I cannot believe how anybody can possibly have enjoyed this film. If you loved the TV series, which I did, you'll be terribly disappointed, and if you've never seen it, you won't have a clue what's going on.
A disjointed, unfunny, incoherent mess. What were they thinking of?
Don't worry, you're not alone. As a huge fan of their earlier work myself, I couldn't help but feel utter disappointment during and after watchiung the film. To the point, I hesitantly say, of questioning my very fandom of the League in the first place. It was perhaps a bigger let down for me as I'd been looking forward to seeing the film for some time beforehand. This wasn't helped by seeing "Shaun of the Dead" which was released a year earlier. I thought, at least the League will equal if not better that brilliant TV-to-big screen adaptation - I'm referring to Spaced of course. Sadly, no. Maybe my expectations were too high.
Had somebody said to me before the movie came out, that I would still not have the DVD, I would not have believed them. As an owner of all 5 previous releases from the League, I guess this shows my, almost subconscious, hatred of what they did and what could have been. "Embarassingly bad" is not too an inappropriate description of how I'd feel if if ever it were to grace my DVD shelf.
"I don't agree with that in the workplace."
To be honest I thought Shaun of the Dead was even worse. Apocalypse has at least 2 laughs in it, Shaun has none.
sharei also agree i thought the film was awful
i was left so dissapointed after being such a big fan for so many years
i personally hope that they leave the series now cause from seeing the film it looks like they are running out of ideas
something that really annoyed me about the film though is that the leads were not , i felt, the most popular characters and maybe might have been better if they used some of the better ones.
The League Of Gentlemen's Apocalypse has been the best film of the year. There weren't as many laughs as the TV series but it was a very well crafted movie with an excellent script.
It was never meant to be a laugh-out-loud experience.
And Shaun Of The Dead was rubbish.
"They're making a new film of Moses.It's not finished,but the baby looks great in the rushes"
Sorry, "well crafted"? I can't agree with you there. What did you think was good? I liked the fact they showed another side of Herr Lipp, but that's about it.
share"Sorry, "well crafted"? I can't agree with you there. What did you think was good? I liked the fact they showed another side of Herr Lipp, but that's about it."
For a start, we got to see different sides to the characters, how they reacted to something as 'big' as their world ending, which we didn't really see in the series.
The Gents don't really aim to make continuous laugh-out-loud comedy, they've said that they like there to be a bit more than just the comedy in there. Which there was, and in my opinion it was done well. I admit the first time I watched Apocalypse I was disappointed, but I grew to like it. The way they almost completely isolated it from the series is probably what's annoyed fans the most, because sometimes the characters were limited in what they could do, especially in the 'real world'.
And good god, I've practically writen an essay...
what? the league of gentlmen is awful! shaun of the dead is one of the best movies ever made!
shareeveryone's entitled to an opinion but...come on! apocalypse and Shaun of the dead are both entertaining films!i loved the league of gentlemen series and the film!!
shareAre you joking? Shaun Of The Dead was hailed as a classic. The writing was great and hilarious. How can anyone say SOTD is bad? You're opinion sucks, it had rave reviews, top marks in the magazines. Even Professional critics/ directors/screenplay writers and audiences alike thought it was the best British comedy for years. Are you Cliff Gibbons by any chance? I'm sorry but if you think SOTD is bad then i hate to think what you think is good. SOTD parodied a classic horror without directly mocking it (which most spoofs do)and paying homage to the zombie films. The Make - up and Visuals are great. The best thing about it was that it wasn't filmed as a hollywood film. It was filmed in real time. The Characters were great and realistic. Even in a unrealistic situation, the actors portray their characters well. The best zombie film there is in terms of acting (Awesome and funny but obviously not oscar worthy), effects (Great for a low budget Brit film), direction (Which is inspiring and unique) and screenplay (Which is humorus and witty).
Do'h
It was impossible to do a feature length version of the series - the story had finished. Thhe film had to be an entirely different thing.
The story of Roysten Vasey totally ended with the 3rd series. In a sense the film is almost about something else entirely. It was kind of about The League of Gentlemen themselves and the problems writers have when they want to do something new.
