Bula Quo!

I wasn't expecting great things of this film, in fact I was expecting it to be pretty awful to be honest. Normally musicians and movies don't mix well, especially when the musicians try too hard - I'm pleased to say in Bula Quo! they don't!

The style reminded me of a modern day take on the humour of 1970s Burt Reynolds. Rick and Francis were funny throughout, and there were a couple of destined-to-be-classic cheesy lines in there.

The remainder of the cast were well chosen, in particular Laura Aikman stood out as being a talent I hope we'll see more of in the future.

Let's be honest here - Bula Quo won't win any Oscars but who cares. The measure of a good movie to me is did you enjoy it, not how Oscar-worthy it is or how much it cost to make. I did enjoy it. And I'd see it again.

In the interests of fairness, I need to state at the outset that I am a lifelong Status Quo fan. This matters, because how much someone enjoys this film will depend upon how much of a Quo fan they are.

Part of the joy of watching the film is the chance to see Francis Rossi and Rick Parfitt playing themselves on the big screen. Their camaraderie and self deprecating humour are there for all to see. They obviously had an enjoyable time making this film and that translates itself to the screen. There are plenty of in-jokes for the fans, some of which may be lost on the more general movie-goer. Furthermore, being biased, I think Bula Quo has the best soundtrack of any film that I have seen! Craig Fairbrass, Laura Aikman and Jon Lovitz all give solid performances, in spite of the sometimes uninspired dialogue that they are given. There are also plenty of lovely panoramic shots of Fiji to enjoy within the film.

The downside is that the film's pace is ponderous at times, even during some of the action/chase scenes. The film lacks any real suspense and it has a rather weak, anti-climatic ending.

This film isn't going to win any Oscars, and if you are not a fan of Status Quo, then Bula Quo is unlikely to win you over. However, Quo fans should really enjoy watching this movie.

I like Status Quo. I'm not a big fan, but I enjoy their amiable, fun rock music. In many ways, they don't get the respect they're due, perhaps because they never managed to break into the American market.

Bula Quo isn't a good film. It's not even bold enough to be terrible. Everything about it is just a bit bland and lacking.

Stuart St. Paul is a great stunt coordinator with a long history of good work. But as a director, he's awful. His films remind me of Willy Bogner, the ski film maker: Bogner's great with the ski films, but when he tries to make actual films, it all falls flat. And so it is with St. Paul.

The story is weak and predictable, but that isn't necessarily the kiss of death. If the acting was stronger, it could have been okay. Parfitt and Rossi aren't terrible, but they are terribly directed. There's some nice banter and back and forth between them, but it just doesn't come across well. With some acting lessons and a lot of rehearsal, there could have been a good performance there.

Craig Fairbrass does what he always does, but he's wasted and he's not a strong enough actor to deal with a poor script. Jean Heard isn't much good either - she's not convincing and has this funny habit of pausing after each line, which just drains the life out of her performance. The only good performance comes from Laura Aikman, who just happens to be St. Paul's daughter.

Most of the audience for Bula Quo are going to be Quo fans and they can probably overlook the shortcomings of the film just to enjoy see the band on-screen. And that's fine. It's just a shame that with a bit (well, a lot) of work on the acting and an actual film director, this could have been a decent little film - nothing that would set the box office on fire, but something mildly fun for a rainy day.

(PS The music is fine and they even play Pictures of Matchstick Men - their first hit from the 1960s)

It's cheesy, it won't win any awards - although the soundtrack is really good. A lot of the tracks are classics but a number were written for the movie and add a fun atmosphere to the proceedings.

The location is fabulous and gives a great backdrop for the lightweight plot which involves Rick & Francis from Quo trying to escape from a bunch of gangsters led by Jon Lovitz. As paper thin as the storyline is, somehow that doesn't seem to matter.

Craig Fairbrass does a good job as the Quo manager/ bodyguard and takes on the action hero role. Laura Aikman brings youth and charm to an otherwise older and mostly male cast. She combines very well when acting alongside the more serious Fairbrass or when she is poking fun at Rick & Francis.

It is what it is: a vehicle for an old rock band, it's light hearted but not hilarious and I find it enjoyable despite it's many flaws ...and sometimes, actually often because of them.

Pop stars making movies about themselves as pop stars is nothing new but this film missed that boat by about 40 years, when Quo were at their zenith.

This romp about Rick and Francis on the run from a local mafia in Fiji after they witness a murder has a fair bit of humour and is well photographed. Sometimes the audio is a bit hard to hear but for a lot a budget junket I'm the sun it's quite watchable. Francis and Rick absolutely cannot act and it shows, although Craig Fairbrass and Jon Lovitz are surprisingly good in this. The film has a not very good script and clunky dialogue but the music is great.

With a little more care this would have been a good family film but unfortunately it's a bit dark for young ones.

It's a watchable enough romp but it's no classic and certainly nowhere near as good or as funny as something like the Beatles film A hard day's night.