The Mouse on the Moon (1963) User Reviews (24)

Ignore the box copy hype

[dave13-1 · 6/10 · 12 April 2012]

The DVD box claims that this mild comedy is 'hilarious' are somewhat inflated. Okay, the box copy on any comedy tends to exaggerate its hilarity, so we won't hold such hyperbole too strongly against it. That said, this modest sequel to The Mouse That Roared manages to entertain as what it is: a low key family comedy of moderate charms.

The idiot locals of the tiny and pastoral Grand Duchy of Fenwick return, this time with a scam to get Uncle Sugar to pay to restore the place's ancient plumbing by way of a 'technology loan'. Wink, wink. When U.S. inspectors arrive to view the results of Fenwick's space program, the locals scramble to keep them off-balance while enlisting the aid of an eccentric old professor to build them a REAL moon rocket. And it just so happens he has been working on that very thing.

There are the usual farcical runnings around and the presence of the quirky Terry-Thomas is always welcome in this sort of exercise, but the whole thing is less clever and less fun than the original or the many Ealing Studios caper movies from which it clearly draws inspiration. The look is good, the characters all have their modest individual charms and everything turns out nifty in the end, aww, but don't expect anything overly inspired. There isn't a lot of real cinematic cleverness here, just good, competent old-fashioned movie entertainment. As that it works just fine. Enjoy.

The Grand Fenwick duchy

[jotix100 · 7/10 · 21 January 2011]

The tiny country of Grand Fenwick is again the center of attraction as its resourceful Prime Minister Mountjoy and a scientist, Professor Kokintz, want to make a statement to the world. The P.M. thinks that by interesting the Americans in a phony space plan, his country will receive a fair compensation in aid to replace the nation's poor plumbing system, while the professor has found what he was looking for with the help of the Grand Fenwick's wine in order to achieve his ambitious project. The tiny country is the envy of the American, Russian and British government because it will achieve something that its most powerful counterparts cannot do: be the first to land on the moon!

The sequel of "The Mouse That Roared" gets a fun production by Richard Lester, a man that understood comedy well. One would have thought the loss of the previous hit star, Peter Sellers, would not work, but thanks to Mr. Lester's vision it is a much better film that we expected. Not having seen at all, we were able to catch up with it, as it appeared on a cable channel recently. The film has a great look in spite of the time elapsed since it was first release.

On hand for this installment, are some excellent English performers. Margaret Rutherford makes a valuable contribution with her Gloriana XIII, a dizzy lady who gets her speeches confused whenever she happens to speak at a public function. Ron Moody is perhaps the best thing in the movie as the ambitious Mountjoy. Bernard Cribbins and June Ritchie play a young couple in love. David Kossoff is Professor Kokintz, the brainy inventor that is instrumental in the launching of the space ship. The excellent Terry-Thomas adds a funny performance to the movie.

"But we've got pudding!"

[Brucey_D · 6/10 · 27 January 2021]

If you have not yet seen either 'Mouse' film, it is probably better to see this one first, rather than view it with expectations raised by the other one.

It is easy to forget that this film was made before there had been any moon landings; plot points such as dust on the moon were real concerns for the Apollo astronauts when they landed for real, some years later. The planting of a flag (although not the first seen on film of course) was either prescient or life imitated art later on...?

Oddly enough both the look of the moon and the look of the rocket's interior are strongly reminiscent of those seen in the Wallace and Gromit animation 'a grand day out', which must surely have been inspired by the 'Mouse' film.

This film does appear on UK TV from time to time; for example on the Sony Movie Classic channel. However this raises my main disappointment concerning this film; the Sony 'watermark' is huge and obtrusive as usual, but the conversion from Celluloid to PAL video which they broadcast is almost an object lesson in 'how not to do it'; goodness knows what they did (possibly started with a bad print, converted badly to NSTC and then badly to PAL?) but the result is fuzzy, jerky in places, with poor/unsynchronized sound quality. The net result is pretty execrable; in places I'd describe it as 'almost unwatchable' in fact. This isn't the best film ever but my enjoyment of it was seriously impaired by the rotten quality of the broadcast video. I can only suppose (and hope) that commercial DVDs are better than that; they surely can't be worse...?

