New Dad's Army film Page 9

I saw a trailer yesterday at Vue. Sadly I can only say I thought it was awful. I wanted to like it but it seems totally pointless to me to put a sitcom on the big screen and in doing so cast actors and make them up to look 'a bit like' the original sitcom actors. What kind of idiot would sanction that or attempt that? Well, these idiots have. My view would be if you can't make a remake better than the original, then don't make it at all. There is no point to try and copy what has gone before. Maybe it will find a new audience but I doubt it.

Quote: Chappers @ 24th October 2015, 9:56 PM BST

Apparently Mrs Mainwaring appears in the film.

I think that defeats part of the appeal - the fact that she never actually appeared in the TV series.

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Trampling over the memory of the original seems to be the sole raison d'etre of the film.

Quote: Hercules Grytpype Thynne @ 8th October 2014, 5:06 PM BST

https://www.comedy.co.uk/news/story/000001621/dads_army_2015_film_cast/

Will it work? Cast looks good.

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The cast is good but will it work. Unlikely but I was never a fan of the original. It is comedy for my parents generation. When I was younger I was watching The Young Ones and Blackadder so maybe it is a generational thing.

Quote: Lazzard @ 2nd November 2015, 3:22 PM GMT

Trampling over the memory of the original seems to be the sole raison d'etre of the film.

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No I don't think it's bound to do that and obviously not designed to. Yes it's a factor for not trying it all I agree but I think if they get it right it could be a good tribute.

It was Perry who sold the rights so I think it's much more a case of good business, or cashing in if you like on a popular old brand and hoping people will like the new model. Like the new Mini (he says in nervous hope).

They had Toby Jones on the Andrew Marr show this morning, which was interesting with him talking about how he had grave doubts about remaking, in his words "not just a comedy or a sitcom but an institution", and they showed some new clips from it - have to say it looked very good.

The cinema poster has been up for a while so I had a closer look. I think they may have got the rifles right but can't confirm it as there's one mark of Lee Enfield that looked similar to the Ross and this was made closer to WW2.

But in the photo they have dents and look old, meaning they are probably WW1 Ross rifles that weren't even used for long in WW1 they were so poor. And that's the only reason why dad's army got them. I was wondering if the makers would make the mistake of giving them the much better looking and familiar Lee Enfield that they didn't have. So far it doesn't look like it. Unless I'm wrong.

Quote: Alfred J Kipper @ 5th January 2016, 10:52 PM GMT

The cinema poster has been up for a while so I had a closer look. I think they may have got the rifles right but can't confirm it as the No.4 Lee Enfield looked similar to the Ross.

But they have dents and look old meaning they are probably WW1 Ross rifles that weren't even used for long in WW1 they were so poor. And that's the only reason why dad's army got them. I was wondering if the makers would make the mistake of giving them the much better looking and familiar Lee Enfield that they didn't have. So far it doesn't look like it. Unless I'm wrong.

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So they haven't made a cock-up then. But you're looking thoroughly to find some.

Of course. Especially as some DA episodes did have LEs I'm pretty sure plus they had the tommy gun which was very unlikely to get given to them in reality, unless maybe it was a duff firearm unfit for real army use. But cinema films are usually anal in their period research, unlike some sitcoms.

I'd never dream of doing things like that. I've never watched Foyles War looking for double yellow lines or pylons.

Wouldn't know about militaria, but yes I do find myself looking for modern things in period pieces.

The extended One Show tomorrow features the film and some of the cast.

Been gathering the reviews for the guide. Certainly more wide-ranging than I was expecting, ranging from god-awful in the Mirror to better than the original in the Independent.

Warning bells sound for me when they can't find anything funny to put in the trailer.

The overall impression that I've got from reading the reviews is that it was acted brilliantly, but the script was rubbish. Most reviews are around the 2* mark.

My gut feeling having read some of the reviews, is that if people watch it on its own merits then it should be a nice piece of nostalgia. I look forward to seeing it someday.