An excellent cast brings the Home Guard (a wartime/political satire sitcom) back to the big screen in Dad’s Army. The movie is set in 1944, and the Second World War is drawing to a close, when a rogue spy from Germany is set upon the people of Walmington-on-Sea. Can the Home Guard dodge disaster without enacting a major cock-up? The Allies are set to invade France and defeat the Nazis but, on the south coast, morale is depleting among the members of the Home Guard led by Captain Mainwaring (Toby Jones) and pouty-faced Sargeant Wilson (Bill Nighy). They’ve been tasked with a new mission by Colonel Theakes (Mark Gatiss) to patrol the Dover army base to boost spirits. They might finally be able to end this war, but the glamorous Miss Winters (Catherine Zeta-Jones) has come to the scene posing as a journalist in order to write about their work.
They are oblivious to her hidden agenda.
She has other things on her mind, not including turning a few heads, much to the annoyance of Walmington-On-Sea’s women. MI5 discovered a radio signal sent directly from the German capital to this quaint town, sparking talk of a spy in their midst. The outcome of the war has fallen into the hands of these incompetent middle-aged/older men with the exception of two, Private Walker (Daniel Mays) and Private Pike (The Inbetweeners’ Blake Harrison) who are the youngest.
(Stupid boy!)
The movie also plays host to several memorable characters, such as: the incapable Private Godfrey (Michael Gambon), edgy Lance Corporal Jones (Tom Courtenay), grumpy Scottish Private Frazer (Bill Paterson), outright stupid Private Pike (The Inbetweeners‘ Blake Harrison) and skivvy Private Walker (Daniel Mayes). Dad’s Army highlights the witty and comical mood of Britain, but also why many are proud to be British and choose to fight for Queen and country. Although ‘keep calm and carry on’ is a common British philosophy, this movie is more reliant on a ‘keep calm and be clumsy’ philosophy which seems to only enhance the overall comedy of the film. Dad’s Army has received very poor reviews, but I loved it. Michael Gambon (Harry Potter) as Private Godfrey stole every scene he was in, one could even go so far to say that he’s comedy gold. His head is always in the clouds and he plays that role to perfection. Gambon’s best moment was when he wore a necklace of exotic flowers in an attempt to blend in with the English countryside.
I’m probably alone in the opinion that Bill Nighy (The Cornetto Trilogy) was a good addition to the movie. Although Nighy’s middle-aged his character believed himself to be in his twenties, and thus able to flirt with women despite being married. The constant pouting of his lips was cringe inducing and yet highly amusing. “Is that a new suit?” his wife asks him, as he is trying to impress Winters. Despite this being set in wartime, it appears that women are still calling the shots by telling men what to– some things do not change, it seems. Blake Harrison is a complete tool as Neil in the show Inbetweeners, and he’s a complete imbecile in Dad’s Army.
I need to shake the hand of Alex Johnson, the casting director, because the casting was excellent. The writing was also well-done with many witty quips and amusing one liners. The film also had elements of a good political satire, such as moments in the movie which played with many British stereotypes.
(Oh is it raining? Would you like a scone and some tea?)
There’s a good gender balance as well, giving female members of the cast (not just Zeta-Jones) dialogue and making them important to the plot. Toby Jones as Captain Mainwaring is also a very good character in the film. His performance becomes even more amusing when his likeness to Winston Churchill is highlighted, as he aims to do tasks without his glasses thus turning into a bit of slapstick comedy sketch– yet comical nonetheless.
There are enough good jokes to keep the audience interested, and yet there are also some cringe-worthy moments as well. The writing is good, and the acting was well executed. However the real reason why I enjoyed this movie the most is due to the rapport between the actors. The way they bounced and worked off of each other, like an Ealing Studios comedy or a ‘Carry On’ movie, was superb to watch. I’ve only seen a few episodes of the television series but, from what I saw, I can see that it’s something I could get into. The new generation of actors were able to mimic the television counterparts incredibly well, and I think the die-hard fans won’t be disheartened by this movie (regardless of the reviews).