I ribelli di Carnaby Street

I remember when I was about 5 years old I saw a film about two soldiers who steal the Crown Jewels from the Tower of London. Latterly, I didn't remember much about it (obviously) or even what it was called, only that I loved it. So I was pleasantly surprised recently, when I stayed to watch the late movie on telly one night and it all came flooding back...

Quite why I would have loved "The Jokers" so much when I was five is beyond me, as most of the humour would have probably gone straight over my head. I must have loved the ingenuity of the brothers' scheme and the twists at the closing stages. But then, this movie is so incredibly easy to like - it rattles along at a cracking pace with a deftness of touch not usually associated with Michael Winner, it looks like a tourist film of London, it's a pleasing thriller, and it's pretty funny to boot. There are some priceless lines, including a couple which only an Englishman could find funny. And of course you have two great central performances, from the sterling Michael Crawford, and Oliver Reed.

There are many advances in technology which would render crucial details of the plan unworkable today, making the movie very much a product of its times; but baby, what times! The Swinging London of the late 60s, as so affectionately sent up in the "Austin Powers" flicks, is presented here as decadently appealing, if shallow, an endless round of booze and birds. If there's any sour note it is that the "system" which the brothers want to ridicule seems to have been very kind to them along the way. But it's hardly a film to be making profound political statements, so one can't complain. Instead just sit back and enjoy this superbly entertaining little gem, as much fun now as it was when I was five years old!

(9/10)

As the remains of Michael Winner's already tarnished reputation as a film maker stagger bloodied and battered from the wreckage of his latest debacle "Parting Shots", it is difficult to believe that he was once a genuinely promising director. A director who in the sixties had proved his worth largely with hip and swinging comedies such as "The Jokers". In this picture we follow the exploits of two well off brothers, with far too much time on their hands,as they set out to steal the crown jewels, not for financial gain or any political reason but just for the sheer hell of it. The script is razor sharp, Winner's direction is crisp, and the perfectly cast Oliver Reed and Michael Crawford both shine as the two scheming siblings. The fact that the establishment figures are not stereotypically portrayed as buffoons but as highly competent officials makes it more of a delight to see the brothers run such rings round them. With a couple of brilliant twists along the way the only let down is seeing the film run out of steam towards the very end. Its a shame Dick Clements and Ian La Frenais, who penned this film, could have not come up with a climax as inventive as what had come before in this remarkable movie.

This is an excellent movie. I saw it when I was a child, and I enjoyed it immensely. But when I think of the plot of this movie, and another movie involving a robbery that I saw just a few years ago, ...

If I remember correctly, the criminals steal the crown jewels by planting a bomb in the museum where they are kept. Then one criminal impersonates a soldier in a bomb disposal squad and enters the museum after it is closed due to the bomb threat. Next, after the bomb goes off, the other criminal impersonates an ambulance driver who rescues his colleague, stealing the jewels in the process. The robbery of the vault in the remake of "Ocean's 11", where the robbery crew impersonates the SWAT team, is very similar.

This is one of the best crime caper movies of all time, but does anybody outside of the U.K. remember it? Another great but overlooked movie. I saw this when I was a kid and then again about 10 years ago on one of the T.V. movie channels. I taped it and if I could I'd copy it to DVD and distribute it freely. It's also one of the best comedies, not to mention a whodunit and a fab portrayal of swinging London circa 1967. Plot twists, betrayal, witty dialog and great characters. Michael Crawford is a genuine talent who appeared in two of my favorite movies: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum and Hello Dolly! He resurfaces back in the 80s as the Phantom of the Opera. Oliver Reed, is also one of the best. Together, they create the perfect sibling rivalry. Oh, the music is good too.

They don't make movies like this anymore, do they?

Oliver Reed stars in this heist of the Crown Jewels. A "Class" Act of the brothers' Tremayne! This is a thrilling worthwhile film that shakes you up, but leaves you begging for more. A movie that tells what it was like to be in London in the 1960s, the suspense builds till the mystery overwhelms the senses and you wish that the film will never end. Some of the scenes near the end of this film are so haunting and surreal that they leave an indelible memory imprint.

I highly recommend this film as the intensity of Oliver Reed will have you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end. Not too many films capture the imagination, but this one grabs you immediately and never lets go until it is time to hit the exits.

Go see it and Enjoy! Big time entertainment!