You're an idiot.
sharereally its better they did what they did rather than attempt to make an extra large episode, but I think there could have been alot more Papa Lazarou in the movie (fav' character). But I disagree with what you said about Shaun of the Dead too, so we must be on different wavelengths :)
sharei agree, but i would hate to think it was the end of royston vasey. i am sure it wont be though. they will get tired of doing it because thats what happens when performers have huge hits. they feel it is a millstone around their necks. eventually they will realise that it is a fantastic creation which people love and which they will never better - because it is so good.
the movie was symptomatic of this and also they were scared of being thought unimaginative. in my humble opinion what they should always do is what they had done with the original series. they had honed that material for ages live before transferring to tv. it was damn near perfect as a result.
this is what they should do in future. develop material on the road first and junk the crap bits as they go. its a great way to experiment with new material in a way that doing it via a multi-million pound movie isnt. apocalypse may have provided the death knell for royston vasey on the big screen.
As a massive fan of the league, I loved the film.
I thought the script was clever and funny.
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www.videonasties.tk - The No.1 source for Banned Horror!
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I loved the series but the film was just terrible!!
The main characters used in the film were not the best ones that could have been used and it just wasnt funny imho!!!!
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'I would also like to note that it wasn't just the cast who brought the the thing to tv in the first place- the directors and them do a great job of making it as black as possiblem while also preserving the humour. If they had any old director sticking they're ideas together, it could have looked cr ap.'
Isn't that true of every film, radio program and TV show?
Also you complain in one post about the characters being to repetitive, then complain Papa Lazarou only says Hello Dave a few times? What do you want.
I thought LOGA was a great movie, subtle humour throughout and a genuine effort not to just trot out the same thing as the series.
To compare in to Ali G is just daft, Ali G was only funny for about 3 minutes.
I think many people didn't like it purely because the "main" characters, like Pauline and Papa Lazarou and Tubbs & Edward, were sidelined in favour of less obvious characters
but this works both ways, part of the reason I loved the film so much is because Geoff "I won the mums" Tipps is my favourite character from the series
It would have been so easy to have 90 minutes of Pauline slagging off jobseekers and Papa Lazarou saying "hello Dave", but the League wanted something else. And I think they pulled it off. I was in stitches the whole way through....and the exploding head is possibly the best "unexpected movie moment" I've seen for ages
They're so slow. We could just walk right past em and we wouldn't even have to run.share
i think it's probably a wise decision to stop doing royston vasey... look at little britain, it never had much to begin with but it's just a bunch of catchphrases now...
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Things mean alot at the time
don't mean nothing later
I really don't get why it's slagged off so much. It's excellent. Actually, I have an idea. People seem to have a kind of misconception about the League, thinking it's joke joke joke and catchphrases when it isn't. And people just think of the Local Shop, which is only a few sketches and the characters would never work right in a full blown movie, which is why they only appear briefly. It's even explained in the movie (when Tubbs and Edward and Papa Lazarou say that they're too bizarre to fit into the real world).
Despite there being a few more accessible jokes in Apocalypse than the League normally do, it's basically a film for the fans and themselves. If you don't like what they do then you're not going to like the film. And if you want sketches more like in series 1 and 2 you ain't gonna find them in a movie (the Chinnery giraffe thing and Bernice confession are the closest thing).
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The movie had so much potential, the plot could have evolved into a brilliant League film.
However, the earlier commenter who said that there wasn't enough of Papa Lazarou was wrong. If they had stuck to their obviously popular characters, i.e. the lighter hearted ones that all lovers of little britain liked as opposed to their darker characters, the film would have been an even worse disaster.
The third series has some of the best lines, but loses a lot of viewers because of the lack of Benjamin Denton to guide them through and the dark sub-plot running through with the red plastic bag.
Person who said that england can't make movies is probably american. Am i right? Get a sense of irony and you'll enjoy british films
England can.
Unlike Amercia, now, which makes mostly bad movies
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"What the hell is this movie??!!! I mean, is this a movie?? Sorry but England just can`t make movies! "
*Sigh*
I have to agree that this movie was bad, The entire TV series is one of the greatest shows i have ever seen, especially Series 3. But this movie was awful, i just wanted it to hurry up and end. I think they could have used better characters as their leads and could have worked on the plot instead of making it quite so cheesy and unrealistic. I never really thought that the characters that they did use in the Movie ever really had enough qualities to use them as Lead characters..
I wish i hadnt bought the DVD before watching it..
And the whole old world thing with the new characters trying to kill the king, that was so dull, it seemed like there was too much time spent on this part of the story, i wanted to watch the characters from Royston Vasey not learn about a whole bunch of new characters...
