Mutiny on the Buses

One of the better film comedies of the early seventies trend of making the transition from the small to the big screen. All three films easily surpassed the blandness of the TV series which is currently (Aug 2000) enjoying a re-run on Granada Plus in the UK.

If you're a fan of the series then you will adore this film, as an avid fan myself i find this to be the second best film after holiday on the buses. Some of the gags are classic, and the film feels so full that it never loses your attention. A highly recommended one to watch!

The second of three film spin-offs from the very popular British situation comedy, On the Buses, is actually the best of the three. Of course this will mean nothing to any Brit who wasn't a fan of the format, or anyone perturbed by the absence of political correctness in movies from a different era.

Falling in line with the wave of sex comedy based movies that surfaced in 1970s Britain, Mutiny on the Buses pitches our sex hungry bus depot workers against a new management regime determined to actually operate a bus company! Hence the mutiny when all and sundry do all they can to usurp the plans of Inspector Blakey (Stephen Lewis) and Mr. Jenkins (Kevin Brennan). What follows, in between the kissing and fondling - and the not so sly innuendo - are the usual pratfall scenarios played for energetic laughs, with the stand out being a fire drill training stint that descends into frothy chaos.

Somewhat forgotten is that the snapshot of the era carries considerable value for those that lived it. The cramped housing arrangements, the sexual attitudes and the unemployment issues brought about by redundancy, these are here making a mark regardless of being played for laughs. The change over of ramshackle buses to the new type as a new era is ushered in - with the engine at the rear no less! And delightful old wives tales to help you to stop snoring.

Yes, there's the harmless smut (this is hardly the "Confessions Of" or "Adventures Of" standard of sex comedy films), and a gentle smell of misogyny (though the girls are empowered to take control here), but time is a funny thing and so is nostalgia. Mutiny on the Buses, good fun with a wink and a nod to early 70s Britain. 7/10

Bus driver Stan gets engaged to sweetheart Suzy - much to the annoyance of Stan's mother, sister and brother in law; how will they afford to pay the rent without Stan's money coming into the house? In order to be able to move out, Stan agrees to help Arthur get a job on the buses with him. However his attempts to teach him how to drive the bus are frustrated by Blakey's new boss and his efficiency drives.

Anyone approaching On The Buses cannot really complain about the humour being basic, sexist and crude - this is a given. However it is the other qualities that make this a bad film. True the humour is very broad, sexist and silly but this wouldn't have been a problem for me if it had even managed to ever be funny more than once. Sadly it doesn't and is depressingly devoid of laughs throughout. This is made worse by a plot that actually has no idea where it is going - it uses the very basic frame of Stan's engagement but where it goes with it is just all a bit silly and doesn't really work. The collection of scenes that make up the plot are supposed to be wacky and fun but actually just stand out as badly dated and banal, certainly laughs are not part of them.

The material also lets down the characters as none of them are engaging - it is a damning comment on the script that I never cared one way or another what happened to the characters here. The cast don't help - the drivers are all womanising lads, the bosses all incompetent and flustered and the girls either battleaxes or `hot totty'! Varney and Grant don't display much in the way of comic ability here as they are not given anything to work with but the most basic tools. The only character that stands out is Blakey but that is more down to his memorable and oft-imitated line; he isn't great but his character is the most enjoyable of a bad bunch.

Overall it is unfair to complain that this film's humour is broad and sexist because what else did you really expect from this film series? However it is fair to complain that the film lacks laughs, any sort of plot and is really difficult to enjoy even if you expect it to be broad and basic. A really poor film that is wholly lacking in laughs and is pretty unenjoyable all told.

A less successful sequel to the first ON THE BUSES movie, although not without its moments. MUTINY ON THE BUSES offers up more of the same for fans of the comedy show, with various dated, sexist and sometimes amusing antics taking place on and around a bus depot.

The gang's all here for this sequel outing, including enhanced roles for Stan's sister Oliver and her husband Arthur. Best of all is the presence of Stephen Lewis, shining once more as the chief antagonist Blakey. The jokes come thick and fast, many of them sexist and mildly offensive to modern audiences, but then that's part of the fun.

Once again, the spirit is very much in the CARRY ON vein, and there are certain set-pieces to enjoy; the sojourn at the Windsor Safari Park is a definite highlight here. The film trilogy concluded with the final outing, HOLIDAY ON THE BUSES.