STAR RATING: ***** Saturday Night **** Friday Night *** Friday Morning ** Sunday Night * Monday Morning
The sort of inevitable film adaptation of the popular Mrs Brown's Boys series, focusing on her running her fruit stall, carrying on the family tradition. But a ruthless property developer now wants her stall, or, rather the area it's on, for his own use, and is prepared to send his goons to get it. Worse, Mrs Brown now seems to owe a massive tax bill on an unpaid debt from many years ago, even though she's convinced she paid it. It all leads to an audacious break in to the tax office, whilst battling the thugs sent to take her from her stall.
Everyone seems convinced the 'golden age' of British TV comedy is over, and that everything worthwhile was done in the 70s and such, but over the past decade or two, there's clearly been some definitively cult offerings, in terms of TV franchises, that have come by in that time frame. One such example would be Mrs Brown's Boys, which has brought Irish humour to the forefront. The Irish are renowned for having the ability to laugh and poke fun at each other like no-one else, and so they are ideally placed to create something so this way inclined, and Brendan O' Carroll and his (mostly family) cast and crew have certainly done this. Though I can think of other more modern stuff I prefer, that's not to say I don't think there are some bright sparks of humour in the series here and there. And, to be honest, it's much the same case with the film.
The big problem is, of course, taking something so successful on the small screen and transferring it to the big one. This is so much tougher with comedy, which relies on how far you can stretch a joke, or the premise of a joke, out, and if you stretch it too far, watching the material fall flat and the gags get more laboured and desperate. It's undeniable that the plot doesn't really have the gravitas to stretch even to an hour and a half, really, and it will definitely have your attention wondering long before the end, but it's the odd laugh you get here and there that really lifts it out of it's rut, and actually makes it worthwhile.
Obviously not a comedy great, and it won't hurt if you watch something else instead. But it serves it's purpose, and that'll do. ***
The sort of inevitable film adaptation of the popular Mrs Brown's Boys series, focusing on her running her fruit stall, carrying on the family tradition. But a ruthless property developer now wants her stall, or, rather the area it's on, for his own use, and is prepared to send his goons to get it. Worse, Mrs Brown now seems to owe a massive tax bill on an unpaid debt from many years ago, even though she's convinced she paid it. It all leads to an audacious break in to the tax office, whilst battling the thugs sent to take her from her stall.
Everyone seems convinced the 'golden age' of British TV comedy is over, and that everything worthwhile was done in the 70s and such, but over the past decade or two, there's clearly been some definitively cult offerings, in terms of TV franchises, that have come by in that time frame. One such example would be Mrs Brown's Boys, which has brought Irish humour to the forefront. The Irish are renowned for having the ability to laugh and poke fun at each other like no-one else, and so they are ideally placed to create something so this way inclined, and Brendan O' Carroll and his (mostly family) cast and crew have certainly done this. Though I can think of other more modern stuff I prefer, that's not to say I don't think there are some bright sparks of humour in the series here and there. And, to be honest, it's much the same case with the film.
The big problem is, of course, taking something so successful on the small screen and transferring it to the big one. This is so much tougher with comedy, which relies on how far you can stretch a joke, or the premise of a joke, out, and if you stretch it too far, watching the material fall flat and the gags get more laboured and desperate. It's undeniable that the plot doesn't really have the gravitas to stretch even to an hour and a half, really, and it will definitely have your attention wondering long before the end, but it's the odd laugh you get here and there that really lifts it out of it's rut, and actually makes it worthwhile.
Obviously not a comedy great, and it won't hurt if you watch something else instead. But it serves it's purpose, and that'll do. ***