My main problem with the film was its absence darkness which was made the TV series so dodgy and fantastic. Also the characters were so chnaged: Herr Lipp wanting to be a nurturing father - what?! For me the fun of this character was the dark paedophilic suggestions in the TV series. Also Papa Lazarou is always an outsider in Royston Vasey, somebody who invades the town and selfishly takes what he wants. In the film he comes across as the 'brains', the character who explains to all the other characters what is going on.
I realise that the film had to be different from the sketch show, but I don't think the characters had to change to the extent they did and I would have preferred the film had the comedy been as dark and uncomfortable as that of the TV series.
Saying this, I have only seen the film once, in the summer. I have heard that it gets better the more you watch it. I'll give it another go one day.
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Family? Obviously... spunking giraffes, not a small amount of quite blue language, gory head explosion... Disney would be green with envy.
Ant farms: cruel and barbaric, or not that bad really?
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Well, I think there's more to the League than just comedy. If you're just after laughs, then I doubt the third series (definitely my personal favourite of the three) or the Apocalypse are going to top the list.
Ant farms: cruel and barbaric, or not that bad really?
The thing is, its a sketch show and in the 3rd series they changed it so much it was like a new show with the same characters, now i didnt hate the 3rd series but it was the worst. The flm is just rubbish they tried to do stupid things (like the monster at the end) with smart characters. I always like the league because i thought it was a good parody of small town life, i live in a small town and when ever i go to the butchers i imagine hilary briss, I go to my local odds and bobs shop and i can see Tubs and Edward, but the fact they bring it to the real world really ruined it, i already think Royston Vasey is real enough.
Kevin Smith will one day egg Greasy Reese Witherspoons house
I'm wondering if it's fair to say the movie is 'bad' just because it's not like the first two series. Surely that doesn't make it bad, just different.
Ant farms: cruel and barbaric, or not that bad really?
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I've watched the film a few times now and I've found it's grown on me. At first I hated the series until I was dragged to see this by my sister; it was ok but didn't really float my boat. I watched all the series, then saw the movie a few more times and every time I watch it I realise that although the plot is wafer thin it's not that important because the characters are so rounded. If they had used more popular characters, such as Papa Lazarou, there would be no scope for change: Papa is who he is & for him to go through the transition Hiliary, Geoff and Herr Lipp go through would have been impossible in the film. Personally, I think using those three as main characters as the stars was an inspired choice.
People seem to be falling into two camps on this thread. They can either see different qualities in the film or focus too much on the films main weakness, the plot. I urge you to watch it one more time, not for the plot, but to watch the characters, how they change and how the performances change along the way. I think in a few years time, the film will be heralded as cult comedy genius.
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A weakness...?
It's simply the Gents humor.
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Hello...
If you think that the 3rd series relied on sex humour then you either didn't watch it properly or have a very limited idea of what constitutes humour!
Sex comedy = 3rd series??? Er, have you forgotten Barbara Dixon in the first two series...the inference of Pauline's lesbian tendencies in both series one & two...the sex party at the Steeles, the Denton's anal retentiveness obsession with masturbation?
If you're going to criticise a series at least construct an argument based on a correct frame of reference! The 3rd series was a brilliant & brave attempt to explore some of the characters in more detail - its called narrative arcs, emotional depth & dramatic content...not 'sex humour to fall back on'.
I would respect your views slightly more if you can actually bother to check your spelling too. 'The League of Gentlemen Live at Drury Lane' was an expectional live performance of their material & was significantly different from the actual TV scripts...take note...'Drury Lane' NOT 'Drewery Lane' (as you had written it).
By the way, the film was one of the most original & intelligent British films in years...not a TV spin-off (maybe thats why some fans were disappointed - the sort of fans who think the Gents are just a slightly darker version of 'Little Britain'...if certain fans think this is what the Gents are all about, then they obviously haven't watched, know about or 'get' their TV series very well!)
I couldn't agree more with you.Seems some people just want the same thing repeated over and over again.The league are constantly changing but hey little britain has like 1 idea and everyone thinks its the best thing..........LOG has always been more than just a comedy show-more horror influenced than anything and bringing in the animation was a superb idea-still i suppose some here would prefer crappy hollywood CGI.............
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framer94, you're a total *beep*
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I did enjoy the film, and appreciated it more after further viewings as I think it takes a little time to get into "The King's Evil" segment, or accept characters like Briss and Geoff in major roles, but there was a lot of cringe-worthy moments and times when it seemed as though the League were turning their back on their more intelligent, individual humour and opting for an easier route to gain a few laughs.
