Round Ireland with a Fridge (2010) User Reviews

Meh

[digdog-785-717538 · 5/10 · 26 November 2010]

A hunch tells me that the script to 'Round Ireland With A Fridge must have been written amongst laughs, giggles and mass hilarity, probably by a couple - or more - of drunken TV writers, in a pub probably;

RIWAF tells the story of a declining daytime TV star who chooses to go on a bet-inspired hitchhiking trip 'round Ireland dragging a small fridge, at first for no real reason except maybe to get away, then with the purpose of finding himself and tasting long lost freedom.

Along the way he runs into a nice looking girl and then falls in love (yes, i know, you have seen it already).

Besides the lame premise, the main character's voyage of discovery never really develops, and the meat of the story boils down to a bunch of rather not funny sketches. The love interest is visibly forced into the role, and the supporting characters are either badly acted (the radio DJ) or never developed properly (everyone else);

being this ireland and him an englishman, you'd know there would be the pub scene where he comes in the pub and wants a quick pint hurriedly, with the old irish man telling him "we do things slowly here in ireland", later proving this to be a great bit of philosophical advice:

yeah but no, they have that bit but he just walks back out of the pub. no revelation here. no character development. same for the truck driver. the hostel owner. the next hostel owner. the next next hostel owner. the guy in the street. the shop keepers.

then as a stroke of genius the underplayed, understated, underscripted conclusion, and the lame ending that hints (yay!) at a romantic conclusion, for two characters we didn't really know even liked each other. and why.

to be honest, i did laugh a couple times, but more because "its so bad" kind of way; in a way, the film isn't even just a collection of clichés, because these are used by filmmakers as their end result is known and good, even if obvious. this is just a guy travelling in a non-scenic part of ireland with nothing really happening, and small and i dare say underutilized clichés to bind the non consequential scenes together.

take Apocalypse Now. remove the subplot about the colonel. take out the great lines such as "napalm in the morning", and the great scenes such as the choppers with the loudspeakers on the sides. tone down the action, make all the shots close, water down the ... aww, no, Apocalypse Now would still be better.

such a shame, as the film was properly made (production, editing, music and so on), but there is just no real reason to watch it. it's not a comedy, its not a chick flick, its not even a beautiful glide through nature, its a half baked hour and half of nothing with some fat birds and ugly blokes being not any funnier than your mates are when you go down the pub.

scene: not having changed one bit by his trekking adventure, the Man© tries to forget the love interest that doesn't interest him at all and land some bird. he goes on stage to show he's back being cool, but realizes the audience isn't going to like it. so he bounces a golf ball on a golf iron. and thus gets a free pint and then the pub characters whom he befriends are never seen again, he lands the bird but loses her right away, and also screws up a relation he didn't really have with bird n.2

i'm not really sure what is enticing in this story. is it the fridge? is he on a journey of discovery? because if he is, he doesn't discover much of anything. does he get the girl? he doesn't, apparently, nor is he better/worse for it. does he have fun~? i didn't think so, and neither do we.

right.. final vote 5/10 but i know some films worth 3/10 i'd rather watch.

An amiable hour and a half with Tony Hawks

[iainidc · 6/10 · 19 January 2011]

The book 'Round Ireland with a Fridge' is a great read and its author, Tony Hawks, comes across as someone you'd happily stop to offer a lift to or spend a pleasant few hours exchanging amusing anecdotes down your local pub with. The film attempts to recreate the same light-hearted tone as the book; Hawks is engaging in the central role, coming across as a slightly world-weary individual who is searching for his raison d'etre in the most preposterous of situations. The film never quite matches the subtle humour of the book; nor does it do itself any favours with the portrayal of some of the characters who come across as somewhat clichéd in a 'Father Ted' kind of way (though Sean Hughes is good in a brief cameo appearance). Expect gently amusing rather than laugh out loud but with a fair degree of charm, a fine soundtrack and the likable Hawks as a genial travelling companion this is worth a watch, especially for fans of the book.

Okay

[jasmineunicorn · 6/10 · 23 August 2020]

The story is of course fantastic and there are some great actors (Josie Lawrence) but Tony just isn't an actor

Seriously, skip this and treasure the book.

