Aging Into (Almost) Parody: Never Say Never Again!

The Good: Decent concept, Good cast
The Bad: No stellar performances, Very predictable plot
The Basics: Sean Connery’s return to the James Bond franchise was Never Say Never Again, which is an erratic, not terribly exciting spy film.


One of two James Bond films released in 1983, Never Say Never Again takes a lot of hits for presenting an older James Bond. As Sean Connery was lured back into the role of James Bond for a film that used elements from the original script for Thunderball, Never Say Never Again went against Octopussy at the box office (they were released a few months apart) and it is derided by fans of the James Bond franchise because it was not produced by the same production company as the rest of the franchise. While there are problems with Never Say Never Again, the general concept of the film is actually one of the better ones.

Like similar films, Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan (reviewed here!) and The Dark Knight Rises (reviewed here!), Never Say Never Again focuses on an aging protagonist who has become disillusioned with his purpose and place in an organization that he once believed in. James Bond in Never Say Never Again is essentially working in retirement (he has been retasked from the field to teaching the next generation of spies for MI-6). The themes of aging are executed with tongue-in-cheek humor (as Bond is assigned to destroy free radicals in his body and go on a diet), so Bond is not portrayed with a brooding quality (in contrast to Admiral Kirk in Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan or Bruce Wayne in The Dark Knight Rises). This diminishes the chance to bring some real character development to 007, James Bond, by truly shaking up the character. Instead after several jokes about his change in status from active agent to teacher, Bond returns to form.

After a training exercise in which Bond finds himself stabbed by the woman he was tasked to rescue, an aging James Bond is called before M for evaluation. The new M is not a fan of the “00” spies and after spending most of his time teaching, James Bond is told to start living a healthier life. Meanwhile SPECTRE has regained much of its former power and it has a new plot brewing. Having made an Air Force officer into a heroin addict and replaced his eye so it has the same retinal pattern as the American President, SPECTRE infiltrates the same hospital/spa that James Bond is staying at. When Bond is attacked by a SPECTRE thug, SPECTRE Agent 12 gets away with the Air Force Agent. After Jack infiltrates an Air Force facility, he successfully steals two warheads before he is killed by Fatima (12).

Extorted by Blofeld and billionaire industrialist Maximilian Largo, the Brits decide to reactivate the “00” program and bring James Bond back into the field. In an attempt to find where Blofeld has moved the bombs, Bond hunts Maximilian Largo. He gets close to Domino Petachi (Jack’s sister), who is dominated (essentially held hostage with emotional manipulation and weapons) by Largo. Largo sets a psychopathic Fatima against Bond and after dispatching her, Bond infiltrates Largo’s boat. Aided by Domino (who no knows about how her brother was used and killed by Largo), Bond works to recover the nuclear bombs and stop Largo.

Never Say Never Again includes all of the familiar elements of the James Bond film and, unfortunately, it does so without any genuine flair or originality. There are the obligatory chase scenes and the soundtrack that telegraphs the scene’s emotion. Bond is suitably heroic and is aided with gadgets from Q (in this case a pen gun and a rocket-enhanced motorbike). He beds a number of women based on his alleged charisma (Connery does not use his twinkling eyes or energetic smile to get laid in the film, so his multiple encounters feel more forced than organic) and is up against an adversary who has virtually limitless power and a tragic flaw. While he is obsessed with Domino, Largo’s real flaw is that he is batshit crazy and executes a ridiculous plan for SPECTRE that, because they go along with it, only seems to undermine SPECTRE’s fearsome quality. They are not the anti-MI-6; they are just an international cartel of thugs who have attracted psychopaths and crazed billionaires to their ranks.

In true James Bond form, Never Say Never Again includes a villain who is stupid enough to divulge his plans to the hero before he leaves James Bond to die. Why Largo does not kill Bond after telling him the location of the bombs is something of a mystery. But what Never Say Never Again truly lacks is a ticking clock, a sense of tension. Sure, Bond is hunting for stolen nuclear weapons, but Largo is in no hurry to use them and the film lacks a dramatic edge that makes the viewer actually care about the ordeals Bond is going through. Until the very end of the film, Bond is not on a particularly tight timetable to accomplish his goals.

Also unremarkable in Never Say Never Again is the acting. Sean Connery wanders his way through the role of James Bond and Kim Basinger is stiff more often than not as Domino. Bernie Casey and Rowan Atkinson steal their scenes as Felix Leiter and Small-Fawcett, respectively, though their parts are essentially sidekick and comic relief. Klaus Maria Brandauer plays Largo without any flair and between his performance and the lines for the character, Largo never truly comes to life. The failure for the film to address the key question of why Largo (who is rich enough to have virtually anything in the world) would get mixed up in the convoluted SPECTRE plot at the same time he is expanding his business enterprises to dominate the oil industry severely undermines the character. Largo becomes just a generic billionaire industrialist villain in Never Say Never Again.

While there are moments that Never Say Never Again shows potential, much of the film is slow-moving and uninspired, making the viewer wonder why Connery bothered to return to the franchise at all . . . instead of being thrilled that he showed up for the film.

For other James Bond films, please check out my reviews of:
Dr. No
From Russia With Love
Goldfinger
Thunderball
You Only Live Twice
On Her Majesty's Secret Service
Diamonds Are Forever
Live And Let Die
The Man With The Golden Gun
The Spy Who Loved Me
Moonraker
For Your Eyes Only
Octopussy
A View To A Kill
Die Another Day
Casino Royale
Quantum Of Solace
Skyfall

3/10

See how this film stacks up against every other movie I have reviewed by visiting my Movie Review Index Page for a relativistic listing!

© 2014 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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As Much As I Love Blackadder, Blackadder Back And Forth Is A Tough Sell To Non-fans!

The Good: Moments of humor, Some decent acting, Good-enough DVD bonus features.
The Bad: Repetitive humor from the series, Requires a lot of information not in episode, SHORT!
The Basics: A curtain call made for the fans, Blackadder Back And Forth is a Blackadder time travel adventure that puts the series to rest well!


For those who might not follow my reviews regularly, with this review, I have now finished my review of all things Blackadder, but do not despair! Coming this month and until I am done with them will be reviews of the episodes of Monty Python's Flying Circus! Yes, I cater to geek culture! The truth is, the two collections of British comedies are truly great and worthwhile ones and while I ultimately "recommend" Blackadder Back And Forth, my real recommendation is always going to be that people go out and buy The Complete Blackadder (reviewed here!) instead, as the complete collection is a far better overall value.

