Beyond The Pole

Eco-warriors are ripe for satire, and this zany mockumentary makes a decent fist of sending them up. Stephen Mangan and Rhys Thomas play two friends who want to help to save the world by becoming the first carbon-neutral, organic vegetarians to reach the Pole. It's funny in places but lacks direction.

It's a quite funny idea - a spoof documentary with Stephen Mangan and Rhys Thomas as a pair of hapless British buddies walking to the north pole, carbon neutrally, to save the planet (and my lawn?). It's marginally more entertaining than watching Ben Fogle and the rowing dude doing this kind of thing for real. I like the rival team, a pair of gay Norwegians who split up as lovers but remain together as a polar exploring team, somewhere around 85 degrees north. And the shooting of a polar bear is fun. But there's too much filling between the laughs - it's really a sketch idea, dragged out to movie length.

Brian Tongue and Mark Bark-Jones, concerned about global warning and hoping to get a bit of Bono and Bob Geldof-style sainthood along the way, are making the world's first carbon neutral, vegetarian, organic expedition to the north pole. Stephen Mangan plays Bark-Jones as the ultimate eco bore, superior, self-pitying and ultimately likable; while Rhys Thomas's carefree Brian Tongue appears to be going along for the ride. The irreverent, comic tone is judged well - until the sentimental ending goes and ruins it all. Helen Baxendale makes a cameo as the sympathetic film-maker following the pair.

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Beyond The Pole review

It wears out its welcome before the end but is nevertheless a very enjoyable effort. delivered with panache and smarts. A small gem, worth checking out. Recommended.

Beyond The Pole review

A wonderfully insane British movie with a whole heap of charm.

Video: Polar bears in sub-zero comedy

Helen Baxendale and Stephen Mangan star in the low budget comedy, 'Beyond The Pole'. The film was shot in -30 degrees centigrade in northern Greenland and a rifle had to be kept on set to fend off polar bears.

'Beyond The Pole' is showing at the ICA from Friday until February 28, and at selected independent cinemas nationwide from March.

Helen Baxendale on filming Beyond the Pole

The Friends and Cold Feet actress has produced a film about a duo, starring Stephen Mangan, on mission to the North Pole.