[hitchcockthelegend · 2/10 · 6 March 2011]

Tony Hawks, a British comedian, actor and author took a drunken bet one night that he could hitch-hike around the coast of Ireland with a fridge in tow. He did it and wrote a best selling book about his adventure. The book tells of the wonderful array of characters he met on his travels, the places he visited, some good, some bad, and how something so normal as a small fridge managed to become some sort of beacon of hope for humanity. The book, in short, is an often hilarious read that quite possibly ranks as one of the finest human interest stories written in the comedy field.

The film is awful. Containing neither the feel or many of the joyous instances in the book, Hawks' film version is propelled by a heavy reliance on romance and a distinct lack of comedy. Skip it and read the book instead. Tony Hawks I could flipping kill you for letting this dirge come out on tape. 2/10

Flawed but funny

[Yealander · 7/10 · 24 October 2011]

I will be up front with you, I came to this film highly biased and expecting good things. Let's cover the good news first. I think Tony Hawks is a very endearing and clever comedian, who wrote a marvellous and successful book "Round Ireland with a Fridge". Ed Bye is an experienced TV director who has his name associated with some of the most successful British TV comedy output of the last three decades (including Red Dwarf). The cast contains some of my favourite entertainers. The sound track contains some charming music, co-written by TH, which usually fits the film (but maybe not always). For those who love watching films with a bit of scenery, the Irish countryside in this film is first rate and very well photographed – even when it is raining.

So it's a resounding success - yes? Errr – I am so sorry Tony, for me it is a flawed gem. Something went wrong that made a film with a potential 9 out of 10 ingredients into a one that even a TH fan could only give 7/10.

So what went wrong? Well I suspect some would say quite a lot – but I only found two aspects really affected my enjoyment.

Others have already commented about wooden acting. That was exactly how I interpreted the beginning of the film too. Tony sounds like he is reading the words rather than performing the part. Having just seen him live a few hours earlier, it was hard to reconcile that it was the same man. However, around 40 minutes into the film, Tony totally changes gear and we get a lot more of his usual whimsical style. At this point, the rest of the film follows TH in changing atmosphere – for the better. The Irish actors who are introduces from this point on are playing much more interesting characters than the dull people we have met so far and playing them with more comedy.

Then I realised – the wooden acting and dull English characters were all "sort of" deliberate. You see, I think the whole idea was that we are seeing a man who, despite a meteoric rise in his early career, has lost his way. Things are so bad he is now reduced to being daytime TV regular - a second rate one at that. What the portrayal is trying to communicate is that somewhere along the way in Ireland, the magic comes back into his life. I can only assume it's supposed to be the journey "back to the real Tony". Tony is coming back from the dead, so that MIGHT be the rationale behind the initial lifeless performance.

Deliberate though the inexpressive performance might be, I think the strategy was badly misjudged and formed the first big obstacle with this film is: was I prepared to sit through 40 minutes of watching a lifeless performance from someone who (at this stage) has lost the ability to be entertaining AND seems to be on a downward trajectory? Not everyone's cup of tea I suspect, but I had "faith in the fridge" and plenty of time on my hands, so luckily I persisted.

I have wondered if radical editing might have helped with the start of the film. Maybe a 50 minute TV special would have better matched the material.

Then we hit a second problem. There is not really enough content to show the magic of the middle part of the trip and the endearing characters Tony meets on his journey, before we rush into the charming love interest story. Not all is lost as there certainly are hints of the entertainingly off-beat (comic) experiences that are so well communicated in the book, but I felt that they were rushed, particularly having spent such a long time in the wilderness.

If you are a fan of (Radio 4 style) British / Irish humour and Tony Hawks then I think you will forgive these flaws and will still be glad you watched the film, like I did. Its just a pity it did not turn out to be the faultless classic it might have been.

Beyond Awful

[Sammee70 · 1/10 · 16 December 2010]

OK so I didn't get to the end...in fact we couldn't get past 10 min before leaving....wooden acting...wooden dialogue...Now I have to write ten lines to make this review go through, but in all honesty, I've said everything I can about this film. I was expecting to laugh my head off but my partner and I were sitting there in stunned silence as we waited for it to improve. This has to be one of the worst attempts at film making that I have ever sat through, and as a forty something year old from Australia, that's saying something. It took me back to the B grade quality of films that Australia used to produce in the mid seventies...except without the humour.