But on its own, Blackadder Back And Forth reunites the principle players in the Blackadder saga for one last go-around. It is more an homage to the series Blackadder than it is a standalone episode, but at a little over the thirty minute mark, Blackadder Back And Forth caps off the franchise in a way that has the distinction of not being as depressing as the episode "Goodbyeee" (reviewed here!) did. Fans of the franchise are likely to enjoy that as there was such melancholy in the last moments of that other episode. And while several of the performers are showing their age and while many of the jokes are so similar to those from the television series, Blackadder Back And Forth makes for a decent addition to the franchise and sends it out on a high note.

Edmund Blackadder is throwing a party for his friends on the eve of the Millennium changeover, December 31, 1999. As his witless friend friend George goes on about an optimistic future and his religious comrades Melchard and Darling back him up, Edmund finds himself disagreeing. Instead, he takes the much more bleak view that humanity is filled with wars, pestilence and horror that shall not simply be overturned with the changing of the date. The point becomes moot when the party begins to break up because of the cooking of Edmund's septic tank cleaner, Baldrick. To scam his friends - which seems pretty easy in the case of the lushy Elizabeth - Edmund introduces his friends to his newly-built time machine with which he wagers he can retrieve objects from the past in order to win bets with each.

Much to the surprise of Blackadder and Baldrick, the time machine Baldrick has built from one of DaVinci's notebook's plans actually works! Instead of having to scam his friends, Edmund and Baldrick kill off the dinosaurs using Baldrick's trousers before acquiring the authentic items Edmund promised his friends, plus a Shakespeare autograph! Upon returning to the present, though - after discovering themselves lost in time for a period - Blackadder and Baldrick discover their meddling with time has irrevocably changed history and they must attempt to undo some of their temporal infractions!

Because this is a comedy, things are hardly ever as dire as they might seem. So, for example, upon returning to the present, Blackadder discovers no one is impressed that he has William Shakespeare's autograph. Shakespeare, having taken a berating and a beating from Edmund on behalf of four hundred years of students, apparently took the ball-point pen Edmund had him sign the title page to The Tragedy Of MacBeth with and became known instead as the inventor of the ball-point pen! Shakespeare is played brilliantly in a cameo by Collin Firth and Firth is given surprisingly little to do, save be kicked by Atkinson's Blackadder. Firth pulls off the humor well, though, as he takes on a nervous affect and takes the beating.

Fans of the Blackadder franchise will enjoy the return to one of the most popular settings: the court of Queen Elizabeth the first. Edmund finds himself there and bribes her with a Lifesaver mint, which saves his life from the mood swings of the queen. Of course Melchard is there as well, but fans are likely to enjoy the five frames on screen Nursie has in the scene! There is a feeling of returning home with wonderful, beloved characters and it works perfectly in Blackadder Back And Forth.

Not content to simply recycle and revisit the already established Blackadder time periods, Blackadder Back And Forth presents at least two periods unique to this presentation. Viewers are treated to the Roman version of Blackadder - who complains wickedly about Hadran's wall - and to an encounter with Robin Hood and Maid Marion. Hood is an extension of the jokes with Flashheart from the series as he is an oversexed, somewhat crazed man whom Edmund escapes using his cunning. And Robin Hood is played by the same actor who played Flashheart and it is a welcome reprisal.

As well, the battle of Waterloo is featured, which allows viewers to see the past Darlings! In fact, Tim McInnerny's scenes are largely independent of Atkinson's and those who love the franchise might similarly be disappointed by the lack of screentime Hugh Laurie has as George. The actors successfully step back into the shoes of their established characters and in that way, Blackadder Back And Forth works.

But it is Rowan Atkinson and Tony Robinson who rule the Blackadder saga and this is still the case in Blackadder Back And Forth. Atkinson is sarcastic and debonair as Edmund and Robinson is appropriately clueless as Baldrick. Still, too many of their lines are delivered for the audience, as opposed to in character. So, when Robinson delivers his catchphrase about having a cunning plan, he draws it out, almost like he is saying good-bye to the line. Again, this is wonderful for the fans, but it holds up poorly for random viewers.

On DVD, Blackadder Back And Forth has a video diary of the Blackadder saga and a function that explains the historical allusions some might not otherwise get. There is no commentary track and fans might well be left feeling like it is ultimately a draw. Those who have not been into Blackadder will likely find things like the mechanic Tyrannosaurus Rex and the space battle effects utterly campy, but those who love British comedies will appreciate the camp quality.

In other words, Blackadder Back And Forth is best appreciated by the fans as the humor in it tends to be so self-referential as to be stifling to those not already invested in the series. And for those who are, there might be no greater good-bye than this one.

For other works featuring Colin Firth, please check out my reviews of:
The King's Speech
A Christmas Carol
Love Actually
Bridget Jones's Diary
Shakespeare In Love
The English Patient


5.5/10

For other television reviews, please be sure to check out my index page on the subject by clicking here!

© 2012, 2009 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Daring To Not Be Funny As Blackadder Goes Forth Reaches Its End!

The Good: Funny, Poignant, Some decent performances
The Bad: Medium
The Basics: Blackadder Goes Forth closes with "Part 2," a generally darker video to embody the darkness of the Great War.


Sometimes, there is an instinct within me to bump some of my favorite things up a notch or two just because I enjoy them and with the Blackadder saga, I have found I have held to my standards pretty well over reviewing the different seasons and episodes. So when I reached the final episodes of the final regular television series of Blackadder - Blackadder Goes Forth - I found myself actually having to review my objective standards to not rate the tape, Blackadder Goes Forth Part 2 too high. This is because the video has three episodes, one great, one good and one terrible.

As always, I find myself in this case griping some about the medium: Blackadder Goes Forth on video could have fit the entire series on a single video, so splitting it into "Part 1" and "Part 2" is somewhat wasteful, even for VHS. And while I ultimately recommend this video, it is a much better deal to find the episodes on DVD. This final tape for Blackadder Goes Forth has the last three episodes of that series, with "Private Plane," "General Hospital" and "Goodbyeee."

In "Private Plane," Blackadder's loathing of the war reaches a new high when he practices duck and cover during an air raid, only to discover the flyby is by British pilots. The pilot in question is actually Squadron Commander Flashheart and the lusty pilot lives up to family's promiscuous and sexually powerful line. After being knocked about by Flashheart, Blackadder realizes that the best way to survive the war might well be by becoming a pilot.

Attempting to get airmen training from Darling, Blackadder finds himself shut out. However, Melchard soon approves it and with five minutes training from Flashheart, Blackadder is set to join the twenty minute club. With Baldrick as his navigator, Blackadder stays in the air for less than twenty minutes, crashing on the German side of the lines where it looks like the war might be over for the reluctant soldier!

