Adams5905 Tripe, drivel, rubbish, crap, dross, whatever you call it, it's still the same thing. This film missed the genuine sparkle contained within the book, which was a silly story about a silly person doing something silly. I've (obviously) read the book, and loved it! This tries much too hard to be funny, and as a result, falls flat. Tony Hawks' comedy is minutely observational, and can be cripplingly funny (see his website), so you would imagine he'd be a gifted scriptwriter. This steaming pile, however, is didacticism at its worst. Pity he didn't get his pal, Arthur Smith involved!.. I managed a whole hour, but it felt much longer. It started slow (not a bad thing), and slowed down! TH's career has stalled recently, so I guess this was a way to pay the mortgage!..Turn over, and watch the weather channel instead, it would certainly be more instructive, and may even be funnier!..Better still, read the book!..Here's hoping his next project, an adaptation of another of his books, 'Playing the Moldovans' at Tennis is better...

Spikeopath Tony Hawks, a British comedian, actor and author took a drunken bet one night that he could hitch-hike around the coast of Ireland with a fridge in tow. He did it and wrote a best selling book about his adventure. The book tells of the wonderful array of characters he met on his travels, the places he visited, some good, some bad, and how something so normal as a small fridge managed to become some sort of beacon of hope for humanity. The book, in short, is an often hilarious read that quite possibly ranks as one of the finest human interest stories written in the comedy field.The film is awful. Containing neither the feel or many of the joyous instances in the book, Hawks' film version is propelled by a heavy reliance on romance and a distinct lack of comedy. Skip it and read the book instead. Tony Hawks I could flipping kill you for letting this dirge come out on tape. 2/10

iainidc The book 'Round Ireland with a Fridge' is a great read and its author, Tony Hawks, comes across as someone you'd happily stop to offer a lift to or spend a pleasant few hours exchanging amusing anecdotes down your local pub with. The film attempts to recreate the same light-hearted tone as the book; Hawks is engaging in the central role, coming across as a slightly world-weary individual who is searching for his raison d'etre in the most preposterous of situations. The film never quite matches the subtle humour of the book; nor does it do itself any favours with the portrayal of some of the characters who come across as somewhat clichéd in a 'Father Ted' kind of way (though Sean Hughes is good in a brief cameo appearance). Expect gently amusing rather than laugh out loud but with a fair degree of charm, a fine soundtrack and the likable Hawks as a genial travelling companion this is worth a watch, especially for fans of the book.

thenewt50 So having just returned from the world premier of 'Round Ireland with a Fridge' I felt compelled to put the word out...What a fantastic film! People always say 'oh the film is never as good as the book' but in this case I would not agree. Obviously it differs from the book in certain parts, but it's a film and the book's a book so they are different forms of media (if you haven't read the book, you definitely should). The film has a really rounded-story feel to it, leaving you feeling as if you have seen a complete story which is rare nowadays as most people are hoping for a sequel! It was a warming film about a guy (who's nice in real life!), a bet with his mate and a fridge (an obvious must for a film about hitchhiking!) with loads of good gags in it. I can imagine the fun it would be to be in the room with Tony Hawks and Ed Bye as they write the jokes! During the credits you'll see that quite a lot of the lovely music throughout the film was actually done by Tony Hawks himself which is quite impressive and just goes to show how much personal effort has gone into the film, and it shows.It had a loads of good characters with a good general positive feel about all of them, beautiful scenery, good gags and a fridge! Lots of little jokes as well such as the 'Fridge D'Or production company' (shame on you if you don't get it) Well worth going out to the cinema to watch!Look out for Tony Hawks' other films, would be a shame to let good examples of books-being-done-well-as-films pass you by!Oh, why 9 out of 10 you cry? Well only because of one thing... People were laughing/talking over a nice little joke at the end of the credits (fridge related of course). Other than that, top film and perfect evening.