Six out of ten from me; might have been more but for the rotten video quality.

A Great Political Satire

[Sargebri · 7 July 2003]

This is one of the best political satires I have ever seen. Ironically, I saw this film before I saw the predecessor, The Mouse That Roared, and I still have yet to see all of that film. I really enjoyed the fact that this film poked fun at how obsessed the United States and the Soviet Union were on the space race that they didn't know how the Duchy of Grand Fenwick beat them in the construction of a rocket to the moon. Bernard Cribbins, Ron Moody and David Kossoff were all exceptional in this film and they made it an enjoyable experience. Too bad this or the original "Mouse" film are rarely, if ever shown on television anymore.

"Something has just cropped up, Grand Fenwick-wise".

[richardchatten · 6/10 · 13 February 2022]

Few people are even aware that "Richard Lester" (as he was then billed) made this sequel to 'The Mouse That Roared" (his first film in colour) between his two pop quickies 'It's Trad, Dad!' and 'A Hard Day's Night'.

Scripted with his usual good-natured cynicism by Michael Pertwee, there are shafts of genial satire, like the description of the Duchy of Grand Fenwick in the opening narration as "the smallest and least progressive country in the entire world" and the use in the space race of ex-fascists by both the Russians and Uncle Sam.

David Kossoff returns from the original; while the three roles played in the original by Peter Sellers are here split between Margaret Rutherford (who gets top billing), Ron Moody and Bernard Cribbins; with June Ritchie as a fetching young beatnik.

just not up to the standards of the original

[planktonrules · 6/10 · 10 June 2005]

The Mouse That Roared was an amazingly original and funny movie. This follow-up picture tries to capture the magic of the first but just can't. The ideas that made the original movie so different now just seem silly in this sequel.

The biggest problem, for me, is that Peter Sellars who was SO IMPORTANT to the original (playing a multitude of roles) isn't in this movie and so there are NO familiar faces. Margaret Rutherford is now the queen (and Peter Sellars made a much prettier queen), and Ron Moody and so many others take on most of the other roles from the original.

My attitude is that if you CAN'T get the original cast, don't bother. This is a fair movie but can't hold a candle to the original.

Satirical fantastic comedy with a great cast of British actors showing their particular talent

[ma-cortes · 6/10 · 31 January 2023]

Fun film with amusing screenplay by Michael Pertwee based on the novel written by Leonard Wibberley , being well directed by Richard Lester . This is a sequel to ¨The mouse that roared¨(1959), while this second part deals with the tiny country has a hot water problem in the castle , to resolve it , there're attempting a peculiar solution. The tiny Duchy of Grand Fenwick ruled by Grand Duchess Gloriana XIII (Margaret Rutherford) and Prime Minister Rupert Mountjoy (Ron Moody) decide to carry out a set-up , but they really just want some money for new plumbing , and they accept a generous aid From Americans and URSS, but things don't go according to plan . As the the tiny , impoverished backward nation persuades the Americans and Soviets that they're starting a space program. The U. S. and Soviets get wind of the impending launch and try to beat them to the moon . As Vincent Mountjoy (Bernard Cribbins) and Professor Kokintz (David Kossoff) take off in a rocket to the moon. The Hilarious Story of How the Duchy of Grand Fenwick , a tiny European nation devises a foolproof method of filling its depleted treasury and winning , but collects reparations from generous Americans . You'll roar at the further adventures of "The Mouse That Roared". Territorial claims to the Moon by the Grand Duchy of Fenwick can be substantiated by viewing the hilarious motion picture Mouse on the moon . It's A Blast.....Off!. When A Tiny Nation Of Nuts Goes Into The Rocket Racket! It's The Raciest Race To The Moon That Ever Knocked You Out For The Count...Down!. Stop shooting at our moon!.