In "General Hospital," Edmund finds himself disgusted when - after a thoroughly witless game of "I Spy" between George and Baldrick, George is nearly blown up by a German bomb. Recovering in the hospital, he finds himself fancying Nurse Mary and writing letters to one of his many uncles. He is then recalled the headquarters where paranoia is running higher than usual.

There is a spy, it seems, in hospital and General Melchard wants Blackadder to go there to smoke out the guilty party. Darling, distrustful as ever of Blackadder, convinced Melchard to let him go to hospital to spy on Blackadder. Shot in the foot by Melchard, Darling then spies on Blackadder as he susses out the German spy!

In "Goodbyeee," Blackadder, George and Baldrick begin reminiscing about the war and their lives when they are given notice that the big push is to begin the next morning. Faced with the likelihood of certain death, Edmund becomes despondent and opts for the less-than cunning plan he picked up in the Sudan: to fake insanity. George, buying the act entirely, sends for General Melchard and Blackadder revels in the possibility of surviving the war.

When Melchard arrives, though, he mentions shooting soldiers who faked insanity, prompting Edmund to quit his charade. With the big push only hours away, Blackadder is stuck philosophizing with Baldrick and George on the very nature of war and peace and as dawn breaks, all three lives - and that of Darling - are changed forever.

The problem with Blackadder Goes Forth Part 2 is that it is irregular. "Private Plane" has the return of Flashheart, one of the characters who appeared in "Bells" (reviewed here!) in Blackadder II. He is still oversexed, horny and quite crazy. This incarnation is given an even bigger part than the earlier one, though his self-absorption is still as high as his ancestors. As the Squadron Commander, Flashheart provides a screwball adversary for Blackadder for an episode and that works wonderfully to shake things up.

Unfortunately, "General Hospital" is possibly the most mundane episode of the entire franchise and it sucks this video down like nothing else could. Not nearly as funny as the others, the return of Miranda Richardson - this time as a nurse - is welcome, but her part does not give her nearly enough to do to impress the viewer and it holds up poorly over multiple viewings.

What gets even better with subsequent viewings is "Goodbyeee" which does not even attempt to be funny. Instead, this episode muses on war and peace and the interchange between Baldrick and George on the subject might well be the best exchange Tony Robinson gets in the entire franchise and Hugh Laurie's sputtering as George in response to Baldrick's simple question of "what if we just stopped fighting?" is priceless. It is not funny, though. The episode treads toward the philosophical and clever, avoiding humor, save in the scenes where Edmund plays as crazy.

This video sends the Blackadder franchise off well, though it is hard for those who are not fans already to appreciate the significance and darkness of "Goodbyeee." Sure, casual viewers can understand the antiwar arguments, but the emotional resonance of the final scene of Blackadder Goes Forth is intended entirely for those who have been watching the series from the beginning. Again, writer Richard Curtis does not aim for funny, but he manages to be quite meaningful and the result is arguably one of the best series finales of all time, certainly of a comedy.

In the end, which this is for Blackadder, the episodes are held together largely on the consistent acting talent of Rowan Atkinson. As Blackadder, he is given the chance in these three episodes to step away from his deep sarcasm - at least in the final two episodes - and portray Edmund with a stronger sense of humanity. Atkinson loosens Edmund's body language and this sells the viewer on the idea that his character is truly someone who wants to live, to survive the great war.

And the Blackadder franchise - at least as a weekly television series - closes there with Edmund and Baldrick in World War One and the end feels very much like an end. Despite the problems with this tape, it is a worthy end to the characters and the series as it is.

[Given that VHS is a rapidly dying medium, a far better investment would be Blackadder Goes Forth, reviewed here!
As well, those who already love Blackadder will find Blackadder - The Complete Series to be an even better buy, reviewed here!
Thanks for reading!]

6/10

For other television reviews, please be sure to check out my Television Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2012, 2009 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Enjoying It More Than I Remember Before, Blackadder Goes Forth Part 1 Is Surprisingly Good!

The Good: Funny, Good characters, Decent acting
The Bad: Medium, Repetitive humor
The Basics: Funny and with more universal humor than I remembered it, the sarcastic Blackadder returns for Blackadder Goes Forth, Part 1 in World War 1!


Only those who have seen the other seasons of Blackadder are likely to find Blackadder Goes Forth anything less than absolutely incredible and original. After all, if one has not seen any of the earlier incarnations of the historic comedy, it is unlikely they would find the sarcasm, wit and articulation of Edmund Blackadder to be anything other than unique in the history of comedy. Moreover, the buffoons who surround Blackadder are played by comic geniuses like Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie, so the show is brimming with talent and it appears to be unique.

But for fans of the Blackadder franchise, by the time Blackadder Goes Forth begins, the premise is obvious and most of the jokes are beaten deader than a dead horse after St. Beatings Day. Blackadder, in this incarnation, is a Captain in the British Army in World War One, stationed at the front and desperate to do anything to stay alive. Blackadder Goes Forth, Part 1 is a collection of the first three (of six) episodes from this series of Blackadder.

In "Captain Cook," Captain Edmund Blackadder intuits that General Haig's next plan for winning the war is the same plan as the prior seventeen times. Rather than go over the top into certain death, Blackadder entertains one of Baldrick's brilliant ideas, which turns out to be utterly unfeasible. However, when General Melchard reveals that "King And Country" needs a rousing patriotic portrait, Blackadder sees his opportunity to get out of the trenches.

Having swindled Lieutenant George out of just such a painting, Blackadder enthusiastically heads to high command in hopes of being reassigned to Paris. Unfortunately for him, Darling and Melchard have something else in store for him. As premiere artist of the day, Blackadder is assigned to draw a map of No Man's Land!

In "Corporal Punishment," Edmund manufactures one communications problem after another to ignore the persistent orders to push forth into No Man's Land and get killed. In his efforts, he pretends his phone is not working, disregards a telegram that abbreviates his name and ultimately shoots a prized pigeon which was General Melchard's only childhood friend. Arriving at the front, disgusted at the lack of advancement on Blackadder's part, Melchard learns of the death of his pigeon and charges Edmund with disobeying orders.

Edmund turns up for his court martial, dismayed that George will be his legal defender, only to discover that Darling is the prosecutor and the judge is none other than Melchard himself. Sentenced rather quickly to death, Blackadder awaits a firing squad, cursing his fate and his friends, hoping for any last resort, even the aid of Baldrick!

