How are we supposed to know that’s Jeremey Dyson at the beginning? Very funny for them I’m sure, but not to the public. And, writing a film about trying to write a film is the sort of idea you’d expect from a bunch of drama students, not supposedly incisive and brilliant writers.
It smacked of a group of people wanting to write a film, but the only film they could get funded was a League of Gentlemen one. So, they threw in a few “crowd pleasers” at the beginning, then ditched all that for a story about themselves. Oh aren’t WE great! Could they write so little material that they had to stick a half finished period drama which was just appalling and relied on moments of horror again. The whole premise of that part being that they were currently writing that so they came to life as well (bangs head on table very hard)
The warning should have been there in the dreadful Christmas Special. It’s obvious that they think the League is the most brilliant and popular show of all time and are very smug about it, yet conversely they always seem to want to frustrate the “popular” appeal of the show by cutting out all the most loved aspects. As for the poignancy putting people off. Rubbish, if you want to see how comedy and poignant characters work together, watch The Office, watch Spaced (do just watch it). If you want to watch smug, self-indulgent, lazy and unispired writing, watch this film.
I went to the cinema alone for the first time in my life to see this film, because no-one else wanted to see it. I felt really self-conscious because I was laughing so much at some bits of the film. I mean, really doubled over with laughter. I was quite worried before I went that it wouldn’t work, but it has some very funny bits in it, especially the bit with Bernice in the confessional and the bit where Tubbs and Edward are creeping up on Jeremy Dyson. These are the typical LOG laugh-out-loud bits that are more typical of the first series, but they also mix in some poignant moments too that are more typical of the third series. I think that is what puts some people off; it is really unusual in comedy to be asked to laugh at a character and empathise with him/her. The mixture of comedy and pathos is what really hooks you though if you are a fan of the LOG’s work. Like most of the LOG stuff, I think you can’t take it all in in one viewing. I have been dying to see the film again – and again and then again with audio commentary ;) I can’t wait for the DVD to come out.
I went to see the film on the day of it’s release (3rd June) and I had been looking forward to it since I first heard the League were making a film. Personally, I thought it was great. Although I found the bits in the 17th Century a bit drawn out, I thought that overall, it was the funniest and original film I’ve seen in a long time. Having said that, a friend saw it with me, who has also been a League fan since they were doing the radio show, and he was a bit disappointed with it.
I loved the bit where Hilary, Geoff and Herr Lipp find themselves in the REAL town of Hadfield, Though I would have liked to have seen a bit more of Tubbs and Edward and some of the other characters.
Maybe the film’s not to everyone’s taste but, unless you’re totally devoid of humour, then you should get at least a few laughs out of it.
I WENT 2 C APOCALYPSE. IT IS BRILL. I HAVE NOT LOL 2 A FILM FOR YEARS. THE ONLY PROBLEM IS THAT THEY HAVE PRESUMED THAT THE ONLY PEOPLE WHO HAVE SEEN THE SIRIES WILL WATCH THE FILM. MY FRIEND WENT 2 C IT AND HE DID NOT GET THE JOKE WITH MICKEY AND THE DOG. I THINK THEY HAVE MADE A BRILLIANT FILM. THEY DID NOT CARRY ON WITH THE FORMAT AND THEY DONE BRILLIANT TO INCLUDE THE PEOPLE IN WIGS. THEY ALSO DID NOT MAKE EDWARD, TUBBS AND PAPA LAZAROU CARRY THE FILM. THEY HAD THERE SCENES AND THEY PUT THE REST ON BRISS, LIPP AND TIPP WHICH WAS GOOD.
i think log is brilliant and its only meant to be good to fans anyway so if its like ure first time round watchin it probs wont be good
I found myself laughing out loud throughout the entire thing. Was I watching a different film? It’s packed with hilarious one-liners and I think the writers were spot on to use the lesser known characters and eliminate that stale feeling of overuse that comes from so many films based on a series. Less is more and all that. This works well on its own. It also benefits those who are not overly familiar with the characters. I watched it with someone who’d never watched the series and it certainly didn’t mar their enjoyment. I loved the way the writers were depicted as disgusting human beings and you almost find yourself rooting for all the ghastly characters who have repulsed us for so long, which is a nice twist.
Monty Python meets horror, comedy and the downright ridiculous. What more could anyone ask for? Great stuff.
I agree with James Power’s comments above.
The writers are indeed talented and professional, but one should not therefore assume that everything they do is out of the top draw. Helen Jones seems to hold them in such awe that she may have lost the ability to make fair criticism where such criticism is warranted. I also think her rather unnecessary comments about ‘doing better with your time’ (for anyone having the affront to criticise the writers) is unhelpful and not in the spirit of the comments made by others on this page.
Being a fan of series one and two of LOG I was anticipating a very funny feature length film. What I saw was 90 odd mitutes of almost complete and utter rubbish – one of the most boring and above all dissapointing films I have ever seen. The plot was utter nonesense and the jokes seemingly ‘dumbed down’ to appeal to a wider audience.
This film was truely a missed opportunity to bring the disturbing characters of RV to the big screen. I think the writers have got too big for their boots and have taken their eye of the ball – the ‘ball’ what made the original LOG such a refreshingly funny series.
Id like to give a little feed back to all you haters that seem to have a problem with the new League of Gentlemen film… I would love to see any of you write anything better or anything at all. These writers are experienced profesionals who can quite clearly write and act, again Id love to see any of you do the same. Instead of sitting around slagging off four of the country’s best and most entertaining writers, shouldn’t you all be doing something more positive with your time. Try writng and acting in your own film…
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I couldn’t agree more with you on this one John! To put it bluntly…I’ve seen better film on teeth.
I enjoyed the first TV series of the League back when it came on, but after that I lost interest. Now I’m a bit older and I can spot the many horror film references throughout the series, it gives it new depth. Perhaps the film is the same way (I haven’t seen it) but perhaps being a fan of horror would help.
Totally disagree. I was laughing like a loon for almost the entire time – it’s inventive, it looks great, it’s clever when it needs to be and silly when it needs to be. I think they did exactly the right thing having lesser characters play the central roles, and the jumping about between the different worlds is fine (the post-Restoration-era horror film pastiche has most of the best bits in it).
Don’t think of it as the TV series going onto the big screen – think of it as an Adaptation-style meta-comedy type thing that happens to be about real fictional characters, as oppossed to fictional fictional characters (or fictional real characters, as Adaptation was). Or, you know, something like that.
erm…. i’m sorry but what are you talking about.
the most original idea for a british comedy film in ages!
i thought the first 10 minutes or so after the credits were awfull (the vet is the worst character in TLOG)but after that it was superb. the league was always stupid and really random and the film continues this fine tradition. best way to call it a day.
The first thing that came into my head when I watched the trailer was ‘What the f*ck am I watching’?
So I really had no intention of seeing it this backs that up.
And John: when’s the new Audio Edition going to be out? I’m having withdrawals!
Too bad. I had heard it had to potentail to be pretty good.