This is a funny and entertaining comedy with a great Brit cast , such as Margaret Rutherford , Ron Moody , Bernard Cribbins , David Kossoff , Terry-Thomas , all of them playing sympathetic characters . It's a pretty amusing farce with these masters of the interpretation who display efficiently their abilities. Shot in medium budget by using some sets , props and atrezzo leftover from other films . Picture is a vehicle of these stunning actors , they are authentic comical players and real farceurs . It displays colorful cinematography by cameraman Wilkie Cooper , filmed in studios : Pinewood Studios, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, England, and on location in Piccadilly Circus, Piccadilly, London and good sets by production designer John Howell . Lively and evocative musical score by composer Ron Garnier.

This ¨A mouse on the moon¨¨(1963) results to be a sequel of ¨The mouse that roared¨(1963) . Although other characters from The Mouse That Roared (1959) showed up as Prime Minister Rupert Mountjoy and his opposition leader Benter , here Peter Sellers made that film , by playing multiple roles emulating his intimate actor , Alec Guinness, and David Kossoff as Kokintz was the only principal cast member of previous movie who returned to play the same role in the follow-up . In ¨A Mouse that roared¨the tiny country declares a war on the United States of America, hoping to lose and Peter Sellers is commander of a medieval force which arrives during a nuclear drill that has abandoned the streets , as Sellers acting as the scheming Prime Minister of Grand Fenwick, as the scheming Grand Duchess and as Tully Bascombe, commander of the medieval army . While this second outing ¨A Mouse on the moon¨ deals with the kingdom attempting to get the money necessary to put in new plumbing and along the way the Grand Duke is dreaming of hot baths , as they request foreign aid from the U. S. for Space Research , but the Russians send aid, as well, to show that they too are for the internationalization of space , then one scientist is slapping together a rocket.

This well-edited motion picture is compellingly directed by Richard Lester in one of his usual forays into the comedy genre . He reigned supreme as one of the greatest filmmakers of 60s , 70s and 80s , achieving an important cult popularity. Efficiently directed by Richard Lester providing attractive images in its own right , being filmed in his peculiar style coupled with typical surrealist comic touches . As the director's visual style is as witty and strong as always . At the beginning Lester directed various Beatles vehicles and subsequently made known comedies : ¨The knack¨ , a satire : ¨The bed sitting room¨ and a drama : ¨Petulia¨ . He got a big success with ¨The Three Musketeers¨ (1973), which he shot simultaneously with ¨The Four musketeers¨ (1974) for producer Ilya Salkind , resurrected his career . When the Salkinds (Ilya and his father Alexander Salkind) were in the midst of filming ¨Superman¨ (1978) simultaneously with its sequel, Lester was hired as a supervising producer, then took over the filming of the sequel, ¨Superman II¨ (1980), when original director Richard Donner was fired . The sequel was a financial and critical success , and he was hired to direct the far-less successful ¨Superman III¨ (1983) . At the end of the 1980s, Lester returned to the storyline that had revitalized his career back in the early 1970s , filming a second sequel to "The Three Musketeers" titled : ¨The return of the musketeers¨. ¨A mouse on the moon¨ rating : 6.5/10 . Decent and passable . If you like their crazy interpretations , you will most definitely enjoy this one.

Dated comedy satire not as funny to modern audiences

[SimonJack · 6/10 · 23 July 2018]

"The Mouse on the Moon" is a comedy satire and sci-fi film that is quite dated and has lost much of its appeal over time. It is one of two movies based on a series of novels by Irish-American author, Leonard Wibberley. The first, "The Mouse that Roared" was a 1955 novel that was made into the smash hit movie of the same title by Columbia Pictures in 1959. Peter Sellers starred in three roles in that film.