Tony Hawks and his fridge make a cool couple

[Angeina · 7/10 · 27 January 2012]

After spotting a man with a fridge hitch-hiking in Ireland, the author and comedian Tony Hawks took up a challenge to do the same thing for a month.

The Irish warmed to this eccentric idea, making Tony and his travelling companion most welcome. He went on to write a book about his experiences entitled Round Ireland with a Fridge.

This features the fridge in a variety of locations – by the sea, hitching a lift, and attracting the attention of a couple of curious nuns.

In the film of the book, Tony plays himself, accompanied by his co-star, the fridge, looking well-travelled in a multi-coloured coat of graffiti from well-wishers along the way.

The making of this low-budget, independent British movie is a tale of David and Goliath - an unassuming, offbeat story taking a stand against the blockbuster giants.

Truly, genuinely, absolutely awful

[llanelliboy-1 · 1/10 · 7 January 2013]

This is possibly one of the worst examples of culture man has ever produced. There is not a single redeeming feature about this tripe The acting is awful. The direction is pedestrian and awful. The screenplay is awful. Even beautiful Ireland looks awful. If you want to experience a cultural artifact that will make you despair of civilisation's achievements then this is it. Tony Hawks must have mortgaged and remortgaged his house to raise the funds for this as I cannot imagine a single penny being volunteered by anyone who is not currently brain dead and on life support. I see he has made another movie from one of his books. The man needs to be stopped from inflicting this utter, utter plop on the world

Is it possible to give a negative star?

[bryanlougheed · 1/10 · 19 March 2012]

Honestly, I would give it a negative score if only it were possible.

Marvel as an Englishman and his fridge travel around nondescript bits of English countryside that could very well be mistaken for nondescript bits of Irish countryside.

Along the way he encounters other English people putting on Irish accents and acting the Paddy. Oh how we all laughed. Not since "Eastenders" went to Ireland have I seen something this terrible. It's that toxic mix of low-budget, low-imagination and low-intelligence.

You could watch the paint dry for an hour or two instead if you were stuck for something to do. At least that would leave you feeling indifferent instead of mildly annoyed.

Ed Byrne has a lot of explaining to do.

Great Premiere, Great Company, Great Film!

[thenewt50 · 10/10 · 22 September 2010]

So having just returned from the world premier of 'Round Ireland with a Fridge' I felt compelled to put the word out...

What a fantastic film! People always say 'oh the film is never as good as the book' but in this case I would not agree. Obviously it differs from the book in certain parts, but it's a film and the book's a book so they are different forms of media (if you haven't read the book, you definitely should).

The film has a really rounded-story feel to it, leaving you feeling as if you have seen a complete story which is rare nowadays as most people are hoping for a sequel! It was a warming film about a guy (who's nice in real life!), a bet with his mate and a fridge (an obvious must for a film about hitchhiking!) with loads of good gags in it. I can imagine the fun it would be to be in the room with Tony Hawks and Ed Bye as they write the jokes! During the credits you'll see that quite a lot of the lovely music throughout the film was actually done by Tony Hawks himself which is quite impressive and just goes to show how much personal effort has gone into the film, and it shows.

It had a loads of good characters with a good general positive feel about all of them, beautiful scenery, good gags and a fridge! Lots of little jokes as well such as the 'Fridge D'Or production company' (shame on you if you don't get it) Well worth going out to the cinema to watch!

Look out for Tony Hawks' other films, would be a shame to let good examples of books-being-done-well-as-films pass you by!

Oh, why 9 out of 10 you cry? Well only because of one thing... People were laughing/talking over a nice little joke at the end of the credits (fridge related of course). Other than that, top film and perfect evening.

Incredibly Disappointing...

[XRoads · 1/10 · 18 March 2012]

Well... I thought this might be a nice film to watch before going to sleep, but I was wrong... Whilst lying in my bed I couldn't shake the urge to write about how bland, meaningless and ropey this film was, so I'm here.

I love a lot of British films, films that are based on true stories and films done independently. On paper this film looked like it'd be worth a shot at the very least but it was more like a shot in the foot. I hung on, hoping it was leading to a punchline or at least something to reward the endurance of the boredom... I was hugely disappointed! The best thing about this film was the song that had the line 'It gets much better than this'... At least the person who chose the music had a sense of humour unlike the rest of 'em.

