maybe not quite as awful as critics and fans say...but very disappointing, at least in one regard: it's not very funny. plus, the "humour" is too often coming from the wrong place: Ollie w Stan's lines and Stan doing lines 100% out of character.
Stan in the mess hall, asking for "sanka", as I recall. the food server says, "you're welcome". a good chance for a typical L & H bit...but no. the miscellaneous actor gets the laff.
Ollie gets a glass of water in the face when Stan holds a glass and turns his wrist to look at the time. Ollie tries to set up Stan and it goes...askew. Ollie says, "something went wrong". What Roach coukld have done with that > Ollie simply looks in the camera! Finally...one of the worst racial bits ever > Sgt. Hippo gets coal or gun powder, whatever, all over himself and Laurel laughs hysterically > "Old Black Joe!". The team hated that kind of thing but mystifyingly...they go along with it.
on the plus side, the film has a professional look about it and has several genuine laffs, including an actual "LOL" scene > at Ollie's expense. The Drill Sergeant can only wonder.
Stan in the mess hall, asking for "sanka", as I recall. the food server says, "you're welcome". a good chance for a typical L & H bit...but no. the miscellaneous actor gets the laff.
Ollie gets a glass of water in the face when Stan holds a glass and turns his wrist to look at the time. Ollie tries to set up Stan and it goes...askew. Ollie says, "something went wrong". What Roach coukld have done with that > Ollie simply looks in the camera! Finally...one of the worst racial bits ever > Sgt. Hippo gets coal or gun powder, whatever, all over himself and Laurel laughs hysterically > "Old Black Joe!". The team hated that kind of thing but mystifyingly...they go along with it.
on the plus side, the film has a professional look about it and has several genuine laffs, including an actual "LOL" scene > at Ollie's expense. The Drill Sergeant can only wonder.