This second film is from the third novel of the "Mouse" series, also by the same title. It was published in 1962. The mouse refers to the smallest country in the world, the fictitious Grand Duchy of Fenwick. Land-locked somewhere in the middle of Europe, Fenwick has continued its cherished customs based on its English heritage.

This film enjoyed success at the time, but its plot was considerably dated to the period of a single decade. Among other drawbacks from the original are a far inferior screenplay and fewer big name stars in the cast. The setting was the space race during the Cold War that pitted the U.S. against the Soviet Union.

Russia scored first when Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first person to travel in space. On April 12, 1961, he orbited the earth in Vostok 1. The U.S. scored second with the first man on the moon in 1969. Neil Armstrong left earth in Apollo 11 on July 16 with Edwin Aldrin and Michael Collins. On July 20, Armstrong and Aldrin landed on the moon, and Armstrong became the first human to set foot on the moon.

Since then, the space race has ended, and modern space exploration is done by several nations, most often in cooperative ventures. But, for 1963 the space race was a hot item. So, this film naturally had more interest. The script milks it as much as possible. But, only mildly funny in places then, the script doesn't hold as much interest among audiences in the 21st century.

Here's a sample line of humor from the film. Maurice Spender (played by Terry-Thomas), "I read your letter in the Times. Rushed over here post-haste." Professor Kokintz (played by David Kossoff), "How nice." Maurice Spender, "I say. I'm extremely excited to see those Botherbinks." Professor Kokintz, "Botherbinks? Bobolinks." Maurice Spender, "No, that's what I said, didn't I? Bob... bob... bobolinks."

It's a bit of fun, innit?

[craigjclark · 9/10 · 13 June 2001]

It's hard for it not to pale in comparison to its predecessor, "The Mouse That Roared," but "The Mouse on the Moon" is still an amiable enough comedy that it overcomes its own slightness and miniscule budget. The plot -- which concerns the Duchy of Grand Fenwick petitioning the United States for a loan so that it can develop a space program (which is really a cover for the prime minister's insatiable desire for indoor plumbing) -- is amusing and gives director Richard Lester and screenwriter Michael Pertwee plenty of opportunities to draw parallels between the Americans and the Russians as they scramble to beat the tiny country to the moon.

Instead of Peter Sellers in three roles, we have Margaret Rutherford taking over one (as the dotty grand duchess) and Ron Moody taking over another (as the ruthless prime minister). Both are funny enough, but they're no substitute for the real thing. Joining them are a young Bernard Cribbens as Moody's son Vincent, who wants nothing more than to be an astronaut, David Kossoff (one of four actors returning from "The Mouse That Roared") as the ever resourceful Professor Kokintz, and Terry-Thomas as a thoroughly inept British spy. Also watch for John Bluthal in his first of many films for Lester as Von Noldol, the enthusiastic German scientist working for the U.S.

For Richard Lester fans, this is a must-see. After all, this is the film that got him the job directing a certain film starring four lads from Liverpool...

An entirely different line of research

[bkoganbing · 7/10 · 17 May 2014]

That noted country The Grand Duchy Of Fenwick manages to overtake both the Americans and the Russians in the space race in a delightful British comedy, The Mouse On The Moon. That only seems right because Grand Fenwick nearly controlled the world in The Mouse That Roared.

How did this country do it? Well for starters it got an American loan for research and the Russian loan of one of their rockets. Americans and Russians each looking to outsmart the other in international diplomacy and Fenwickian Prime Minister Ron Moody outsmarting them with of all things, honesty. You have to see the film to see how it plays out.

Secondly the Fenwickians have scientist David Kossoff with a trusty assistant Bernard Cribbins who is also Moody's son and Kossoff is shall we say pursuing an entirely different line of research in his efforts to find fuel. As it turns out Grand Fenwick already has the perfect rocket fuel, but it needed a mind like Kossoff's to refine it. Again you have to see the film for what it is and how it works.

Margaret Rutherford is back as the Grand Duchess Of Fenwick presiding with regal medieval splendor in this insignificant piece of European real estate. And Terry-Thomas is a splendid British spy whom the Fenwickians help somewhat in his mission.

