I remember my dad renting this movie from the local video store in the late 80's and my brother and I fell in love with it almost instantly. As I got older I acquired a taste for Australian movies (probably one of the most under-rated film making nations). After seeing it had 'FINALLY' got it's DVD release, I just had to have it.
It is 'loosly' based on Pirates of Penzance, with a mixture of Gilbert & Sullivan music and 80's cheesy pop songs, (sung well by Atkins & McNichol). It's daft, it's dated, and the jokes have whiskers on them, but it's brilliant. It was clear to everyone going into it that this movie was never going to win many awards, but the whole cast seems to be enjoying themselves, and the making of this movie must have been a treat to be involved in.
Every major movie of the era is lampooned at least once Star Wars, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Jaws, all of them.
I hate the part with the guy being Inspector Cluseau, the scene is pointless and unwelcome. Special notice has to go to two standout performances. Ted Hamilton's Pirate King is a delight to watch throughout but even his great performance cannot better the wonderful Bill Kerr as the Major General, who's performance in the re-worded version of 'I Am The Very Model Of A Modern Major General' is by far the funniest thing in the movie.
On it's initial release, this movie was universally slated and nearly destroyed Kristy McNichols career, over the years It has become a bit of a cult movie, and takes me on a nostalgia trip every time I watch it.
thoroughly enjoyable, but, you're always left wondering who the target audience was for this film as the humour is an unstable mix of good clean family fun and risqué teen sexual innuendo. give it a go.