In "Major Star," Blackadder's distaste for Charlie Chaplin puts him on the outs with his subordinates, who are in love with the works of the American actor. However, when General Melchard arrives with news that the military is looking to form a troupe to entertain both the troops and the civilians in London, Edmund sees his opportunity to get away from the front. Conniving to be put in charge of the production, Blackadder wrangles talent from his unit, including the newly marxist Baldrick and the happy-in-drag George.

Disaster, however, strikes Blackadder's plan when Melchard, not realizing Georgina (George's drag act) is not a woman and he becomes infatuated with her. George, happy to play along, finds himself in the position of possibly being engaged to Melchard and Blackadder must keep the two apart and get out of the situation before Melchard learns the truth!

It is a rare thing that I end up calling a VHS a poor use of the medium. Indeed, it is a poor medium, but the use of it is often limited only to being that medium. In the case of Blackadder Goes Forth, Part 1 it is a poor use of the poor medium: the entire fourth season of Blackadder could easily have fit on one video whatwith its running time being under three hours. That said, it is still funny and I found I enjoyed it more this most recent viewing.

Blackadder Goes Forth is a wonderful mix of historical one-liners that make obscure references to British and European history and universal, timeless humor. So, for instance, in "Major Star," there are numerous allusions to various actors, like Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton, while "Corporal Punishment" has such basic and obvious humor as Blackadder feebly covering up the bones from the pigeon he has just eaten while denying its death and a trial where the judge is also the prosecution's star witness. There's a good balance between the was jokes about sex and jokes about the specifics (lack of) battle plans during World War One. The balance makes for a smart and simultaneously universal show.

As well, the characters are fun and interesting. Edmund is hilarious with his cold sarcasm and Lieutenant George and Private Baldrick are utter idiots. Fans of the Blackadder franchise will likely enjoy seeing Edmund as the smartest man in the trenches in Blackadder Goes Forth and the points when he must talk to oblivious commanding officers are funny with the way he gets in jabs that go completely over their heads.

On the character front, these first episodes of Blackadder Goes Forth are fleshed out with General Melchard who is presented as a lunatic with a giant mustache and Captain Darling, his cowardly, sycophantic assistant. Watching Edmund spar with Darling (in prior incarnations, he has sparred with the Melchard character) shakes things up some and keeps the actors from simply repeating their past performances.

The acting is great as well, whatwith Rowan Atkinson taking the title role of Edmund Blackadder. Atkinson is given a fairly unique acting challenge: the present essentially the same character (Blackadder) a different way while keeping the performance fresh and funny. Atkinson does this by altering the delivery of his lines. In this season, he infuses every line with a tired quality, as if his character is sick of the war and the waiting. The tired quality makes some of his deliveries even sharper as he sounds entirely unimpressed by everyone and everything he encounters! Atkinson makes for a credible leader in this series and he plays off the sniveling, yet powerful sarcasm that Tim McInnerny presents with Darling wonderfully.

In short, anyone looking for a hilarious war comedy will find it with Blackadder Goes Forth and this video is the one to start with!

[Given that VHS is a rapidly dying medium, a far better investment would be Blackadder Goes Forth, reviewed here!
As well, those who already love Blackadder will find Blackadder - The Complete Series to be an even better buy, reviewed here!
Thanks for reading!]


7/10

For other television reviews, please check out my Television Review Index Page by clicking here!

© 2012, 2009 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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The Great War Takes Its Toll When Blackadder Goes Forth!

The Good: Funny, Good character development, Interesting DVD bonus features
The Bad: Short, Some of the humor is more predictable than in the past.
The Basics: Funny - and daring to not be funny - pushes Blackadder Goes Forth out of "average" territory on DVD.


There are only a few television comedy series' found on my shelf. This is largely because I am not so much into humor because I see that it tends not to endure all that long. Humor is largely based upon surprise and as a result, it is hard to find truly great comedy series' that I want to add to my permanent collection. One of the few is the television series, from the BBC, called Blackadder.

Blackadder is a historical comedy, and each season was set in a different time period. By the fourth and final season, the show was up to roughly Modern times and Blackadder Goes Forth, the final regular series of Blackadder was set in the trenches of World War One. The basic concept was to take a twist on British history and make a situation comedy that would have an immortal quality to it. Largely, series creators Richard Curtis and Rowan Atkinson succeed because the humor is both universally funny and historically smart. This series relies on British wit and Atkinson's amazing sense of comic timing. And it works.

With only six episodes in this season, Blackadder Goes Forth tells the story of Captain Edmund Blackadder, trapped in the trenches fighting Germany in World War One. As the Great War reigns, Blackadder looks to survive and he is accompanied by the idiotically patriotic Lieutenant George and the just plain dim Baldrick. Given orders by the oblivious General Melchard and sparred with by Captain Darling, Blackadder finds that war truly is hell.

From the trenches, Blackadder attempts to survive the war by feigning communications problems to prevent him and his troops from going over the top (an act that gets him court martialed), posing as a great artist and sneaking into HQ as a cook. As well, he gets his troops out of the trench by making them into an acting troupe (which almost leads Melchard to marry George in drag) and by joining the air force, which gets Blackadder captured.

Blackadder Goes Forth tells a darker story of living in war and what people will do to survive. The wit in the show is colder and the comedy - when not being predictable to those who are fans of the series - is utterly hilarious. In fact, it is so funny one wonders why the BBC has a laugh track to it; there is plenty that is amusing without the tiresome laugh track going off letting viewers know when it is appropriate to laugh. I mention this because this series has one of the most intrusive and annoying laugh tracks of any series I have ever seen. The only time the laugh track is not engaged is for the bulk of the final episode, "Goodbyeee," which is a strong, unfunny, antiwar episode that works beautifully to enhance the characters and provide viewers with something truly new, even if it is not funny.

The only other real strike against this series is the fact that it was released in the late 1980s and it looks like it was released in the 1980s. The special effects are campy even by BBC standards and it is clear this was never the top of the BBCs list for cleaning up when making the transfer to DVD. As a result, there is quite a bit of footage in the series that is grainy and some that even has lighting washouts.

But what makes Blackadder Goes Forth worthwhile, timeless and funny is the quality of the writing. Richard Curtis and Rowan Atkinson wrote scripts with fairly straightforward plots with Edmund suffering much like most downtrodden and loathed protagonists. This series is preoccupied with Edmund surviving using his razor wit. And in that, there are some absolutely hilarious bits. For example, when dealing with HQ and pretending the phone has gone wonky, Blackadder goes through an impressive array of voices and noises to convince Captain Darling that he could not possibly be understood. And in the trial, when General Melchard enters as one of the judges, it is impossible to not laugh, especially considering he is the one bringing the charges against Edmund!

