The Boys in Blue

If you have even heard of this movie then you likely have already seen it and it was a long time ago. Nostalgia is the only valid reason to watch this film. While it seems to have been forgotten by British TV it has resurfaced on YouTube. The reviews are mixed between rose tinted nostalgia and flat out hatred for what is a very shoddy piece of work. This was made by veteran director Val Guest, so why does this Cannon and Ball vehicle stink? I think the answer is Cannon and Ball. Now while they are experienced comics they simply cannot act. There are brief moments which are funny when they are doing what is there stage act while being filmed, but the majority of the film is them trying to act out scenes and cover the story. They simply aren't up to the job of an actor and it sucks the enjoyment out of the film. It looks like but was filmed on a shoestring budget and there are a few action scenes which are actually pretty boring. They must have spent a fair amount of the budget on the dodgy theme song at the end which if I recall was released as a single? Unless 1970s comedy is your thing, in which case you are likely in your 70s or 80s the humour is unlikely to appeal. Things like looking up a woman's skirt while she is on a ladder etc is the level on offer. You can only recommend this for people who want a second exposure to this movie not having seen it since 1982. There's a pretty good reason why it's not troubled the airwaves since then unlike many other 80s comedies. Although I'm sure with the passing of Bobby Ball this week it will get a few viewers. Now all I need to do is figure out how to delete all those Cannon and Ball recommendations on YouTube I have been lumbered with after sitting through Boys in Blue.....

Utter tripe - a pointless remake of Will Hay's superb 'Ask A Policeman' starring the unfunny and charmless Cannon and Ball - a straight man and a 'comedian' whose one joke consists of snapping his braces. Don't bother.

I remember going to see this as a kid and at the time (i was 11) I loved it. Having seen it again recently I'm sorry to say that I again loved it. I know it's a bad film but there's something about it (or that period) that fills me with nostalgia and I suppose makes me smile. Ask a Policeman is of course a classic and far superior, however I'm afraid i like them both.....sorry

The original version of this film (Will Hay's 'Ask A Policeman) was a classic. This, the remake, wern't as bad as some people said. Starring 80's comedy icons Cannon and Ball, the plot went that the two bungling policemen were in danger of losing their jobs because of the lack of crime in their little town of Little Bottom (pronounced Botham). Until some bad people start to steal a load of pricless paintings. The two start to investigate, even encountering a ufo along the way. I liked this film. I wish i could still get it. (I'm looking around for it but am unable to. If anyone knows where I can get a copy, type to this page, please!!! I will be in your debt!)

I recently bought this film on DVD and it is still as funny as watching the first time in the cinema. A mixture of slapstick and funny lines make this a film that only C&B fans will really appreciate and enjoy, you also get some great brit actors as well such as Roy Kinnear, Eric Sykes, Jack Douglas, Jon Pertwee and Arthur English. It is a remake of the Will Hay movie Ask A Policeman, although I can only vaguely remember the Will Hay version, it is a pretty simple plot to follow. C&B play two hapless policemen in the village of Little Bottom and they are called into some police work when art thieves try to smuggle out some stolen paintings. This will appeal to anyone who grew up in the 80's and enjoyed watching C&B