I honestly have to say this is the worst film I've ever seen! Avoid like the plague, unless you like bland, uneventful and thoughtless films.

Preaching to the unconverted...

[Adams5905 · 1/10 · 18 March 2012]

Tripe, drivel, rubbish, crap, dross, whatever you call it, it's still the same thing. This film missed the genuine sparkle contained within the book, which was a silly story about a silly person doing something silly. I've (obviously) read the book, and loved it! This tries much too hard to be funny, and as a result, falls flat. Tony Hawks' comedy is minutely observational, and can be cripplingly funny (see his website), so you would imagine he'd be a gifted scriptwriter. This steaming pile, however, is didacticism at its worst. Pity he didn't get his pal, Arthur Smith involved!.. I managed a whole hour, but it felt much longer. It started slow (not a bad thing), and slowed down! TH's career has stalled recently, so I guess this was a way to pay the mortgage!..Turn over, and watch the weather channel instead, it would certainly be more instructive, and may even be funnier!..Better still, read the book!..Here's hoping his next project, an adaptation of another of his books, 'Playing the Moldovans' at Tennis is better...

Dull adaptation of a good book

[peter1892 · 3/10 · 9 April 2012]

Having read the book upon which this movie is based I was interested in seeing how the story would transfer onto the screen. I read the book back when it was published (1998 I think) and I have fond memories of the original journey which Tony Hawks made around Ireland (with a fridge). I found the movie to be silly, with far too many clichés and Paddywhackery. A real pity. Also, while I didn't really expect the screenplay to follow the original storyline in exact detail I felt that adaptation was quite dull and boring, missing out some of the fun things that happened and concentrating on a few very obvious anecdotes. To be honest, there's nothing much to recommend about this film. The book, however, is still great!

Truly appalling

[morj · 1/10 · 18 March 2012]

Very insulting to the Irish Nation and to Tony Hawkes himself. Very insulting to the Irish Nation and to Tony Hawkes himself.Very insulting to the Irish Nation and to Tony Hawkes himself.Very insulting to the Irish Nation and to Tony Hawkes himself.Very insulting to the Irish Nation and to Tony Hawkes himself.Very insulting to the Irish Nation and to Tony Hawkes himself.Very insulting to the Irish Nation and to Tony Hawkes himself.Very insulting to the Irish Nation and to Tony Hawkes himself.Very insulting to the Irish Nation and to Tony Hawkes himself.Very insulting to the Irish Nation and to Tony Hawkes himself.Very insulting to the Irish Nation and to Tony Hawkes himself. Very sad.

Good honest adaptation of a book

[teamturret · 10/10 · 13 October 2011]

The film is an adaptation of Tony Hawks book and whilst it is difficult to capture the cheeky and unique story which happens in the book, the film is funny and has some brilliant cameos (spot the father Ted character!).

The story deviates slightly from the book but provides an interesting and compelling story. It's not going to win any Oscars but provides some good honest fun within a small budget. Also some of the scenery is brilliant and captures the Irish countryside. Definitely better than other film adaptations - similar to Yes Man but closer to the original story.

Gem of a film

[xultunwaye-883-921733 · 10/10 · 17 December 2010]

Was looking for something to watch tonight and stumbled upon this movie. Not knowing anything about it I took a chance. What a great surprise.

The only thing you need to know about this film is that it is about people being people and the humanity of the world we live in. It embraces the good and the bad in all of us in a warm and genuine way. That's something which is in terribly short supply in the movie industry these days.

If you are looking for mindless violence, scantily clad models, plastic actors, shallow performances, recycled ideas, bombs going off, expensive special effects and the like you might want to skip this one. It's not for you. But if you want a movie that will engage and captivate from beginning to end, you won't be disappointed.

The story line was not just original it was inspiring. The casting was excellent. Tony Hawks performance was superb. The director did a great job with the cinematography, staging scenes and capturing moments, and matching people with their roles.The only negative thing I can say about the movie was that every once in a while it felt like some of the lines were a bit forced. But then again, taking a book and making a movie out of it always comes with special challenges.

I give this movie a 10. Magnificent.