Wonderfully offbeat film!

Well Deserved Praise

Absolutely amazing

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

I got an urge recently to re watch Allo Allo, I'd forgotten just how wonderful a sitcom it was. Probably the main comedy I remember growing up as a kid, I used to watch with my Dad. The quality of the first three series is enormous, they are slick, hilarious, original and addictive. From Series four onwards as you may expect it does lose a little of its zip and the gags get recycled, but who cares you'll still belly laugh.Too many favourite characters, and relationships to highlight, but I'll summarise what I feel are the best. The relationship between Renee and Gruber was possible the funniest in the show, the dialogue and misunderstandings right from the very beginning would be the high point of the show. The relationship between Colonel von Strom and Hans was also a joy, their timing was a joy, the show suffered from the departure of Sam Kelly. Both were physically funny too, I always laughed at the 'stuff it down the trousers' gag. Finally in terms of relationship I adored the one between Helga and Heir Flick, his lack of emotion, and her always ending up in her lingerie were hilarious, never stopped being funny.As for characters, I think my favourites were LeClerc and Mama, the oldies always delivered the laughs, you never knew who was going to end up in her bed, and you never knew what he was going to try and sell. The flashing knobs still make me howl with laughter. Officer Crabtree was an awesome addition, and some of the stuff he got away with, many a time he had me in tears laughingThe Gateau from the Château is hand on heart the funniest episode, with brilliance from Kay and Kelly, while the last ever episode remains very poignant.It's an absolute joy to watch 9/10

They don't make sitcoms like this today. In our age of Political correctness this sitcom which pokes fun at pretty much all of the major players in the war wouldn't be allowed to be made today.But it's great fun. Full of catchphrases (it's fun to watch the early episodes where they haven't caught on yet), iconic moments and above all, great characters who we fully follow throughout the madcap farce that ensures throughout the nine series.Sitcoms like this don't age, not really. Yes, the picture quality gets a bit more grainy, and sadly we lose more of the cast as time goes on, but new audiences continue to discover and enjoy it with each passing year.It's a great comedy, and I'll say that more than once.

I have Series 1 to 7 on DVD, and while I've seen all of the Porridge series, I haven't even got to Dad's Army yet. That says something for the farce style quality of 'Allo 'Allo.While the series tailed off at the end it's great to see how the cast settle in over the first 3. By the time they got to "Gateaux in the Château" in Series 3 all the characters had developed their style and the budget was obviously improving.The script by David Croft is, and the entire cast are, superb. But in particular I fully agree with comments on Jack Haig ("can you never underplay anything?" - Rene at the bridge before the insane handover of the famous picture in the knockwuerst), and of course Sam Kelly. His portrayal of Capt. Hans Geering was sublime, and the series deteriorated when he left.Kirsten Cooke occasionally showed a wonderful leg - if you watch carefully, but, for me, Francesca Gonshaw (as waitress Maria Recamier in the earlier series) was totally captivating. Watch when she's in the background of a scene, and not spitting lines; stunning face.Strangely she left the series and never seemed to do TV or Film again. I hope she's happy at whatever she's at.I'm watching the scene in the prisoner of war camp as I write this. Rene is jumping from a roof onto a see-saw to propel Hans over the fence - part of the fun is that the entire cast were obviously having a ball doing this.Timeless classic.

...I just wish the comedy had lived lived up to it. Unfortunately, a potentially wonderful situation becomes mainly a pastiche of bedroom farce, slapstick and cross-dressing humour, liberally sprinkled with that doyenne of old-tyme British comedy: the walk-on line. Only one of them ("Good moaning") was even remotely funny, but after you've heard it for the fiftieth time even it becomes tedious.As a farce, it's passable, and the excellent cast plays it with lots of energy; but the writing seems old-fashioned (David Croft was already in his sixties when the show started) and in the end it sticks in my mind as a wasted opportunity for all that undoubted talent. 5/10.