For those who remember the TV series Dad’s Army there is now an all-star cast feature-film version. It’s not the first film version but the cast does stand up to scrutiny with Toby Jones in a very good Arthur Lowe impression as Captain Mainwaring; Bill Nighy is the diffident Sergeant Wilson; Tom Courtenay is the excitable Corporal Jones; Michael Gambon is the geriatric Godfrey with the weak bladder and who always needs to be “excused” and Bill Paterson, probably the weakest portrayal from the original is the lugubrious Private Frazer. Daniel Mays is the irrepressible black-marketeer Walker and Blake Harrison plays the gormless young Pike.
Catherine Zeta-Jones provides the glamorous love interest playing the part of a journalist writing a feature about the Home Guard for The Lady magazine but seems to take an even greater interest in the home guards assignment for D-Day.
While we might not have needed a reminder about Dad’s Army this is a gentle reminder of more innocent times when we were all glued to the tv watching the series. For those that remember the series, they will not be disappointed by this offering and it’s definitely one to take mum or dad to.
3 stars
