It's a good laugh for us in GB seeing those deadly serious Hollywood War Movies lampooned as they really can get tedious with all that rather excessive at times patriotic heroism. But this movie misses the mark at times too. The jokes aren't often all that hilarious although we in the UK can appreciate these particular jokes probably better than any American viewer because the movie's full of British in-jokes and you can't really expect Americans to spot that many of them or perhaps even find them funny if they do get it.
Someone commented on this database how the American "Eisenhower" had to explain a joke to us to be sure we got it and that this was irritating. I think the intention was to gently guy the American type of humour that does exactly that. I remember being disappointed by those lovely men Bob Hope and Gene Kelly when I saw them joking to American audiences. Why did they need to explain their jokes, I wondered, having got the joke first time, and then these gentlemen would laugh at their own jokes as well. You don't need to repeat English jokes - anyone who doesn't get it first time is told to think about it. You do't laugh at your own jokes, that's very bad form indeed! Americans do it differently, it seems. I expect they guy our type of humour too, finding it unfunny or weird? I remember hearing that Germans feel quite insecure about whether they can understand British humour. From holidays in Germany, I've learned they do humour very well. Such cultural differences help to enhance this movie's punch.
However, I don't think this movie was made to appeal to Americans unless any of them also feel their War Movies can be very over the top and sometimes shamelessly twisting history to suit their market which is not, of course, the UK. That said, the American characters in the story are treated with respect so the American actors are therefore able to give great performances.
I assume Leslie Phillips' English Lord is partly inspired by Lord Haw-Haw. Of course he acts brilliantly as always. I liked the idea that his character brought Hitler into Buckingham Palace. Hitler is played extremely well, as is Borman, but Goering not so well and Goebbels as a comic demon supposed to be the priest marrying Princess Elizabeth and Hitler doesn't really come over. But the idea of Hitler marrying Elizabeth, incarcerating her in an underground palace underneath "half a mile of concrete" to keep her from the shops is a very good joke
I was disappointed that some characters didn't get more opportunities notably lusty Princess Margaret deciding to marry Hugh Heffner - a pity that brilliant idea couldn't have been carried through a bit further. I did get a bit bored with the Churchill-Elizabeth romance although both actors played it well, however I enjoyed the joke slipped in by the King that he'd marry Lilibet off to a Greek.
One major disappointment was the very unkind guying of George VI. Harry Enfield's performance was perfectly performed as a dimwitted old boy not understanding anything much that was going on and moaning about the cost of everything but I felt it was something of an insult to George VI to treat him in this way and it seemed to me the writer must be very anti-monarchy and also not have the least awareness of what kind of man this King was and how much loved and appreciated he was during his sterling help to his people during WW2 and his courage in staying in the Capital throughout the Blitz to be with his suffering people and going out in o the city time and time again after the dreadful nights of the Blitz and the death and destruction. I'm sure it could have been done differently to be funny and yet appreciative in the way the guying of Elizabeth is funny yet kind rather than seeming cruel.
One commentator on this database refers to George VI as George V and suggests no-one will know anything about this king (or did I miss the King being called George V for some reason in the movie?) But plenty of people who lived through the war or who were born soon after aren't in their dotage yet and will know plenty about this shy, nervous man with a debilitating stutter who never wanted to be King but was forced into it by his brother's abdication, and what a splendid job he made of it although it probably drove him to his early death. So thumbs down to the writers for guying him.
On the whole an entertaining movie that'll while away a couple of hours if you watch the extras as well. Not up to the best British standard of comedy but not so bad either. You can particularly enjoy the idea that Hollywood decided that fat old guy wouldn't do for a War Hero who Saved Britain from the Nazis and it must have been an American GI - who else was up to saving the world single-handed? And that this GI outdid even outdid that disgraceful American movie that shows Americans stealing the Enigma machine from the Germans when they weren't even in the war at the time and had absolutely nothing to do with it. "Churchill" in this movie not only steals it almost single-handed but within a few minutes has found out how it works as well, very funny.
