Here's a rarity - a movie version of a television sitcom that is superior to the original.
A small British island in the Caribbean is taken over by a Communist force, led by 'General Mosquero' ( Herbert Lom ). Britain sends in a task force. Going along is a member of the Royal Family - the pretty but vacuous 'Princess Wendy' ( Joanne Pearce' ). The islands are retaken, but the the Princess is kidnapped by the terrorist 'Lacrobat' ( no, its not John Cleese, but America's Michael Richards ). He threatens to kill her unless British troops leave the island...
The series made fun of the Iranian hostage crisis of the early 80's; here its the Falklands War that is the comic target. Andrew Marshall and David Renwick wisely avoided repeating the original's storyline ( though a few gags are reused ). America has a woman President ( ah. If only ) - Barbara Adams, played by Loretta Swit of 'MASH' fame. The British Prime Minister is 'Sir Mortimer Chris' ( the great Peter Cook on top comic form ), who is modelled on Harold Macmillan with a dose of Liz Truss thrown in for good measure. He blames the unemployment problem on pixies! Anyone who disagrees with him gets crucified.
Alexei Sayle, Rik Mayall and Ed Bishop return ( playing different characters ). The satire is, as you might expect, outrageous. The 'Princess Wendy' character was inspired by Princess Diana and the now-disgraced Prince Andrew, the latter was a helicopter pilot at the time of the Falklands War. Tory-supporting tabloids such as 'The Sun' created the absurd impression he won the war all by himself.
Funniest moment - Sir Mortimer tackling Britain's unemployment by getting employed people to jump off a cliff, thereby creating job vacancies. I'm surprised Norman Tebbit did not think of the idea first!
Directed by Tom Bussmann.
A small British island in the Caribbean is taken over by a Communist force, led by 'General Mosquero' ( Herbert Lom ). Britain sends in a task force. Going along is a member of the Royal Family - the pretty but vacuous 'Princess Wendy' ( Joanne Pearce' ). The islands are retaken, but the the Princess is kidnapped by the terrorist 'Lacrobat' ( no, its not John Cleese, but America's Michael Richards ). He threatens to kill her unless British troops leave the island...
The series made fun of the Iranian hostage crisis of the early 80's; here its the Falklands War that is the comic target. Andrew Marshall and David Renwick wisely avoided repeating the original's storyline ( though a few gags are reused ). America has a woman President ( ah. If only ) - Barbara Adams, played by Loretta Swit of 'MASH' fame. The British Prime Minister is 'Sir Mortimer Chris' ( the great Peter Cook on top comic form ), who is modelled on Harold Macmillan with a dose of Liz Truss thrown in for good measure. He blames the unemployment problem on pixies! Anyone who disagrees with him gets crucified.
Alexei Sayle, Rik Mayall and Ed Bishop return ( playing different characters ). The satire is, as you might expect, outrageous. The 'Princess Wendy' character was inspired by Princess Diana and the now-disgraced Prince Andrew, the latter was a helicopter pilot at the time of the Falklands War. Tory-supporting tabloids such as 'The Sun' created the absurd impression he won the war all by himself.
Funniest moment - Sir Mortimer tackling Britain's unemployment by getting employed people to jump off a cliff, thereby creating job vacancies. I'm surprised Norman Tebbit did not think of the idea first!
Directed by Tom Bussmann.