The Secret Policeman's Third Ball

Going through the secret policeman's benefit shows in order is a strange experience - here the original format returns after a long absence and the subsequent bloom in popularity over the eighties for high-budget benefit shows. The comedy, although pleasingly British (Lenny Henry and the young Fry & Laurie do great turns here), is hugely truncated by the big name musical guests. You got Armatrading, you got Bush, you got Duran Duran and even Lou Reed and Peter Gabriel show up. The performances are pretty atmospheric, if not a little dated - but the four shows (two comedy, two musical) don't compile together well and you feel like you're not seeing the best of either. The framing device of Ruby Wax backstage having awkward interviews never quite works either. The mullets, the shoulderpads, the eighties. This is the Ball at a low ebb.

I have seen the Secret Policeman films billed as "Monty Python" films, but none of them featured all the troop. The first had most, the second only a couple and this one was no better. In fact, John Cleese (the brains and driving force behind the first concert) was only on hand for a 'guest appearance'. Overall, instead of a focus on comedy (like the initial Secret Policemen performances), this one is mostly on pop music--with mostly lesser comedians to provide the secondary focus. Now the comedy isn't completely bad--it's nice to see Lenny Henry, Ben Elton, Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie when they were younger. But this is mostly NOT their 'A-material'. And some of the comedy consists of unfunny interviews by Ruby Wax of the musicians--as, I said before, the focus really is on the music. But, if you are NOT there to hear Mark Knopfler and Chet Atkins, Bob Geldoff, Lou Reed and the rest of the musicians, some highlights of the comedy include a neat skit where Henry impersonates a blind blues musician. And, to put some perspective on how unfunny the rest is, Emo Philips is among the funnier acts. But, with him, Knopfler and the rest, you will no doubt recognize that this British production is almost equally American this time. And, as a result of all the changes, it hardly seems to be a descendant from the first Amnesty benefit film. Overall, a bit better than the last film in the series but not much....