Sad that Peter Sellers couldn't be in the film, the part that Bernard Cribbins plays was clearly written with him in mind. Still this comedy is another fine one from the United Kingdom.

Enjoyable Sixties Space Race Comedy

[ShootingShark · 5/10 · 9 November 2009]

The tiny principality of Grand Fenwick applies for a loan from the US under the pretence of funding for space research. They are pleasantly surprised when the money is granted and the Russians donate an old rocket, but even more so when local scientist Professor Kokintz perfects a new atomic fuel to power a lunar expedition. Can Grand Fenwick be the first nation on the moon ?

This good-natured sequel to The Mouse That Roared is a pleasant mixture of satire and slapstick, as everyone seeks to exploit the situation to their advantage. The Americans want to appear generous, the Russians don't want to lose face, the British want to keep in with whoever wins, while the locals really just want indoor plumbing for their castle. Surprisingly, the science fact in the movie is pretty good as well as funny (the rocket fuel comes from an explosive batch of local wine), and there are numerous clever riffs on the frantic activities of the Space Race so prevalent at the time. The cast are all fun, with Kossoff and Cribbins a nice double act as the gentle inventor and astronaut-wannabe, Moody in fine Machiavellian form as Prime Minister Mountjoy, and Rutherford enjoying herself as the dopey ruler, Duchess Gloriana. Frankie Howerd also has a funny walk-on. There's some nice music by Ron Grainer and a typically sixties title sequence designed by Maurice Binder (in pre-James Bond days). Based on the third of the five Mouse books by Leonard Wibberley, a talented and versatile author who also wrote mysteries, travel and sailing guides, auto-racing stories, children's books and an epic biography of Thomas Jefferson. This was the always-interesting Lester's second feature (after It's Trad, Dad!), and whilst not as a good as the Jack Arnold / Peter Sellers classic which preceded it, it's an agreeably goofy comedy and a pleasant way to spend a slow evening.

RE: Good Sequel!

[brad_and_ethan · 8/10 · 27 November 2007]

I disagree with the other critics who say this doesn't live up to the original. I think that even without Peter Sellers, that this sequel stands on its own two feet. The script was incredibly funny, from start to finish. There are so many nice touches by the screenwriter; it's hard to list them all. However, the touch of having the astronauts and cosmonauts being forced to return in the Fenwick rocketship - is just brilliant! The major drawback with this script is the lead's love interest, the blonde girl. She really feels like a fifth wheel throughout much of the film, and her subplot isn't dynamic enough. However, overall there are plenty of jokes strewn throughout the story, and the direction and editing is also spot-on.

love the idea

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 2 January 2023]

The Duchy of Grand Fenwick is the smallest country in Europe. Grand Duchess Gloriana XIII (Margaret Rutherford) is the head of state. Prime Minister Rupert Mountjoy (Ron Moody) is the elected leader and he's only concerned about himself. After some exploding wine bottles, their main export gets banned and the economy is in real trouble. The PM wants plumbing for his castle and asks the Americans for money while pretending to use it for a rocket to the moon. For its diplomatic value, the Americans gift them twice their ask. Then they are given a rejected Russian rocket as the counter move. The only ones actually trying to get to the moon is the PM's son Vincent Mountjoy (Bernard Cribbins) and Professor Kokintz (David Kossoff).

I love the idea and I really like the gentle humor of the movie. The only thing that is truly missing is a comedic lead who can take it to the next level. Then I find out that this is the sequel to The Mouse That Roared which stars Peter Sellers. That's exactly what this movie needs. It needs a Peter Sellers type to carry this movie on his back. Now I have to go watch The Mouse That Roared.

How an amusing film was spoiled

[karl-a-hughes · 4/10 · 9 March 2006]

The story line of how the underdog can beat the big boys is well executed, and although this comedy is not hilariously funny the story moves at a sufficient pace to keep the interest levels up. A wonderful array of stalwart British comedy actors march through this film, including a cameo for Frankie Howerd in need of the new public convenience.