But more than most comedies, certainly the ones that are this short - Blackadder Goes Forth episodes are less than thirty minutes long each - this series is about characters. Here are the primary characters of "Blackadder Goes Forth:"

Edmund Blackadder - Captain in the royal army. Having survived the war in Africa, he considers colonization foolish and he treats his men with disdain, but does his best to keep them alive. Frequently ignoring orders to go over the top, Blackadder tries every way he knows how to get out of the trenches in ways that will keep him alive,

Lieutenant George - Dimwitted subordinate of Edmund, he is eager to die for King and Country, witlessly believing that going over the top is a chance for glory (Edmund soon illustrates the error of such thinking). He becomes a leading lady for Blackadder's acting troupe and is wounded protecting his captain,

General Melchard - An idiot with a giant mustache, he unquestioningly follows Field Marshal Haig's witless orders to keep sending British soldiers in front of German machine guns,

Captain Darling - Sycophantic assistant to Melchard, he is a coward who frequently spars with Edmund when Blackadder comes to HQ,

and Private Baldrick - The idiot noncom, he tries his hand at poetry, balancing a slug on his upper lip to impersonate Charlie Chaplin, and painting with bodily fluids. Resourceful, but stupid, he is Edmund's most loyal companion.

The characters are vivid and the acting is pretty decent, all things considered. Hugh Laurie's George is ridiculous and funny in a way most American audiences would be surprised, given his performances on "House, M.D." Similarly, Tim McInnerny's return to the Blackadder franchise as Captain Darling is a welcome one with him sniping at Blackadder as his equal, instead of his dimwitted sidekick.

It is Rowan Atkinson who holds most of the series together and moves it. He has a great sense of comic timing and he delivers his period-specific references beautifully with the complete sense that he knows just what it is he is saying. As well, he is adept at physical comedy, erupting when necessary to flinch, jump or fall as needed to sell the physical gags that balance out the scripted comedy.

On DVD, Blackadder Goes Forth has three bonus features, plus trailers for other BBC DVD releases. These simplistic features include cast biographies of all of the major players in the Blackadder series, narrated references to historical events alluded to in the series and an extensive interview with Richard Curtis that describes his take on the history of comedy. The historical information is actually intriguing and some of the more obscure allusions, like to specific military personnel, provide information that I did not have before watching the series.

Those looking for something different from a comedy will find much to enjoy with Blackadder Goes Forth.

For a more complete idea of exactly what is in this DVD set, please check out my reviews of the individual episodes at:
"Captain Cook," "Corporal Punishment," "Major Star"
"Private Plane," "General Hospital," "Goodbyeee"

And while the one-disc season is fun and interesting, I certainly prefer "The Complete Collection" (reviewed here!) because part of the fun of Blackadder is seeing how the line evolves over the various "generations!"

5/10

For other television reviews, please be sure to visit my index page on the subject by clicking here!

© 2012, 2009 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Humor From The Days Of Yore Closes With Blackadder The Third, Part 2

The Good: Funny, Moments of acting
The Bad: Humor is more predictable, Medium
The Basics: Funny, but not timeless in the way the earlier Blackadder incarnations were, Blackadder The Third still ends well with "Part 2!"


It is tough to go back to the old mediums sometimes. In the case of Blackadder, the classic British comedy from the 1980s starring Rowan Atkinson and written by Richard Curtis, this is even more irksome. For while Blackadder is consistently funny, arguably the problem with the series is that the humor becomes repetitive over the various seasons (series') of Blackadder. Thus, by the time one gets to Blackadder The Third, the dry sarcasm and wit of Edmund Blackadder is largely foreseeable.

In Blackadder The Third, Edmund is manservant to the idiotic Prince Regent, George. As Parliament gains in power, Edmund finds his position more and more tenuous as George's buffoonery threatens his place in society and his very life. This video contains the final three episodes of Blackadder The Third and it is something of a waste, as the entire series (season) could have fit on a single video whatwith each episode being less than half an hour. This video presents the episodes "Sense And Senility," "Amy And Amiability" and "Duel And Duality," which caps off the series.

In "Sense and Senility," Blackadder is tiring of the Prince Regent's constant degradations, especially as he begins to fear an uprising from the lower class (in this case, Baldrick). To reassure the masses, Blackadder writes a speech and George has the idea to have local actors train him in how to best deliver it. Unfortunately, the Regent does not exactly understand acting or how it is not real.

As a result, Blackadder brings two local, esteemed actors to the manor, where they mock Blackadder's writing and train the Regent in the most ridiculous forms of public speaking. Upset by both, Blackadder abandons the Regent as Baldrick stumbles upon their apparent plan to murder George!

In "Amy And Amiability," Blackadder finds the bills piling up and no relief in sight. When he approaches the Prince Regent about getting some additional cash, he discovers that George - gullible as he is - has been taken in card games by his peers. The Regent actually asks Edmund for some money and, realizing the circumstances are dire, Edmund decides that the only solution for their problems is to find someone wealthy for George to marry.

As Baldrick goes on and on about the beauty and glory of being a highwayman, Edmund finds the only eligible bachelorette he can find, Amy. Amy is a complete nitwit and the daughter of an industrialist who has the benefit of having never met Prince George. As a result, Blackadder tries to woo her in the Regent's name up until the moment that he learns she is not loaded and not quite what she seems!

In "Duel And Duality," Blackadder finds himself dismayed when the Prince Regent returns from a night on the town wherein he slept with two of the high commander's nieces. As Blackadder suspected he would, the Duke promises death to the Regent for this deflowering. Desperate, the Regent turns to Blackadder for help. Blackadder, preoccupied with his Scottish cousin's arrival in London, can scarcely be bothered to bail out the Regent yet again.

It is Baldrick who comes up with a plan to save the Regent's life: have him swap places with someone willing to impersonate the Regent. Unfortunately for Blackadder, he is volunteered for this mission and as a result, he faces certain death at the hands of the Duke . . . unless his doppelgänger is willing to step in for him!

Blackadder The Third, Part 2 cements the idea that Blackadder is easily the mental superior of the Prince Regent and is hilarious in moments. So, for example, when King George finally makes his appearance at the climax of the final episode, there are laughs that are well-earned. But for fans of Blackadder, the video is not as strong on content in addition to its merits on this medium. "Sense And Senility" pokes fun at the educated actors much the same way the earlier episode in the season, "Ink And Incapability" poked fun at the educated writers of the day. We get it and Blackadder's disdain is pretty much identical in both episodes.