Last and not least, note the publicity for this movie. "He's got the tool and he'll finish the job....."
I'd say see this movie but don't expect it to be up to the standard of Best British Comedy.
Someone commented on this database how the American "Eisenhower" had to explain a joke to us to be sure we got it and that this was irritating. I think the intention was to gently guy the American type of humour that does exactly that. I remember being disappointed by those lovely men Bob Hope and Gene Kelly when I saw them joking to American audiences. Why did they need to explain their jokes, I wondered, having got the joke first time, and then these gentlemen would laugh at their own jokes as well. You don't need to repeat English jokes - anyone who doesn't get it first time is told to think about it. You do't laugh at your own jokes, that's very bad form indeed! Americans do it differently, it seems. I expect they guy our type of humour too, finding it unfunny or weird? I remember hearing that Germans feel quite insecure about whether they can understand British humour. From holidays in Germany, I've learned they do humour very well. Such cultural differences help to enhance this movie's punch.
However, I don't think this movie was made to appeal to Americans unless any of them also feel their War Movies can be very over the top and sometimes shamelessly twisting history to suit their market which is not, of course, the UK. That said, the American characters in the story are treated with respect so the American actors are therefore able to give great performances.
I assume Leslie Phillips' English Lord is partly inspired by Lord Haw-Haw. Of course he acts brilliantly as always. I liked the idea that his character brought Hitler into Buckingham Palace. Hitler is played extremely well, as is Borman, but Goering not so well and Goebbels as a comic demon supposed to be the priest marrying Princess Elizabeth and Hitler doesn't really come over. But the idea of Hitler marrying Elizabeth, incarcerating her in an underground palace underneath "half a mile of concrete" to keep her from the shops is a very good joke
I was disappointed that some characters didn't get more opportunities notably lusty Princess Margaret deciding to marry Hugh Heffner - a pity that brilliant idea couldn't have been carried through a bit further. I did get a bit bored with the Churchill-Elizabeth romance although both actors played it well, however I enjoyed the joke slipped in by the King that he'd marry Lilibet off to a Greek.
One major disappointment was the very unkind guying of George VI. Harry Enfield's performance was perfectly performed as a dimwitted old boy not understanding anything much that was going on and moaning about the cost of everything but I felt it was something of an insult to George VI to treat him in this way and it seemed to me the writer must be very anti-monarchy and also not have the least awareness of what kind of man this King was and how much loved and appreciated he was during his sterling help to his people during WW2 and his courage in staying in the Capital throughout the Blitz to be with his suffering people and going out in o the city time and time again after the dreadful nights of the Blitz and the death and destruction. I'm sure it could have been done differently to be funny and yet appreciative in the way the guying of Elizabeth is funny yet kind rather than seeming cruel.
One commentator on this database refers to George VI as George V and suggests no-one will know anything about this king (or did I miss the King being called George V for some reason in the movie?) But plenty of people who lived through the war or who were born soon after aren't in their dotage yet and will know plenty about this shy, nervous man with a debilitating stutter who never wanted to be King but was forced into it by his brother's abdication, and what a splendid job he made of it although it probably drove him to his early death. So thumbs down to the writers for guying him.
On the whole an entertaining movie that'll while away a couple of hours if you watch the extras as well. Not up to the best British standard of comedy but not so bad either. You can particularly enjoy the idea that Hollywood decided that fat old guy wouldn't do for a War Hero who Saved Britain from the Nazis and it must have been an American GI - who else was up to saving the world single-handed? And that this GI outdid even outdid that disgraceful American movie that shows Americans stealing the Enigma machine from the Germans when they weren't even in the war at the time and had absolutely nothing to do with it. "Churchill" in this movie not only steals it almost single-handed but within a few minutes has found out how it works as well, very funny.
Last and not least, note the publicity for this movie. "He's got the tool and he'll finish the job....."
I'd say see this movie but don't expect it to be up to the standard of Best British Comedy.