Highly Overrated But Still Good

Fantastic!

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.

HOLIDAY ON THE BUSES was the last of the Hammer-produced film trilogy, following on from ON THE BUSES and MUTINY ON THE BUSES. Sadly, the law of decreasing returns is much in evidence for this lacklustre conclusion to the series, which relocates the action to a Pontins holiday camp in a bid to mix things up a bit.It doesn't work. The humour here is even weaker than before, with Stan and Jack getting into the usual round of difficulties while chasing a bit of skirt, and finding themselves up against the stalwart villain of the series, Stephen Lewis's Inspector Blake. Comic veterans Wilfrid Brambell and Kate Williams are brought in to add some comedy value, but it all feels too little, too late.Indeed, much of the running time is filled with obvious gags and some lamentable slapstick humour, all of it obvious and well signposted. There's also far too much reliance on Lewis's mugging for effect, and by now it's becoming irritating. The film isn't actually THAT bad - it's comparable to contemporary CARRY ON films of the period - but there's an undeniable feeling that the joke was wearing thin by this stage and it's no surprise that no more films followed.

Come the 1970s we British really began to love our smut, it was a constitutional right to enjoy bawdy humour. Of course the quality was rarely above average, where the "Carry On" franchise would plunge the bawdy depths to try and get its laughs, and the "Confessions Of" series was never really any good to begin with anyway, but as long as they had people like Robin Askwith larking about amongst boobs, buttocks and innuendo unbound, then it was often enough for Brit cinema goers of a certain age.On the Buses was a hugely popular TV series in the UK that ran for 7 series from 1969 to 1973. As was the case with many British situation comedies in the 70s, big screen outings would follow for the On the Buses crowd, three of them in fact, of which Holiday on the Buses was the last, and for many it was mercifully the death knell for such ventures.It's a tired looking film when viewed now, the makers straining every sinew to keep the bawdy formula working, with much loved characters thrust into ever stupid situations to try and get laughs. Yet for fans of the series there is still some rewards to be found, but for interested outsiders looking in it's unlikely to generate more than a smile on the comedy scale.It's hard to believe now that the likes of Stan Harper (Reg Varney) and Jack Harper (Bob Grant) could ever be seen as good looking enough to womanise and get sex on tap! But that's exactly what 1970s audiences were asked to buy into.Just because there's snow on the roof doesn't mean the fire has gone out down below.So here Stan the bus driver and Jack the conductor are now working at a Pontins Holiday Camp (how 70s British is that?!) and they basically try and get laid at every opportunity. As does Stan's sexually frustrated sister, Olive (played by the wonderful Anna Karen), only she just wants a bit from her husband Arthur! (Michael Robbins). Even widowed Ma Butler (Doris Hare) is up for a bit of the other, courtesy of the king of dirty old men, Wilfrid Brambell.Naturally nemesis Inspector Cyril 'Blakey' Blake (Stephen Lewis) is on hand to provide the roguish lads with some japery opportunities, with the Hitler lookalike even getting a love interest himself here in the form of the holiday camp Nurse played by Kate Williams.There's some good moments such as a swimming pool sequence of events, or Arthur Mullard attempting to dance (you have to know the actor to understand how funny that can be), while even Brambell doing his normal pervy routine is fun enough at times, but ultimately it rounds out as a picture for fans only, and even then it asks much of us to forgive it its lazy sins. 5/10

Amazing would not be enough to describe this film. Its magical and a must for on the buses fans. The scenario is that jack Stan and Blakey are out on their heel after causing an accident ramming the managers car and smashing a bus. We next see them seeking employment and they get a job at a holiday camp in North wales driving bus loads of tourists to and from the railway station sounds simple doesn't it? no it cant possibly be!! it turns out that jack and Stan haven't escaped from Blakey who is the head of security!!! And of course it wouldn't be a on the buses film without olive Arthur and the crew tagging along! and they leap from disaster to the next it ranges from olive walking into the gents getting into bed with the next door holidaymaker blowing up the toilet and having to redecorate the chalet because little Arthur fires paint or some substance on the walls and olive losing her bikini bottom in the pool. There is even a flash of bare breasts. I like this film very much even old man step toe appears doing a very good Irish accent. It makes a change to see the gang somewhere else instead of at home or at the bus depot and Stan and jack still cant leave the women alone!! what i like about this film is the 1970s atmosphere its relaxed and is interesting to see that holiday camps have changed very little today. And of course Jack and Stan and Blakey find themselves seeking employment again! at the end of the film for submerging a bus out at sea trying to get their leg over! and Blakey is sacked for what the manager thinks is the same thing! the film ends with Stan at his new job driving a demolition crane knocking down ( correct me if I'm wrong) what looks like the bus depot? so they would have got the sack anyway? I could go but all I'm going to say i really enjoyed it and its a pity a 4th film wasn't made.

'The Radio Times' gave this film a one-star rating ( meaning 'poor' ) while in the same issue awarding six stars ( meaning 'excellent' ) to the atrocious 'Austin Powers 2: The Spy Who S#####d Me'. The third and last cinematic outing for Stan Butler and co. appeared months after the television series ended. The first two films had come out in the summer, while the third was a Christmas release. The advertising campaign was not as aggressive as the others, which might go some way to explaining its disappointing box office performance. Plans for a fourth picture - 'Still At It On The Buses' - were dropped.Stan and Jack are ( finally ) dismissed from the bus depot and finish up at a surprisingly sunny looking holiday camp in North Wales. As was the case with 'Mutiny', there's a fair amount of product placement, in fact the 'Pontins' name is visible in every other shot. In a mind-bending coincidence, Blakey is there too, as Security Inspector. Arthur Mullard and Queenie Watts play 'Wally' and 'Lil Briggs', their characters from Ronald Wolfe and Ronald Chesney's other hit L.W.T. sitcom 'Romany Jones'. Wilfred 'Steptoe' Brambell crops up as a randy pensioner ( look out for the moment when he slips on the dance floor. Looks accidental to me ).As you'd expect from a film of this type, subtlety is virtually non-existent; the script contains almost every seaside postcard joke written. 'Little Arthur' has aged considerably since his last appearance, meaning we are thankfully spared all those 'potty' gags. I wonder if Sir Fred Pontin was happy to see the name of his business linked to exploding toilets, bare bottoms and randy nurses. If nothing else. 'Holiday' reminds one how poorer the television series was when Reg Varney and Michael Robbins left. It was good to see the cast back for one final romp. Don't watch if you want great comedy, but if you want a good dirty laugh, by all means tune in. Funniest moment - Stan driving under a low bridge, terrifying everyone on the upper deck! Second funniest moment - Stan blowing up the drains with a cigarette end!