Atoll K

This was part of a 3-DVD box-set, and it came with the Laurel and Hardy shorts Mud & Sand, Just Ramblin' Along, Oranges and Lemons, and the Three Stooges ones Brideless Groom and Sing a Song of Six Pants; it also came with another feature, Flying Deuces. The disc this was on came with The Tree in a Test Tube & Malice in the Palace. I haven't watched an awful lot of the duo, and other than the aforementioned ones, it has been years since I did. Not sure why this has such a low rating; it is genuinely funny and clever at its best(honestly, few of the light, goofy and, at times, cartoon-style slapstick gags fall flat), and it seldom, if ever, drags, for the 82 minute running time. It makes fun of politeness, taxes, and other everyday subjects, in spite of the unusual plot of a deceased eccentric uncle(always popular) leaving them an island. Inbetween clumsiness, knocking stuff over, falling, and other natural occurrences that are not presented as if they hurt, weepy Laurel(who looks so old and worn here) and dominating Hardy also explore social issues and government. Is that a good thing? Well, a lot of the way, the treatment of it is great. I don't think they quite keep up the quality all the way, though. Near the end(when this gets "big", with "action", as expected), this gets somewhat unrealistic, employs a sort of deus ex machina, and the conclusion has darkness to it. The FX are decent. Editing and cinematography are fine. A nice amount of laughs, and not boring. I recommend this to big fans of the two. 6/10

Probably the best Laurel and Hardy film since 1939's "The Flying Deuces", and their last motion picture appearance. Better than the generally unfunny Fox studio films of the 1940's. Its a somewhat underrated European-style farce with a mild social commentary about taxes, governmental control/interference combined with plot about Stan inheriting an island and eventually trying to setup an island country lacking in governmental controls. There are gags that will remind you of earlier L & H films and you can forward through the tedious love interest plot which seems tacked-on and is thankfully short. Overlook the generally annoying Euro-cast (though Max Elloy as the stateless man is OK), terrible dubbing, and Stan's haggard appearance and there are some laughs to be found. Get the DVD put out by Platinum Corp., which is way better in picture quality than the SLP mode public domain videos that have been available to this point. Just the improvement in picture quality was enough to make this film a lot more enjoyable.

I have read so many negative reviews of this film that I expected a really horrible film. Surprise, surprise. The film is actually not bad at all. Sure, Stan does look ill in some shots but the boys are still funny and the story is engaging enough. I love the fact that the film was shot in Europe. It gives it a fresh look that is absent from their older studio-bound films. Some gags are better than others(the loading of the boat is quite funny), and the whole premise of the boys creating a country without taxes and laws works quite well. In a very funny moment, Ollie declares himself president and names the other 3 original inhabitants to key posts, relegating poor Stan to the status of "the people". The supporting cast are all dubbed, but this does not hinder the film. What doesn't quite work is the whole sub-plot about the sexy French singer and her fiancé. They could have cut that down a bit. Overall, not bad at all. If you're a L&H fan do yourself a favour and give this film a chance.

Stan and Ollie's farewell falls far short of the boys in their prime, it's true, but the film is nowhere near as bad as its reputation suggests. From what I'd heard about it I almost didn't want to watch this film – in much the same way as you want to remember a loved one hale and hearty rather than eaten away by cancer – but I braved it anyway. The print is atrocious with blurry visuals and poor sound, but even the poor picture doesn't disguise how ill and gaunt poor Stan Laurel looks. Apparently he had dysentery and prostate problems during filming, which accounts for his appearance. Ironically, Oliver Hardy, who would be the first of the duo to pass away, looks the better of the two, although it's plain to see that he'd piled on a few pounds since their heyday.

The film's storyline is fairly ordinary fluff about the boys travelling to a deserted island Stan has inherited and establishing a utopian society that works perfectly until the population count increases beyond single figures. There are a few glimpses of the old style from the boys but any enjoyment is tempered by the knowledge that you're watching ageing men trying to recapture something that they no longer possess. The rest of the cast are French, and the dialogue they speak is dubbed into English, which makes it visibly difficult for Laurel and Hardy to play off them they way they used to with familiar faces of old.

This film probably isn't one you'd want in your collection if you're a Laurel & Hardy fan, but neither is it one that should necessarily be avoided at all costs.

For new L&H fans, Stan and Ollie's appearance may be a shock. Stan looks VERY thin and has noticeably aged. Ollie, in contrast, has gained a LOT of weight.

If you can overlook their appearance, and the slow moving subplot, Atoll K does have some good comedy routines. However, their more elderly appearance does hamper what would otherwise be good gags. You just can't laugh at Stan while he is dealing with an inflating raft in the ship's cabin. He looks like he's truly in agony, and you want to help him instead of laugh at him. Also, the film is poorly edited. The original movie was 90 minutes long, but when re-released, it was shortened to a more tolerable 60 minutes. Most of the footage taken out was from the subplot, so taking out the extra half hour improved the movie.

While "The Boys" had more freedom to write gags and dialogue, nobody else on the crew had any idea what to expect in a L&H picture. Confusion and the illness of Stan and Ollie caused the picture to take an entire year to make! Not long after Atoll K was released, Ollie went on a diet and lost a LOT of weight, but it was too late.