Am I Missing Something?

A brilliant film that helped define a genre

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

BBC Scotland's comedy Unit has a pretty good track record - with Rab C Nesbitt its shining star - but rarely if ever has it come up with anything as original and subtle as this. The military setting is completely convincing as are all the characters. The officer figure is the only one to be caricatured; all of the others are exactly how one imagines a group of young, often bored, soldiers to be. The story lines are fanciful enough to allow for situations to develop which give full scope for Gary's sense of fun, and his one-liners are terrific. The plots break off from time to time - either for a supposed video clip of the lads fooling about off-duty in Iraq, or for one of Gary's philosophical monologues to camera. When we are accustomed to hearing only West of Scotland accents on Scottish comedy programmes, Gary's Edinburgh accent is a joy. What a pity not all of the cast could manage an east coast accent - Julie in particular leaves us wondering how and why she made the trip east. But that's a minor irritation. Gary Tank Commander is a joy to watch - let's hope we see him again.

Like all comedy on the edge, it risks alienating those who are fearful of laughing in the 'wrong place'..for those that get the joke, this is as contemporary and topical a treatment as its likely to get...I think those that will write this off, and don't get the funny are sadly unaware how polished this is....there's a lot of subtlety in the writing (and acting)...leaving the audience to get the joke...so much better than having it lazily spelled out....the characters, whilst caricature, are never extreme to the point they are unrecognisable, and their range and purpose are spread wide, covering all bases so that plots can become more farcical, whilst always having a point. There's a lot of dry, sardonic wit, but it never falls into meanness or bullying, with much of the relationships portrayed with affection and camaraderie as you might expect from an army team back from tour. The one-liners are choice, and delivered with a comic timing that double their efficacy. I think there's a strong Edinburgh cadence here, not just in the literal delivery of the dialect and affectations, but also of characters and relationships. Time will tell if this will be difficult for those not from the city, or indeed country, to appreciate. As I write, I am sure that there will be those who will dislike this as much as I liked it. That pleases me somewhat, for, we cannot all like cannedllaughcom-central.