hbrookshaw

Certainly when this movie came out, it was one of the funniest films I had ever seen. Having recently watched it again, it doesn't stand the test of time as much as I might have liked. It's not the fault of the film, it's just that time has moved on and what was funny then isn't funny now.

Having said that, it has its moments that still have me laughing out loud, and the sight and dialogue gags come so thick and fast that you have to watch the film more than once as you won't get them all the first time round.

The main characters are very likable, and it's a joy to see some normally straight actors sending themselves up. Lloyd Bridges is particularly funny, constantly giving up various bad habits. I do wish they'd scrapped Johnny from the ground crew though, as he was extremely unfunny and annoying.

Some of the highlights for me were the "Saturday Night Fever" take off, the taxi driver at the beginning and the end, and Ted's flashbacks.

I watched this recently with my teenage children, who are not much younger than I was when I first saw it, and they both fell asleep. The jokes were just too old and stale for them. But when it first came out, it was a beaut.

As a "stand alone" this film is quite passable. If, however, you are a fan of Maeve Binchy and have read the book, you will probably spend a good deal of the film comparing the two, and the film comes off unfavourably. Some of the differences are minor, but the ending is completely different. I have no intention of comparing the two endings here as I don't want to be a spoiler, suffice it to say that if you have read the book, the film ending is a major disappointment. I also think that Benny was totally miscast. That the Benny of the book is a big woman is relevant to the storyline, whereas Minnie Driver, although quite tall, can't be called big under any stretch of the imagination. The film characters seemed wooden to me in comparison with the book characters. However, if you're not into reading books, the film is worth watching.

There are very few films that I would watch more than once, but "The Full Monty" is one of the very few. Every time it's on television, I have to see it again, despite having it on video and DVD.

This film has to be watched more than once as first time round, you might be laughing so loud that you miss the next bit.

The beauty of this film is that the humour comes from the characters and their situations, rather than being contrived, as so many other films are. The interaction between Dave and Gaz is totally believable.

The main characters are all likable in their own way, they are the sort of people you could quite happily have a drink with (with the possible exemption of Lomper, who might have you reaching for the anti-depressants).

Gaz and Dave, both unemployed, decide to make money by becoming strippers. Along the way, they recruit Lomper, after rescuing him from a suicide attempt, Gerald, their ex boss, who has had dance lessons, and whose job it is to try to teach them to dance, Guy, who can't sing or dance, but is well endowed, and Horse, who can actually dance. 6 guys less like the Chippendales you would be unlikely to find. Gaz, with his froggy face, Dave, the "fat bastard", skinny Lomper etc.

The main plot concerns the group getting ready for their big night, and there are some hilarious scenes when they are learning. But there are plenty of sub plots, Gaz's relationship with his young son, Nathan, Dave's marital problems, Gerald hiding the fact that he is out of work from his wife, Lomper's ailing mother.

The characters are believable and perfectly cast. They argue, confide in each other, display insecurity about getting their gear off (Horse actually orders a penis enlarger). The ending is a bit obvious, but there's no way it detracts from the enjoyment of the film. One to be treasured.

Oh, and the music is pretty damn good, too.