Bula Quo!

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.

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.

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.

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.