Peter Cook - England's Greatest Comedian?

Review: Small Known Classic

Although reviewed as mediocre at best by the press this is simply undeserving. The plot of the film centres around a send up of the Falklands war and the characters involved, which invludes, amongst others, Naval Officers, the Prime Minister and a Russian Spy, expertly played by Alexei Sayle, fronting a nuclear missile silo as a hotel resort.

Although partly satirical in content the film is as much a slapstick affair as any, with the Prime Minister (Peter Cook) going insane and cutting unemployment by having employed people jump off the White Cliffs of Dover in order to create more jobs and risking nuclear war with Russia because he is under the belief that Britons will be protected from the nuclear blast by Union Flag motifed umbrellas.

Although Cook is superb as the increasingly lunatic man in charge, the S.A.S. officer played by Rik Mayall steals the show in a side splitting end sequence that parodies the Iranian Embassy siege of 1980. Possibly not shown on T.V. too much anymore due to a character that is meant to be the then Princess of Wales in full S&M bondage dress, video is probably the only way to see this home made classic. Well worth it time after time.

dki100
20 February 2001

DVD Features:

• Starring:
  Loretta Swit
  Peter Cook
  Alexei Sayle
  Rick Mayle
• Director: Tom Bussmann
  
• Aspect Ratio: 4:3
• Available Audio Tracks: Dolby Digital Mono
• Main Language: English
• Hearing Impaired: English
  
• Released: May 12, 2003

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