Catherine Zeta-Jones

A crack squad of British actors are on parade in this loving homage to the cherished TV sitcom. Toby Jones is the pompous Captain Mainwaring, Bill Nighy the insouciant Sergeant Wilson and Michael Gambon is Private Godfrey, while Catherine Zeta-Jones brings some unlikely glamour to wartime Walmington-on-Sea. Hamish McColl's screenplay has its moments, but can't quite access the lovely, characterful warmth of TV series writers David Croft and the recently deceased Jimmy Perry.

'Swingers' invade Dad's Army film location

The coastal location in Bridlington, North Yorkshire, has attracted swingers to the town where stars including Catherine Zeta-Jones and Bill Nighy shot the new film.

Dad's Army - video review

Xan Brooks, Peter Bradshaw and Henry Barnes review Oliver Parker's big-screen adaptation of the much-loved 1960s sitcom, which stars Toby Jones as Captain Mainwaring, leading his Home Guard unit through their farcical trials at the tail-end of the second world war. Dad's Army, which also stars Catherine Zeta-Jones, Tom Courtenay and Michael Gambon, is released in the UK on Friday 5 February.

Dad's Army review

Faithful but strangely pointless recreation of the classic sitcom, with Catherine Zeta-Jones.

Dad's Army review: who don't you think you are kidding?

Do panic: the cast pull off a convincing impression - and Catherine Zeta-Jones adds sauce - but there's something inescapably creaky about this strangest of sitcom revivals.

A much-loved national treasure from the past has been dug up to leave many asking: "Shouldn't they leave it be?"

But that's a bit unfair -- Catherine Zeta-Jones isn't that bad.

She does add a touch of Hollywood glamour to a thoroughly spirited remake of a classic British comedy show.

I'm old enough to remember the original and I watched all the repeats on the Beeb.

And my report from patrol at the film's world premiere is that all the gentle wink-wink humour remains. Expect gags about being "on top" and lots of farcical hiding behind sofas.

So what if many of the jokes are older than the cast's combined age? They're the best ones. And they're delivered by great actors.

Toby Jones as Captain Mainwaring and Michael Gambon as Private Godfrey have comic timing to match the originals.

Great moments include Godfrey relieving himself against one of the platoon camouflaged as a tree.

This being a 2016 take on World War II, the females get more of a look-in, with the wives and girlfriends showing up the bumbling men.

Zeta-Jones, though, has fewer dimensions than Mainwaring's TV wife -- and we never saw her.

Of course, the action is upped for the big screen which is not always effective. Like the Walmington-on-Sea's Home Guard, this is a proud but far from perfect effort.

But, no kidding, it's sure to make you laugh.

Meet Frank Williams: the great survivor of Dad's Army

He is the man whose face probably first comes to mind if one is asked to think of a fictional television vicar. Actor Frank Williams first put on his dog collar to play the part of the Reverend Timothy Farthing in Dad's Army 46 years ago. Now 83, he's still going strong, appearing in the new film of Dad's Army, released early next year and starring Catherine Zeta-Jones. He is touring the UK in a show in which he recalls his long career. Along with Ian Lavender, who played Private Pike, Frank is the only surviving regular cast member from the original series.

Pictures: Catherine Zeta-Jones and Toby Jones

It seems pompous bank manager George Mainwaring, originally portrayed by Arthur Lowe in the sitcom, is finally going to act the hero and get his moment of glory since actor Toby Jones was pictured hauling Zeta-Jones out of the water.

Pictures: Catherine Zeta-Jones's glamorous spy fights

She may have developed a reputation as something of an English Rose over the years, but Catherine Zeta-Jones was anything but as she continued to film Dad's Army on Friday.

Video: Rob Brydon on inspiring Catherine Zeta-Jones

Rob Brydon has shared his struggle with breaking through as a comedian in his biography, Small Man In A Book.

Brydon trained in the dramatic arts but had difficulties when he started out as a comedian.

He told BBC Breakfast that he attended the same school as Catherine Zeta-Jones and he joked that he may have been the inspiration behind her success in Hollywood.