What saves even the video of Blackadder The Third from mediocrity is the use of actor Hugh Laurie. American audiences might know him best from his dramatic role in House, M.D., but his sensibilities are rooted in comedy and that is where he got his start. His role as the Prince Regent on Blackadder The Third is classic and his ability to play the utter idiot in these episodes is still worthy of laughs.

As for star Rowan Atkinson, these episodes merely illustrate the polish with which he can perfect the role, much the same as Tony Robinson's portrayal of the lowly Baldrick. Atkinson and Baldrick play essentially the same characters through the different time periods and by this point, both seem quite adept at their roles with little genuine challenge for their acting abilities. Atkinson is dry and consistently sardonic, Robinson plays the blank-faced idiot through most of his time on screen and they play off one another well.

Blackadder The Third is a comedy and it holds up fairly well (the humor outlasts the video tape medium) over multiple viewings and while I have seen each of these three episodes over ten times each, I still come back to them about once a year. There are no bonus features, as this is video, not DVD, and for those looking for uncommon British Comedy, it is hard to do better than this, even if fans will see most of it coming by this point.

[Given that VHS is a rapidly dying medium, a far better investment would be Blackadder - The Complete Third Season, reviewed here!
As well, those who already love Blackadder will find Blackadder - The Complete Series to be an even better buy, reviewed here!
Thanks for reading!]

6/10

For other television reviews, please be sure to visit my index page on the subject by clicking here!

© 2012, 2009 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Waiting On The Prince Regent Gives Blackadder The Third Part 1 Something To Laugh At!

The Good: Funny, Clever, Wonderful characters, Interesting (enough) plots
The Bad: Repetitive sense of humor, Poor use of the medium.
The Basics: A bit more repetitive than groundbreaking, Blackadder The Third, Part 1 slides the franchise a little, though it is still quite funny.


I have a huge respect for the Blackadder franchise. Still, as I have been rewatching the episodes for review, I find that the series I had thought of as my favorite for quite some time is now boring me more than I ever thought possible. That is Blackadder The Third and on video, as I watch the episodes that opened this third iteration, my feeling that this comedy is far more average than I remember it being before now.

It is a rare thing that I end up calling a VHS a poor use of the medium. Indeed, it is a poor medium, but the use of it is often limited only to being that medium. In the case of Blackadder The Third Part 1 it is a poor use of the poor medium: the entire third season of Blackadder could easily have fit on one video whatwith its running time being under three hours. As it is, Blackadder The Third Part 1 contains the first three episodes of the third season of Blackadder, (retitled Blackadder The Third) a historical comedy set during in the rise of Parliament.

In "Dish And Dishonesty," Lord Edmund Blackadder, servant to the Prince Regent, finds himself languishing after the general election, in which almost none of Britain's population was able to vote. News reaches Blackadder that the House Of Commons is moving to strip the Prince Regent of his funding. So threatened, Blackadder leaps into politics to try to save the Prince Regent and his own treasury.

Combating the young Prime Minister (Pitt the Younger) quickly turns problematic when the last possible ally of the monarchy in Parliament dies abruptly. Edmund seizes on the death to run a candidate who is a shill for the Prince for the seat in the Commons. Thus, Baldrick is put up for the position of representing the rotten borough and Blackadder soon discovers this is even more problematic than he thought it might be!

In "Ink And Incapability," the Prince Regent, upset at the increasing vocalness of his detractors, seeks to appear more intelligent. Thus, he sends for Cooleridge, who has been working on the first English Dictionary to become a patron. Blackadder, dismayed because of Cooleridge's popularity and because he once sent the author a novel in hopes of being published through him, is expectantly sour and he prepares to sabotage the meeting.

Cooleridge, far more erudite than the Prince Regent, arrives, has a fit with the Regent's stupidity and leaves in a huff, but not before revealing that his plan for the Dictionary was to earn enough money to publish the book Blackadder wrote. Edmund convinces Cooleridge to hang around over a weekend while he gets the Regent to patronize the Dictionary. Unfortunately, Edmund returns to the manor to discover Baldrick has burned the manuscript to the Dictionary and Blackadder must connive his way out of the problem!

In "Nob And Nobility," Francophilia is spreading through London as the French Revolution rages on. Blackadder, peeved about the legendary Scarlet Pimpernel gaining popularity in Britain, becomes annoyed with the Regent and Baldrick, who both have a bit of hero worship of the Frenchman. Edmund goes so far as to accuse the Scarlet Pimpernel of being a fraud by declaring that anyone could do what he does. With a bet on the line, Edmund heads off to France to rescue an aristocrat from the revolutionaries.

Actually, Edmund just heads down to the basement while the Regent attempts to get on his trousers. After a week of loafing around, Edmund and Baldrick head down to Mrs. Miggins' Pie Shop to find a French aristocrat to "rescue." In the process, they are captured by the revolutionaries and Blackadder must find his way out of the mess!

Blackadder The Third is a wonderful mix of historical one-liners that make obscure references to British and European history and universal, timeless humor. So, for instance, in "Nob And Nobility," there are numerous allusions to various events in French history pertaining to the Revolution. Mixed with those obscure references, there are universal jokes like the humorous way victims of the suicide pills die. There's a good balance between the bawdy jokes about sex and jokes about such things as the machinations of Parliament. The balance makes for a smart and simultaneously universal show.

As well, the characters are fun and interesting. Edmund is hilarious with his could sarcasm and the Prince Regent, George, is an utter idiot. Fans of the Blackadder franchise will likely enjoy seeing Edmund evolve from the first two Blackadders to this point where he is as smart as he was in the prior Blackadder, but forced to stay in his place as the Regent's manservant. As a result, he is once again the smartest character on screen and that works for him. In Blackadder The Third, Baldrick is once again an utter imbecile, as Edmund's dogboy. His catchphrase of "I have a cunning plan" resurfaces. Of course, he is always wrong.

On the character front, these first episodes of Blackadder The Third are fleshed out with the Prince Regent, who is an absolute dolt. The Prince Regent is played by none other than Hugh Laurie, who many people know from House, M.D. He plays the idiot in these episodes flawlessly and as the butt of Edmund's jokes, Laurie's Regent is often forced to recap after the laugh track and Laurie is amazing at that! Those who love his crotchety doctor character will respect his acting talents even more when they see him in this!

