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.

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)

I don't think you need to be a Quo fan to enjoy this film! It has the feel good factor that I need in any film that I watch. The film has the added bonus of fantastic music! The film, against all expectations, produced a new Quo album, which is very different from anything the band have done before. There are some real laugh out loud moments and some moments when you just want to shout 'Quch!' The one-liners are fabulous. However, there are some moments where I don't get what is going on, even after two viewings. I am really looking forward to the follow up which is due to be shot in India with the guys on retreat as they recover from their traumatic experiences in Fiji. Echos of the Beatles in India?

You thought their version of Fun,Fun,Fun was their nadir,think again. This film has no redeeming qualities at all. They've been phoning in their music since 1977 and now inflict this on the public.

Made as a tax write.off. The whole thing is fish 4 days old. It's about as funny as an orphanage fire and Parfitt and Rossi can't act. They are more wooden than all the palm trees on Fiji.

I'm assuming the other actors needed the cash so badly that they couldn't sell any more blood or bodily organs.

I wasn't expecting Citizen Kane or The Godfather but this waste of celluloid is a crime against cinema.

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.