For example, barely any of the main characters represent what they were like in the television series. Pauline is lacking her bitterness, and only speaks a few, rather mundane lines and both Tubbs and Edward are less sinister and come across as very dumbed down. It was nice to see Bernice getting more to do than she usually does though, and even though she was never consistently funny in the television series, the fair amount of screen time she gets in the movie does help carve out the character a bit more (kind of like her appearance in the Xmas special, where she had her moments of comedy, but came across well in the more subtle, serious scenes). I think the same could be said of Geoff, who goes from being a nasty, aggressive maniac in the television series' to an actual rounded character that actually helps hold the film together really well.
However, there's just one too many lines that are too simplistic and lacking of the League's usual style. One that sticks out for me is the fleeting appearance of Barbara with the rather obvious "I've been seen such a heavy flow since my last period". Funny all the same, but it's a bit more in your face, than what you might expect from the League and seems the sort of dialogue that dismiss when writing for television.
Anyway, i think the film really does polarize opinion when it comes to the League's fans. It's definately a big step away from the TV series, and although i suppose you have to respect what the League were trying to do, it's still perhaps too far from it's origins so for every fan to love it.
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Tom Green is desperatly unfunny.
I think the guys in the LOG were trying new things, instead of trading the same old ground. I can see why.
This, or the 3rd series were different to the first 2, not worse,
I liked all of it.
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If you thought it was a sketch show this is probably where your going wrong. Did you watch them chronologically (?spelling?). There's an ongoing story flowing through the first two series and some of it's loose ends are tied up in series three.
Series three is my personal favourite, just when they were in danger of getting a little repetitive (like little britain) they come up with something different. I loved it.
Personally I think for the most part they continually improve. I admit that this film could have been better but I still enjoyed it. I was a little worried they were losing it though, but my faith was restored when I went to see the live show "League Of Gentlemen are behind you". I think it was easily the best, darkest, funniest and wrongest work they've done. Long may it continue.
well u must be strange or some kind of weirdo cos this film was funny , smart , cool and just great
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This film is poor- a neat idea which was carried out reasonably well by Wes Cravens New Nightmare, but just doesnt work here.
Kudo's for the team for trying something new but in comparison to other LOG stuff it fallls flat on its face.
Unlike many of my mates I loves season 3, even though it paled in comparison to the first two. The xmas special however was perhaps the scariest and funniest things I have ever witnessed - simply stunning, and would have been a great cinema release.
It shouldnt have been released as its not up to the same standard of brilliance of the tv show, but how someone can diss shaun of the dead over this I cant understand.
In this most the time is spent on the complicated plot rather than jokes (I get the impression previous LOG sketches were based around absurd situatins and the characters themselves). Although focusing on the plot is always good, I feel the writers compensated the comedy with the overall story.
As I'm a fan and I didnt like it very much, I hate to think what people who have never seen the show felt.
I thought the movie was on par with series three = utter rubbish
shareIf you want simple comedy watch Little Britian and Bottom. If you have a brain watch any of the LOG. There is some much more to the LOG than most people realise.
shareI think it gets better each time you watch it, but i remember the first few times hiw disjointed the 'kill the king' subplot felt from the rest of the film, it was almost like it was there just to fill time. There was some great things to come from it though, expecially developing Geoff Tipps more, i thought he was a surprisingly good lead.
shareI thought the way the film was set out with them meeting their characters and everything was extremely clever. I found the film very funny too
SKEWED BEEF, HAF ANY BODY GOT ANY BOKLE AV ARAN DOOVE? The League Of Gentlemen
There was some great things to come from it though, expecially developing Geoff Tipps more, i thought he was a surprisingly good lead.
LETS FACE IT. NO FILM IS BETTER THAN THE SERIES ON WHICH THEY ARE BASED. I LOVED THIS FILM. IT HAD TO HAVE A SLOWER PACING THAN THE SERIES THOUGH TO ESTABLISH SCENES AND A GENERAL STORY. THE THING WITH THE FILM WAS THAT THEY HAD TO EXPLAIN THE CHARACTERS TO LET THE VIEWERS WHO WERE NOT PRIVVY TO THE SERIES KNOW WHAT WAS GOING ON.
Little strokes fell great oaks!
it is A disjointed incoherent mess but its far from unfunny
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