IanPhillips
Now, I love the Carry On films, but this is, by far, my least favourite. The whole film feels really awkward as there's lots of painfully drawn out dialogue with no punchlines and equally painfully drawn out scenes that just feel like time-fillers. The film doesn't really go anywhere and the younger performers seem a little static and unable to mould into the traditional Carry On spirit, despite their best efforts. Kenneth Connor and Windsor Davis do their best but poor Joan Sims is completely wasted with only a handful of lines. The performances from the likes of Judy Geeson and some of the other younger performers feel uncomfortably forced. Just didn't make me laugh and didn't feel like a true Carry On. Very flat throughout and just pathetic. A terrible waste.
bkoganbing
At a point when a lot of armies were becoming fully integrated with women taking more active combat roles Carry On England was woefully out of date as the Carry On troupe took on the RAF in its glory days as a subject for satire. This film must have drawn a lot of feminist ire and fire when it came out because it portrayed women both as sex objects and the men and women with nothing else on their minds even as Nazi Germany was perilously close to invading the United Kingdom.Kenneth Connor bellows his way through the role of a new commanding officer taking over a group of RAF ground personnel who staff an anti aircraft gun in a remote part of the country and they've never seen hide nor hair of any Luftwaffe types. In fact this unit is coed with the boys and girls just doing what boys and girls do. The women are headed by Judy Geeson and she's just as interested in kanoodling as the men. Connor tries every wile and stratagem with a most reluctant Sergeant Major Windsor Davies to instill some discipline in the ranks to no avail.A pity that Sid James, Charles Hawtrey, and Kenneth Williams were not available apparently, but I doubt any of them could have saved this one. The series was sputtering to a conclusion with gags that were either forced, unfunny or both.And Carry On England is quite a put down to women.
clangfield
I have just watched this on DVD - one feels obliged having been given the box set - and yes, it's still terrible. Whilst I would in no way wish to defend it, I would take issue with the following earlier comments:1) Although Sid was a big miss (as were Kenny and Charlie), how would he have improved the film? He wouldn't have improved on Windsor Davies' definitive Sergeant Major, and frankly there wasn't really anything else he could have done. I also think he might well have been losing his edge by then anyway: the performance in Carry On Dick was well below par, in particular contrast to Don't Lose Your Head of which it had many echoes.2) Peter Butterworth's apparent boredom may have been in character: he was after all being bored constantly by the Brigadier's witticisms. He may equally have been bored with the film, one can't really tell.3) Major discovery - THERE IS ACTUALLY A FUNNY LINE. It's well hidden and one has to be a certain demographic (ie over 45 and British) to appreciate it fully. Towards the end, as they are running to the gun, one can just pick out Windsor Davies' encouragement: "Sixpence for every one you shoot down. Two bob if it's a German!" One can imagine that being said in reality at the time.Shame about the preceding 80 minutes though.
Jackson Booth-Millard
The critics give this one star out of five, Carry On Abroad was a little sour, and this is worse. Most of the regular actors are out of it: Bernard Bresslaw (busy?), Charles Hawtrey (departed the series), Sid James (dead), Hattie Jacques (busy?), Kenneth Williams (busy) and Barbara Windsor (refused), so you're obviously going to be disappointed. The only regulars still there are Kenneth Connor, Joan Sims and Peter Butterworth. Anyway, basically it is World War II, and Captain S. Melly (Kenneth Connor) takes over as the new Commanding Officer at an experimental mixed sex air defence base. The soldiers should be preparing for attacks and stuff, but they are more interested in getting off with each other. Melly has plans to stop this and be a very hateful leader, making the soldiers rebel in whatever way they can think of. Starring It Ain't Half Hot Mum's Windsor Davies Sergeant-Major 'Tiger' Bloomer, Patrick Mower as Sergeant Len Able, Judy Geeson as Sergeant Tilly Willing, Jack Douglas as Bombardier Ready, Diane Langton as Private Alice Easy, Melvyn Hayes as Gunner Shorthouse, Joan Sims as Private Jennifer Ffoukes-Sharpe, Peter Jones as Brigadier, Peter Butterworth as Major Carstairs, David Lodge as Captain Bull, Julian Holloway as Major Butcher and Coronation Street's Johnny Briggs as Melly's Driver. I might have giggled (not laughed) at the shouting of the Sergeant-Major, and a little innuendo, but that's it, the rest is complete crap, don't bother with it. Poor!
AD