Where this film falls down, for me, is in Ron Moody's performance. His overacting singlehandedly turns this from potentially being a good film into one that can't be recommended. As if he were playing to a school of 5 year olds awaiting an episode of Crackerjack, Moody shouts and splashes and blusters his way aimlessly through this movie. Unfortunately he has a lead role. I'm no fan of Peter Sellers, but this film could have been so much more if perhaps the lead role had been given to John le Mesurier or Eric Barker rather than relegating them to small support roles.

Funny follow-up, but the book was better!

[dancziraky · 23 April 2003]

The two "Mouse" films benefitted greatly from the wonderfully funny source novels by terribly under-appreciated Irish author Leonard Wibberley. Although the second film suffers in comparison because of the loss of star Peter Sellers, the performances by Ron Moody as Count Mountjoy and Dame Margaret Rutherford are still quite effective. It must be pointed out that some of the higher bits of satire of Wibberley's novel have gone missing from the film. In the novel, the Duchess (a 23-year-old married to Chief Forester Tully Bascomb) asks Count Mountjoy (she has called him "Bobo" since infancy) for an Imperial Russian sable fur coat. Mountjoy, desiring to update the Grand Fenwick castle's 14th century plumbing, gets a decree passed asking for a loan from the United States for $50,000 for the coat. Being the sly fox that he is, he also asks for $5 million to enter the SPACE PROGRAM! Of course, Mountjoy has every intension of buying the Duchess her coat and using the rest on the plumbing (and also for road improvements, as there are no paved roads in the country). The USA realizes that it's a ruse of some sort, but sees it as an excellent PR opportunity and decides to give them $50 million instead! The rest of the plot is pretty much directly translated into the film. Too bad Wibberley's remaining books in the series ("The Mouse on Wall Street," "The Mouse That Saved the West," and "Beware the Mouse!") were never filmed.

pertinent to international politics even today...

[godgirl · 9/10 · 8 March 2006]

There could do with some watching of films such as this in high offices in the US or indeed, in many other "world powers".

Pragmatism and a certain amount of humility might be learnt by those watching and a realisation that acts of domination aren't necessarily a good thing nor will they end in their intended way; are the basic premise of this film.

What it lacks in subtle finesse, it makes up for in it's universal humour and it's now poignant reminder that we can all be fools when we think first of ourselves and only later of the consequences for others.

A film made in 1963, more than 40 years old, still has a message for us today, a message that it seems many need reminding of.

Splendid farce and superb comedy moments and a jolly gripping tale to boot.

I'll drink champagne to that!

Lesser follow-up

[Leofwine_draca · 5/10 · 1 March 2022]

A lesser follow-up to THE MOUSE THAT ROARED. This one boasts an excellent ensemble cast and not all that much. The script goes for broad satire and takes a look at that very '60s obsession, the space race, but doesn't really capitalise on that all too much. Some of the big names appear in cameos and the whole thing just feels a little muddled, although if you like the actors and the era then it's okay.

Lots of laughs

[nelsonhodgie · 8/10 · 22 July 2020]

The competition between the Russians and the Americans is still very much in play in 2020 Given that the Mouse on the Moon does not feel dated with the 2 superpowers trying to out do each other with a foreign aid to a tiny country.. Lots of laughs with a great cast . Margaret Rutherford is one of a kind. She played the daft old lady to perfection. Ron Moody is solid as the bumbling leader and a special nod to the actor playing the scientist as well. And don't forget to feed the bobolinks.

Mouse vs Soviets and the USA. To The Moon!

[gortx · 7 September 2022]

Follow-up to 1959's MOUSE THAT ROARED is also based on a Leonard Wibberly novel is mildly amusing in spots. Peter Sellers is gone and the Queen is now played by Margaret Rutherford. This time Grand Fenwick is out to bamboozle both the Soviets and the USA by playing them off against each other over the space race.

