Don't listen to the negative reviews

The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

'They go boom' was one of the first talkie Laurel and Hardy efforts and sets the standard for the physical punishment that Hardys character would endure in many shorts there-after.The nice touch with this film is that whilst as per usual Ollie has to suffer at the innocent but destructive hands of Stan, including the usual nasty knocks complemented by anguished looks to camera, this time he takes it whilst suffering a nasty cold.Highlights include a classic 'nail in water-pipe' incident, air mattress explosion, multiple head knocks and an overblown air mattress and through the laughter you are only human if you feel just a little sympathy for Ollie.Definitely one of the best Laurel and Hardy shorts to catch if like me, you're a fan of the slapstick humour and find nothing funnier than Oliver Hardy getting hurt, then sharing his pain with the audience so convincingly.

They Go Boom! (1929) *** (out of 4) Hardy has a cold so it's up to Laurel to try and find a cure so that they can get a good night's sleep. Highlights include the mustard bath and the exploding mattress.Leave 'Em Laughing (1928) ** 1/2 (out of 4) Laurel is suffering from a toothache so Hardy takes him to the dentist who accidentally fills them with laughing gas. The early gags of Hardy trying to pull the tooth are funny but the ending with the cars goes on a bit too long and gets rather tiresome.One Good Turn (1931) ** 1/2 (out of 4)L&H set out to raise $100 when they overhear an elderly woman say she's going to be evicted. Not too many laughs in this one outside the opening sequence in the woods. Thicker Than Water (1935) ** 1/2 (out of 4)Laurel and Hardy waste $300 on a grandfather clock so Hardy's wife hits him with a frying pan and sends him to the hospital. Again, not too funny and the worst part is the ending where the two change personalities. This here should have been a lot funnier than it turned out.

Perhaps it's because that this movie is probably the Laurel & Hardy short I've seen most in my life that I got sort of tiresome of watching it but I don't find this movie to be the most hilarious or best constructed and executed Laurel & Hardy comedy short around. But you know, when you watch this movie objectively just for what it is, so not necessarily as a part of the Laurel & Hardy shorts alone you have to conclude that this is a pretty entertaining and fun little movie.The movie its premise is extremely simple and gives both Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardsy to let their comical talents shine, since they're basically the only two actors in the movie, except for the last couple of minutes in which Laurel & Hardy regular Charlie Hall, among others, shows up as the landlord. The comical routines are rather simple but I guess they are effective enough, since they surely amuse. It just isn't the most hilarious or imaginative Laurel & Hardy comedy around but that doesn't of course mean that this movie is bad or not entertaining.7/10http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/

I haven't seen many of the Laurel and Hardy shorts, but I was up in time this morning to catch this one. It is a diamond to behold. Oliver Hardy has the cold and Stan Laurel tries to cure him with his bumbling antics. By the end they have the bed up to the ceiling!These shorts are very funny. If you haven't seen them yet, do so!