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GrahamY
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Dad's Army (2016)
It's proved me wrong....
Have to say I'm one of those that on hearing they were making a new Dad's Army film, threw my arms in the air in disgust and vowed I would never go to see it out of respect to the original and much beloved TV series - but as the release date has drawn closer and I've read and watched interviews with various cast members, I've found my interest being piqued more and more to the point that we went to see it yesterday (two days after release). Having done so, I have to say that I've taken back everything I ever said about disrespect and not being able to come anywhere close to the original's genius - the film has proved my initial fears to be totally unfounded.
Sure it's not the original and doesn't even feel like the original BUT it doesn't try to be. I put it elsewhere that it's like a good cover version of a song - it shows the original respect whilst presenting it differently enough not to just be a straight copy, or even try to be.
There are numerous points of reference back to the original throughout, these vary from catchphrases to the classic map with the Union Jack arrows fending off the advancing swastikas that appeared in the original's opening titles (and do so very cleverly too).
Yes the plot is a little flimsy and Godfrey's sisters methods of arriving at the denouement of the spy is a little implausible - but to be honest how many of the original series plot lines were that plausible? One or two of the characters lose something in this "re-imagining", Jones and Hodges being two of them - but then all of the actors involved have gone to great lengths to say they didn't want to imitate the original characters, more put their own interpretations on it, and with only 90 minutes or so to develop and show those characters limitations have to be expected - although personally I'd like to have seen the Jones character be given more visibility.
The cinema we saw it in was packed and there were plenty of real laugh out loud moments where everyone was laughing - and all in all I think a laudable job has been done which as I started off by saying shows no disrespect to the original.
Oh and make sure you stay to the end of the titles, there are some funny outtakes in there and a rather touching homage back to the original conducted by all the main cast of the platoon.
Now I'm off to eat my hat (and my original words about the project along with it)