Directed by Richard Lester (HARD DAY'S NIGHT), it takes a while before it truly gets off the....er...ground. Once in space it gets funnier. You have German scientists in both the U. S. and USSR giving the Heil Hitler! Salute a full 7 months before Sellers did so in DR. STRANGELOVE. Space trash is already an issue: "Wherever civilization goes, garbage is sure to follow!". On the moon a cosmonaut sneaks off to start constructing something leading to this speculation: "(he's) Building a wall!" It's all silly fun, but, it's not surprising that this was the end of the Mouse series on screen. (there were three other novels)

Where's Peter Sellers???

[artzau · 8/10 · 29 October 2002]

Whoa! Isn't something missing here? Another episode in the Grand Fenwick chronicles and no Peter Sellers? I mean, you got all the standard Brits, Ron Moody, Dame Maggie Rutherford, John Le Messieur and, of course, the gap-toothed Terry Thomas, but where's Peter? This movie is definitely his kind of vehicle and Bernie Cribbins does his level best-- but, it's not Peter. Rumor has it, and I've never been able to trace down the source, that Sellers was slated for this part and contracts, shooting commitments and the like served to interfere... But, we can only imagine how it would have turned out if the PS had been there.

Mouse on the Moon had us laughing!

[jreece-04199 · 10/10 · 8 February 2021]

We watched this last night and we both got lots of laughs out of it! Margaret Rutherford was a hoot, and Terry Thomas was very funny. All the cast was very good, and it was well directed by Richard Lester (Help!) and beautifully filmed. We really enjoyed it!

Perhaps a little too subdued for it's own good

[Poseidon-3 · 22 June 2005]

"The Mouse That Roared" put a comedic spin on the United States' policy of rebuilding those countries it has beaten in war. Here in the sequel, the subject is the space race and the international contest concerning putting a man on the moon. As in the original film, the small duchy of Grand Fenwick is faltering financially and needs the aid of other countries to make ends meet. (It never occurs to anyone to sell off some of the jewels dripping off their ruler, The Grand Duchess!) The Prime Minister (Moody) concocts a scheme to trick the U.S. into providing funds for rocket research which he actually intends to use for installing indoor plumbing at the castle (due to his fondness for long baths which, initially, don't include hot water!) Once the U.S. coughs up some money, the U.S.S.R., not to be outdone, provides Grand Fenwick with a rocket, though neither country believes that any true result will come of their deeds. When Moody's son Cribbins comes back home from school, he decides to actually give space travel a go, with the help of a grandfatherly professor (Kossoff.) Meanwhile, the dotty Duchess (Rutherford) engages in various pageantry and the duchy's youth live as protesting Beatniks (!) led by Richie. Much of this satire will be lost to a newer generation since so much has changed since the time it was made. This was filmed before the Kennedy assassination and the breaking of many social and sexual taboos across the world. If anything, it presents a sort of periodic time capsule of the socio political climate of the day. Director Lester shows signs of the rather subtle slapstick and physical comedy that he would insert into many of his later films. Top-billed Rutherford (right at the height of her popularity in the Miss Marple films) is given almost nothing to do. Always engaging to watch, she nonetheless has very little of interest to work with and is off screen for much of the picture. Moody gives a solid and energetic performance, though his biggest hit would follow in a few years with "Oliver!" Cribbins is only moderately entertaining and lacks the charisma to really grab attention. The ever-exasperated Thomas shows up briefly as a U.K. spy and adds some sparkle to the proceedings. Richie has a thankless, idiotic role and an even more thankless wardrobe. It's worth a look for fans of Moody, Lester and films concerning The Cold War and earlier U.S. mores, but doesn't really succeed as a full-on comedy. Most of the humor is very dry and spotty. Fans of physical comedy may find more to laugh at during the various mishaps of the cast. For many folks, the absence of Peter Sellers (star of the original film in three separate roles) relegates this to a misfire. It's not a bad little film, it's just not a great one.

