You can tell it would've been fun on stage, with the energy of the dance numbers. Dennis Quilley is funny as is John Cleese. It doesn't work. A few reasons.
- the plot of the sergeant selling arms to the locals, faking his death and coming back for the final raid just seems dumb - maybe it happened, but it doesn't feel real. Why fake his dead? Why take part in the final raid? Why kill one of the men? A communist could've done it. Doesn't feel real.
- They don't use the character of the newbie enough. Should be through his eyes. He joins up, meets wacky locals, romances a girl. But then kind of disappears from the film. He should be the star part.
- No real relationsship progression. Should be the guy falling in love, making friends. Not done.
- I had trouble telling characters apart.
Also for all the film's relatively positive depiction of gay soldiers it treats the locals like exotic fauna.
Denis O'Brien shouldn't have added the silly walks at the end. But the film didn't work before that. His addition just gave the filmmakers someone to blame other than themselves.
Might mean more if you've seen active service from this period.
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