The primary acting is great as well, whatwith Rowan Atkinson taking the title role of Edmund Blackadder. Atkinson is given a fairly unique acting challenge: the present essentially the same character (Blackadder) a different way while keeping the performance fresh and funny. Atkinson does this by altering the delivery of his lines. While the first season of Blackadder had Atkinson delivering most of his lines with a sniveling quality and Blackadder II has him delivering them all with pomposity, Blackadder The Third is all about cold sarcasm. Atkinson is a master of the solid, deadpan delivery. Atkinson makes for a credible intellectual snob in this series and he plays off the blank-faced idiocy that Hugh Laurie presents with the Regent perfectly.

In fact, the only real strikes against this video is that is it not living up to its capacity and by this point in the series, the humor is getting a bit repetitive. Blackadder makes analogies constantly to illustrate his ironic points and by this point, some of them are downright predictable.

Still, it is not enough to not recommend this as a timeless, classic bit of British comedy well worth the buy from adults who love to laugh!

[Given that VHS is a rapidly dying medium, a far better investment would be Blackadder - The Complete Third Season, reviewed here!
As well, those who already love Blackadder will find Blackadder - The Complete Series to be an even better buy, reviewed here!
Thanks for reading!]

6/10

For other television reviews, please be sure to visit my index page on the subject by clicking here!

© 2012, 2009 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Still Funny, Blackadder The Third Begins To Show Its Wear Some!

The Good: Funny, Moments of acting, Hugh Laurie makes a good addition to the mix
The Bad: Repetitive plots and concepts, Joke style becoming more familiar than funny.
The Basics: Funny, but wearing a little thinner after ten years of watching the same six episodes, Blackadder The Third is enduring historical comedy!


Have you ever returned to one of your favorite things from your youth only to discover in your adulthood that it is not as wonderful as you remember it being? I think that is precisely where I am with Blackadder The Third, the third season/series of Blackadder. I have been going back through my collection of Blackadder DVDs (I have the Complete Collection, reviewed here!) and I have been watching each of the discs and I was surprised to find I enjoyed Blackadder The Third less this time through than I ever had before. This was, in fact, the series (season) of Blackadder that I had initially fallen in love with the series watching. This time, it felt more familiar than audacious, which I suppose it so be expected some.

Where Blackadder was the story of Prince Edmund, the Blackadder, in the Dark Ages and Blackadder II was the tale of Edmund Blackadder, minor lord in the court of Queen Elizabeth, Blackadder The Third follows Mr. Blackadder, manservant to the Prince Regent, George. Like his ancestors, Edmund is a deeply sarcastic man who is accompanied by his servant (called a dogboy in this time) Baldrick and they wait upon the dimwitted Prince Regent. As well, they take regular trips to Mrs. Miggins' Pie Shop and interact with her. The Prince Regent, largely an idiot, is neglectful but stupidly rich, allowing Blackadder to frequently take advantage of him. In this time period, Edmund is quite intelligent and seldom takes Baldrick up on his "very cunning plans."

Edmund Blackadder is a snobby servant who is abused, neglected and ridiculed by Prince Regent George, who Blackadder is quite a bit smarter than. In his time Edmund tries to get ahead, usually by lying to all involved about his wealth and status, while working to achieve the latter by getting some of the former! Often forced to entertain the Prince Regent, he escapes his social better to pick on his intellectual inferiors, Baldrick and Mrs. Miggins.

In this time, Edmund finds himself struggling for money and eager to keep his employer rolling in the dough. As a result, he attempts to get Baldrick into the House Of Commons and himself into the House Of Lords. He spars with the leading writers of the day, avoids the Francophiles as the French Revolution reigns and despises Baldrick all the more for adoring a highwayman's lifestyle. He treats actors with utter contempt and when the time comes, he becomes part of a cunning plan to save the Regent's life by swapping places with him in a duel!

Three of the principle characters will be familiar to fans of Blackadder as Edmund Blackadder and Baldrick are each played by the same people in roughly the same capacity as they appeared in the first two series' of Blackadder. Gone is Percy and Tim McInnerny, though McInnerny appears in one episode as a liberator of French aristocrats! As well, Mrs. Miggins appears in this new incarnation to add some new blood to the series. This has the effect of keeping the series fresh and she works in one or two scenes, but otherwise does not add anything extraordinary. Instead of simply being Edmund criticizing the Regent's stupidity and insulting Baldrick's hygiene, he is often forced to be deferential to the Regent or George's visitors, who are considered Blackadder's social betters.

The principle characters of Blackadder The Third are:

Mr. Edmund Blackadder - A manservant, he is educated but fairly poor. Waiting on the Prince Regent has left him bitter and he is often dry and ironic. He uses his innate intelligence and disdain for the order of things to scheme to try to get money. He still uses Baldrick to do his dirty work, which includes, standing in as an example of the foul ways the Regent would have to dress if he wanted to go to France,

Baldrick - The completely worthless dogboy of Edmund. His best idea is to have Edmund rewrite the world's only dictionary over the course of a weekend after he burns Cooleridge's only copy in a fire,

The Prince Regent George - A bit of a thicky, he is stupid, lusty and spoiled. He is gullible and Blackadder uses his gullibility and stupidity to advance himself with his own schemes,

and Mrs. Miggins - The somewhat crazy pie shop owner, she secretly lusts for Blackadder and is one of the few people who is kind to Baldrick.

Blackadder The Third works, in part, because the primary actors have great comedic chemistry. As a result Rowan Atkinson as Blackadder plays beautifully with his dry sarcasm off Hugh Laurie's utterly stupid Prince Regent. Similarly, Tony Robinson and Laurie play off one another in a way most comic do not get the opportunity to. In most standard comedies, there is only one buffoon, but in Blackadder The Third, Baldrick and George both fill that niche and it provides a wealth of comic give and take between Robinson and Laurie that works out extraordinarily for the series!

On DVD, Blackadder The Third is a bit of a wash. There are the usual historical notes letting fans know what various obscure jokes are actually referring to. There is also Blackadder's Christmas Carol (reviewed here!) as an added bonus and while it is nice to not have to pay for this separate, it is not a great feature. Despite how unfunny that is and the lack of commentary tracks, the presentation on DVD is still worth the inexpensive price of this.

Despite how I might sound about this, one needs to keep in mind that I have seen all six episodes on this disc at least twelve times each. With humor being based largely on surprise, it is no surprise it is less funny to me now. And if you think that for less than $15, ten years or more of entertainment out of a DVD is a good value, then Blackadder The Third is probably for you, too!