Lavish comedy

[Apollo15AnnoPianoCatDogSnailAnt · 8/10 · 29 October 2020]

What the? This is a grand scale level of laughs occurring here. No name cast which is refreshing, on all cylinders humor, fine tuned funniness.

If you can survive the awful slapstick farce of the first 7-8 minutes, you may be able to finish the movie.

[fedor8 · 14 April 2023]

You know how Umberto Eco intentionally makes the intros to his novels "unreadable", so as to weed out the "undesirables" and the savages among the readers? Well, it's kinda... not exactly like that here. Because the pay-off later isn't that great here, and besides, the movie's writers never intended to bore their audiences with this cartoonish introduction. They just didn't know better: it was the early 60s and comedy was still fairly primitive.

Does anyone watch old (British) comedies for laughs? Doubtful. If you want laughs you won't find them in old UK flicks, or only very few. It takes the movie an entire hour to get a chuckle or two (when the launch is about to go ahead), and it's hardly side-splittingly hilariously stuff either. Slightly amusing on occasion; that's the extent of it

These films are more interesting as "ancient" oddities, as historical artifacts almost. Except that in 100 years the word "almost" will no longer serve a purpose. In 100 years, people will consider such films as exotic as the Dodo bird.

The humour is badly outdated. In fact it was boring and old-fashioned already by the 80s, let alone now.

The premise is that of a typical "clever" political "satire", though in practice more like a kiddie version of one. The writers would have been better off trying to create humorous situations concerning the main characters than try so bloody hard to explain the intricacies of international diplomacy and the Space Race. Why? Because all of the diplomatic stuff can only interest adults - yet the humor is mostly geared toward kids. The discrepancy makes no sense, which is why I assume the film bombed.

Still, I could be wrong. Perhaps it succeeded. After all, the production values are fairly high, and perhaps the adults from the 60s didn't mind being served kiddie humor. In fact, I know they didn't. Most of them, at least.

Humor based on character situations would have made more sense. For example, the professor is such a politically-correct, morally perfect bore: he says and does nothing funny, is there just as a dull stereotype to help push the "scientific" part of the story forward. He is completely uninteresting. Why couldn't he be a bumbling fool? Maybe a skirt-chaser? Slightly devious? Not necessarily an unfunny clown, but at least an imperfect person, someone with vices, a human being that one can attach gags to. Certainly the "astronaut" and his love-interest could have had more interaction, resulting in at least a few (mildly) amusing situations.

Not that all the political/diplomatic stuff was useless. It was alright, and not as mediocre as I'd expected it to be. But it didn't make much sense anyway. The Americans' motive for pretending not to recognize the small country's scam hence handing them $1 million made no sense. (10-20 million in today's money, so not exactly pocket money as it's being portrayed here.)

But much more mistifyng is the role of the British intelligence in all this. Britain wasn't involved in the Space Race, so why did they care so much about why Americans handed out that paycheck? Only Russians and Americans should have dealt with this. Besides, if MI5 was this involved then there's no reason why the Duchy wasn't swarming with German, French, Chinese and Italian spies as well. But yeah, it's a UK film so they "had" to somehow weasel the English into the plot, as if that was the only way to guarantee success at the box office...

The Prime Minister's behaviour is pretty random, he's the most oafish character (played well by whatshisname, all things considering) yet this oafishness can't be an excuse for glaring logic problems. He shows interest in his son's career and future - yet he also gladly sends him on what he thought would be a suicide mission (to the Moon). Nor does it make sense that he is so devastatingly disappointed that the rocket actually works; the excuse given is that he didn't want to anger the Americans, but that makes very little sense because at the very end he is willing to engage in a physical altercation with its representatives when it comes to the question of ownership of the Moon.

Yes, it's only a silly 60s comedy, but one that tried to do political satire, not just broad farce, hence why it is legitimate to probe into its flawed logic.