The Boys in Blue (1982)

Don't listen to the negative reviews

It is not deep, but it is fun to watch. It does have a bit more of an edge to it than other similar films.

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

Sgt Tommy Cannon and PC Bobby Ball are a two-man law enforcement operation working in Little Botham (pronounced 'bottom'). They are successful not because they are good at their job but merely because little to no crime occurs in their sleepy little village. As a result, Ball moonlights (or daylights in this case) as a shop owner while 'romancing' village cook Kim (Suzanne Danielle).Since Little Botham police station is surplus to requirements and will be merged with other stations in the vicinity under the exasperated supervision of the chief constable (Eric Sykes) Cannon and Ball's jobs as policemen are on the line. After ruining the chief constable's car at the start of the film, Cannon and Ball devise a way to keep themselves employed by looking for crime to justify their pay-packet. They call on new resident Hilling (Edward Judd) and Lloyd the businessman (Roy Kinnear who had the best lines in the film) for inspiration and devise a framing operation involving theft of Lloyd's artwork but find themselves engaged in a real crime involving art smuggling and a UFO...The film, as previously mentioned by others, was loosely based on 'Ask a policeman' featuring Will Hay and Graham Moffatt. There are similarities to the original but Cannon looked too sophisticated to rival Hay's blustering Samuel Dudfoot and Bobby Ball didn't have the boyhood charm of Albert Brown. The original film had a headless horseman sub-plot and The Boys in Blue used the same plot device but instead opted for a UFO (probably to keep the budget down as the flickering lights from the UFO seemed to reveal a police car underneath if you look carefully). However, The Boys in Blue referred more to the Headless Horseman, including the rhyme from the original film, than the UFO making the whole thing redundant if not absolutely confusing.The problem with Cannon and Ball's roles as policemen was they didn't really fit their temperaments. I know the double act were trying to show how inept they were in their roles of authority but out of all the characters in the film (including the smugglers) it is Cannon and Ball who come across as the most aggressive, shouting and pulling each other about and Ball threatening to strangle a farmer. He was close to headbutting Cannon twice in one scene! They probably would have been better cast as the smugglers rather than the coppers.There were various veterans of the day in bit-parts but you probably wouldn't notice them for different reasons. Jack Douglas was superintendent but played his role straight rather than use his Alf Ippititimus persona like he did in the Carry on films. Dr Who veteran and Worzel Gummidge star Jon Pertwee had a small but amiable part as a polite rascal coastguard who puts his lamp on the police station roof. Billy Burden and Arthur English have very small acting roles as sheep and pig farmers. You would barely recognise Arthur English and this leads me into my first issue with the film... A major problem was the lack of lighting (Arthur English's role occurred in complete darkness and only knew it was him because I recognised his voice). Most of the film was set either in the dimly lit police station or in darkness and I found it unintentionally funny that you could barely see what was going on yet heard this blaring Magnum P.I type action music in the background. The ending featured a chase between Cannon and Ball and the smugglers which was fairly identical to the original apart from the introduction of passengers that leapt on to the bus during the chase. I was quite surprised they survived as the bus collided with the smugglers car head on before the hapless duo walked off into the sunset.The soundtrack 'The Boys in Blue' was quite catchy and those lyrics were so profound...Heh heh, a bit of sarcasm on the last bit..."We're the boys in blue...Woo-woo-woo-woo...We're the boys in blue...Woo-woo-woo woooo..."The film is an awful mess though despite the very low mark it is watchable in the right mood and typical of what Cannon and Ball provided for people on Saturday nights on their ITV show. I suppose the question ought to be asked why it was made in the first place unless it was just a vehicle to raise Cannon and Ball's profile (which it failed to do). I place the film The Boys in Blue under arrest for gross incompetence. ;-)

this is a remake of a great will hay comedy "Ask A Policeman".However when they wrote the script for this heap of rubbish they must have edited the humour out.Everything is simply dire.Cannon and Ball simply cannot act their way out of a paper bag.The story is feeble and fine actors such as Roy Kinnear and Eric Sykes are totally wasted.The photography is similar to what you would expect on a TV sitcom and what on earth Val Guest was doing directing this film is beyond my ken.Was he that desperate to make a film that he signed on to this.that the rank Organisation were prepared to distribute it says a lot about their ambition at the time.Little surprise that their distribution arm closed within a short time.Everyone associated with this should be ashamed of themselves.

Contrary to other comments this is a British classic. If you're not a Cannon & Ball fan - don't read on - in fact, why watch it??!! True "CannonBallians" will relish in the banter between two of the top comedy double acts.Never again, alas, will we see the likes of Roy Kinnear ("If I 'ad a secretary, I'd 'ave someone with something that bounces up & down when she's typing <wheezy laugh>") or Jon Pertwee ("That's very kind of you I'm sure - such heartwarming social sentiments are hard to find in these grasping avericious days") but they are immortalised here.My personal favourite is the "somebody at the door" scene - but there are plenty of others to have you in stitches including "I'm going to lend you me Monarch of the Glen"!!!!Top marks for a top film!

The only film made by the UK comedy duo, and like Morecambe & Wise, their films never live up to the comedy they're supposed to!!! However, this low budget british made effort is very good. Based on the classic Will Hay Ask a Policeman film the plot is basically the same, smugglers and two incompetent policemen, namely Cannon and Ball. The laughs are silly and childish, like Carry On... humour but all in all an easy to watch afternoon type movie.