This clearly grew out of Michael Palin's Ripping Yarns series on television and I suspect that most of the adverse comments on IMDb might have been more positive had the film been kept to Ripping Yarns length, but of course feature films need to weigh in at around ninety minutes and that may have been the problem. As it is it's certainly likable with some fine performances on offer. It's difficult to believe that Palin was not familiar with the case of the Vicar of Stiffkey whose interpretation of 'saving' fallen women was to save them for himself. Where the chap from Stiffkey was self-motivated Palin has his clergyman acting on orders from the Bishop although when required to provide more than spiritual comfort he is not averse to so doing. Maggie Smith tends to overact as the well-heeled Lady Ames who's quite happy to shell out for the mission so long as Palin is prepared to adopt the missionary position whenever she feels the urge. Michael Horden contributes a scene-stealing turn as a butler badly in need of sat-nav and Trevor Howard sends himself up. Not a world-beater by any means but as newspaper freebies go this is one of the better ones.
Review of The Missionary
