Sorry, this movie sucks

Simply A Masterpiece

It's not great by any means, but it's a pretty good movie that didn't leave me filled with regret for investing time in it.

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

Hardy is in love but his inamorata, Jeannie Weeny, jilts him so he joins the Foreign Legion, taking Laurel along with him. It's rough duty. After the usual hi-jinx, Laurel and Hardy managed to save Fort Arid from a Riffian attack by sprinkling tacks all over the place. And Hardy discovers that everyone, from the other recruits to the Arab chieftain, are carrying the same autographed photo of Jeannie Weeny.It's amusing in a way that had become routine with Laurel and Hardy, and I found it most enjoyable when it was watched with my ten-year-old kid. It may be typical for Laurel and Hardy but it's still distracting. It might be that, if you're in the wrong mood, it won't clear the bar.

Okay, I know "tweener" isn't really a word, but it's the best way to describe this film. Unlike most of the Laurel and Hardy comedies that run from 18 to 20 minutes, this one is an odd-ball that is 37 minutes long--in between the length of their shorts and the full-length films they made. Now this COULD have been a problem, as in some of the longer Laurel and Hardy films, greater length meant less laughs and a lot of padding. However, this time it all worked out well and it's a very good and worthwhile outing.The film begins with Ollie pining over the loss of his girlfriend. He's so upset that he decides he AND Stanley should join the Foreign Legion in order to forget (something Stan usually has no trouble doing). Once there, Ollie finds that MOST of the men are there to forget,...the exact SAME girl!!! This quickly erases her from his mind, but for some odd reason the commandant doesn't understand and let them just go home (this is sarcasm, by the way). In fact, they are constantly in trouble because of their efforts to escape and only in the end do they redeem themselves.By the way, if the film sounds a tad familiar, it's because the movie is a lot like their full-length film FLYING DEUCES. However, DEUCES is not a particularly well-made film and most of the jokes aren't that funny (particularly the reincarnation one at the end). Plus, DEUCES is about 20 minutes longer. Sometimes less IS more! Finally, if you look at the photo of Ollie's ex-sweetie, you might notice who this is. It's an early photo of Jean Harlow--they way she looked when she was under contract to Hal Roach and before her drastic makeover circa 1932.

Spurned by his beautiful fiancée, Oliver decides to take Stanley and join the foreign legion. Once there he finds his fiancée has travelled more than him and decides to leave, but it is too late. The pair go off on training but then the siege of a nearby fort in the desert means they will see more action than expected.One of the best things about Christmas is that the TV channels need to fill the schedules with films etc that feel different from the usual daytime stuff they cram on. One of the ways they do this is mini-seasons of work from various people or themes etc. One such this year has been Laurel and Hardy films and I'm very glad. This film was one I hadn't seen before but it was very funny.The film has really good set pieces but also a running gag that I didn't see coming so I won't spoil it for anyone else. I'm a big fan so I may be a little biased but I be surprised is anyone sat through this without laughing at least a few times. Both the leads are on top form and both have their little things that get me every time – Oliver's looks to camera and Stan's double takes at innocent objects in the background.Overall this is pure gold with hardly a slow moment, even the jokes that were signposted as coming (the spring in the chair) made me laugh out loud. Good for fans and non-fans alike.

A LAUREL & HARDY Comedy Short.Suffering from a failed love affair, Ollie drags Stan off to join the French Foreign Legion. Once in the desert, their merry mix ups cause much mayhem. The BEAU HUNKS are soon sent to relieve an isolated fort, but arrive just in time to endure a fierce Arab attack...A bit longer & more elaborate than most of the Boys' short subjects. Stan & Ollie were excellent at this kind of farce; they provide lots of laughs as they try to act like competent Legionaries. As an added treat, Ollie gets to sing 'I Love You' in that wonderfully nostalgic high tenor voice of his.