Don't panic! (Sorry couldn't resist) but really...actually...don't. For all the silent uproar and quiet disquiet when the big screen version of the Brit sitcom icon was announced, Dad's Army the movie was not quite as bad as it was initially made out to be, at least I didn't think so.
I mean yes, OK it is not the original, Arthur Lowe is not popping up, life is not completely idyllic in Walmington-On-Sea. But in all honesty and complete fairness, the idea of this film was never to replicate the original, as I think everyone knew from the start that this would be impossible. No, I do really feel the idea was to present a passable, watchable and affectionate homage and tribute to what is potentially Britain's best loved sitcom.
And broadly speaking, I think they managed it. There were no moments when I recently watched it on Sky that made me angrily throw things around and expel expletives because they had blatantly and disgustingly insulted the memory of the original Dad's Army. No instead I found myself smiling in silent admiration for how they managed to execute the film without incident, and I mean that in the best possible way. There were a few moments of not quite laugh-out-loud hilarity but were chuckle-inducing, with a stonkingly talented cast, a plot and script well done and at the end of the day you can just picture the likes of Lowe and Le Mesurier getting up to just the same sorts of antics that Toby Jones and Bill Nighy got up to in this film.
To me, whilst not a triumph, it was certainly not a disaster by any means,
I mentioned the killer cast and to my mind this is what prevents this film from falling into the realms of pale karaoke imitation. In several places I even feel the casting and acting actually had the potential to elevate the film beyond the original series.
I mentioned Bill Nighy and Toby Jones as Wilson and Mainwaring, and like their original predecessors this unlikely yet lovable double-act are the stars of the show. Huge depth of characterisation, ease and charm in abundance and a natural chemistry that just makes you happy. Add to that a stellar list of names and you cannot help but smile. The likes of Catherine Zeta-Jones and Felicity Montagu (brilliantly cast as Mrs Mainwaring) add a touch of the new, but otherwise it is the same well-trodden and loved characters with slightly different faces. Sarah Lancashire I felt was brilliantly delicious and did not have nearly enough screen time. Michael Gambon I found to be brilliant as per, and the casting of him and the likes of acting powerhouse Tom Courtenay as Lance Corporal "Don't Panic" Jones not only gave new outlets for the timeless comedy but also actually provided such acting power that real and true gravitas and emotion could occasionally peep through too, the likes of which you rarely saw in the original TV series.
Yes maybe the ultimate purist would not take to this film, though I imagine the ultimate Dad's Army purist would not entertain any other alternative to the original. I for one as a fan of the old guard and a fan of the team assembled to create this 21st century film version found it to be a pleasant 100 minutes, and surely no cause for disgust or alarm, rather a pleasant reflection upon and appreciation of the great Dad's Army.
