I wasn't expecting great things of this movie, how many times have fantastic TV characters hit the big screen only to lose everything that made them special? So after guzzling my own body weight in KFC deliciousness, and arming myself with a kilo of pick & mix I sat myself down and awaited the inevitable half hour or so of charitable, but rather forced laughter, followed by the hour of quiet dismay and regret at not having waited a couple of months to buy the DVD for 3quid.
But things began well... actually that's not true, things began badly as we were made to sit through 25 minutes of trailers for what looked like a selection of the very worst films ever made. And _then_ things improved. The opening credits are a gem, Alan is driving into Norwich, Roachford 'Cuddly Toy' (inspired selection!) on the stereo, mouthing the words with such conviction that I found myself almost joining in.
We are introduced to the new cut-throat profit-at-all-costs owners of Radio Norwich (now re-branded as Shape FM), Alan is oblivious to the threat the takeover poses to his own position, but other colleagues are feeling less secure. In particular graveyard shift DJ Pat Farrell fears for his job and convinces Alan to talk to the new owners in a bid to secure their futures. Alan eventually agrees, with the inevitable end result that, in a bid for self-preservation, he talks the owners into sacking Pat.
Pat reacts rather badly to his dismissal, and at the launch party for the new re-branded station takes the staff hostage. By a twist of fate Alan is outside at this point, but as the siege unfolds is asked by the police to go back into the building to aid communication with the raving Pat.
From here it pans out probably as you'd expect, but that's good news because by keeping it simple the writers concentrate on gags, and there are enough good ones to keep you chuckling all the way through. It's not all laugh out loud by any means, but there are enough solid laughs that you never feel like the movie is dying.
I guess it helped that I was on a sugar high for most of the film, and of course comedy can really depend on your mood. But for me I felt that most of the jokes worked. It's true that some worked better than others, but it was rare that I felt a big gag failed completely.
It also helps that some of the funniest moments come towards the end, in particular a Bin Laden line that made me laugh uncontrollably at the time, and even as I write this is making me chuckle.
I wouldn't describe this as a classic by any means, but I think it'd bear watching again. Who knows, I might even invest in the DVD after all... at the right price.
But things began well... actually that's not true, things began badly as we were made to sit through 25 minutes of trailers for what looked like a selection of the very worst films ever made. And _then_ things improved. The opening credits are a gem, Alan is driving into Norwich, Roachford 'Cuddly Toy' (inspired selection!) on the stereo, mouthing the words with such conviction that I found myself almost joining in.
We are introduced to the new cut-throat profit-at-all-costs owners of Radio Norwich (now re-branded as Shape FM), Alan is oblivious to the threat the takeover poses to his own position, but other colleagues are feeling less secure. In particular graveyard shift DJ Pat Farrell fears for his job and convinces Alan to talk to the new owners in a bid to secure their futures. Alan eventually agrees, with the inevitable end result that, in a bid for self-preservation, he talks the owners into sacking Pat.
Pat reacts rather badly to his dismissal, and at the launch party for the new re-branded station takes the staff hostage. By a twist of fate Alan is outside at this point, but as the siege unfolds is asked by the police to go back into the building to aid communication with the raving Pat.
From here it pans out probably as you'd expect, but that's good news because by keeping it simple the writers concentrate on gags, and there are enough good ones to keep you chuckling all the way through. It's not all laugh out loud by any means, but there are enough solid laughs that you never feel like the movie is dying.
I guess it helped that I was on a sugar high for most of the film, and of course comedy can really depend on your mood. But for me I felt that most of the jokes worked. It's true that some worked better than others, but it was rare that I felt a big gag failed completely.
It also helps that some of the funniest moments come towards the end, in particular a Bin Laden line that made me laugh uncontrollably at the time, and even as I write this is making me chuckle.
I wouldn't describe this as a classic by any means, but I think it'd bear watching again. Who knows, I might even invest in the DVD after all... at the right price.