For a more complete idea of exactly what is in this DVD set, please check out my reviews of the individual episodes at:
"Dish and Dishonesty," "Ink And Incapability," "Nob And Nobility"
"Sense And Senility," "Amy And Amiability," "Duel And Duality"

For other works with Hugh Laurie, please visit my reviews of:
Monsters Vs. Aliens
Friends - Season 4

7/10

For other television reviews, please check out my television review index page by clicking here!

© 2012, 2009 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Blackadder II - Funny In Any Medium, The Second Part Is Hilarious!

The Good: Funny, Good character work, Surprisingly wonderful acting
The Bad: Medium
The Basics: Hilarious and enduring, Blackadder II, Part 2 holds up with humor over many viewings with a man and his schemes in Elizabethan England!


It is a rare thing that I end up calling a VHS a poor use of the medium. Indeed, it is a poor medium, but the use of it is often limited only to being that medium. In the case of Blackadder II, Part 2 it is a poor use of the poor medium: the entire second season of Blackadder could easily have fit on one video whatwith its running time being under three hours. As it is, Blackadder II, Part 2 contains the last three episodes of the second season of Blackadder, a historical comedy set in the Elizabethan Era.

In "Money," the Bishop of Bath & Wells interrupts Blackadder's activities with a prostitute to inform him that a loan of one thousand pounds Blackadder took out the year prior with the Church is now due. Threatened with torture, Blackadder begins to scheme to try to get up enough money to pay the Church back. This shocks Percy who has believed Blackadder's web of lies involving his personal wealth and is dismayed to learn that Blackadder is almost destitute.

While Percy attempts to learn alchemy in a day, the Queen repeatedly calls Blackadder to court as a prank. Drained of his purse each time he goes, Blackadder works with Baldrick to try to save his behind from the Church, selling favors to sailors and ultimately his house in the attempt!

In "Beer," Blackadder prepares to entertain his Puritan aunt and uncle, a meeting which could secure him a hefty fortune for an inheritance. Eager that nothing should go wrong, he orders Baldrick to prepare for the faithful vegetarian's arrival. As Baldrick prepares his turnip surprise, Blackadder is called to the Queen's court where Melchard is on death's door. Only, Melchard is not on death's door, he is simply suffering from a terrible hangover.

Blackadder challenges Melchard to a drinking duel, which Queen Elizabeth becomes excited and fascinated about, eager to see what men are like when not around her. So, Edmund deals with two parties in one night that must be kept carefully segregated: his aunt and uncle and his drunken friends. And when the queen - disguised - crashes the party, things really begin to get out of hand for Edmund!

In "Chains," Edmund finds himself at Queen Elizabeth's court ridiculing a friend of Melchard's who has managed to get himself captured by the French and is being held for ransom. After advising Elizabeth to not negotiate with the hostage-takers, Edmund is captured by Germans. Moments later, Melchard is captured as well and the two wake up in the hands of a tormentor they do not understand.

As Percy and Baldrick attempt to entertain Elizabeth, Melchard and Blackadder struggle with their captivity and make an effort to escape their deranged tormentor. But then they meet the brains behind the operation, a scarred German who they have met in their pasts, a master of disguise, leaving Edmund to come up with a cunning plan on his own lest he never see Elizabeth and England again!

Blackadder II is a pretty tight mix of historical one-liners that make obscure references to British and European history and universal, timeless humor. So, for instance, in "Money," there are a number of references to the depravity of the Church, specifically the Bishop Of Bath And Wells. Mixed in with that is the plain humor of descriptions of acts of sexual depravity that leave a lot to the viewer's imagination, but are clear enough to be quite laughable. As well, there is the utter hilarity of Percy in Elizabethan leather S&M wear. Seriously, it is on-the-floor laugh-out-loud funny!

Despite occasionally obscure or dated humor, the characters are fun and interesting. Edmund is hilarious with his schemes to try to get ahead and Percy is an utter idiot. Fans of Blackadder will enjoy Edmund's wit in episodes like "Beer" where he works to come up with a truly convincing explanation for one of the horrible things that happens and he sits, contemplating it, working it all out in his mind before laying it out for his Aunt. This Edmund has some real brains! On the other side, Baldrick is a complete idiot and takes the brunt of virtually all of Edmund's schemes.

On the character front, these last episodes of Blackadder II are fleshed out with Melchard, whose piousness takes a bit of a hit when the viewer learns of his nocturnal activities with sheep (classic British humor!) and Queen Elizabeth who continues to be characterized by violent mood swings. The finale, "Chains," though, actually depends upon the character of Nursie and the way that is woven together is absolutely brilliant.

The acting is pretty decent as well, whatwith Rowan Atkinson taking the title role of Edmund Blackadder and making him into one of the most beautifully demented British comedy roles ever to grace the television. Atkinson has both a great wit with verbal comedy and a pretty impressive sense of physical comedy. In "Chains," he has to act expressively without the use of his body (he is locked into a torture box) and he pulls it off with perfect execution.

In fact, the only real strikes against this video is that is it not living up to its capacity and the ridiculous (even for the time) special effects. There are still moments when the lights wash out the film and that seems ridiculous that it would happen in a program in the 1980s, but one supposes Blackadder II was not the big budget item for the BBC at the time! In general, it's a wonderful collection of humor that holds up well over multiple viewings.

This is exceptionally funny and anyone looking for something different from their comedies will likely enjoy these episodes of Blackadder, regardless of the medium!

[Given that VHS is a rapidly dying medium, a far better investment would be Blackadder - The Complete Second Season, reviewed here!
As well, those who already love Blackadder will find Blackadder - The Complete Series to be an even better buy, reviewed here!
Thanks for reading!]

9/10

For other television reviews, be sure to check out my organized listing of all of the television reviews I have written by clicking here!

© 2012, 2008 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Blackadder Returns With More Wit Than Vengeance In Blackadder II, Part 1!

The Good: Funny, Clever, Wonderful characters, Interesting (enough) plots
The Bad: Poor use of the medium.
The Basics: One of the great British comedies arrives on video with Blackadder II, Part 1 which has the noble Edmund Blackadder surrounded by witless Elizabethans! Hilarious!


I have a love for British comedies . . . at least the ones that are funny. Something about British comedies speaks to geeks. After all, while America is obsessed with reinventing the sitcom frequently and without grace, Britain recasts sitcoms in esoteric ways. They have had great success pushing the comedic envelope with such things as science fiction comedy (Red Dwarf) and historical comedy. For historical comedy, Blackadder might well be tops. Each season (or "series") of Blackadder has essentially the same characters existing in a different historical period and the show is clever, funny and enduring. Easily one of the best seasons of the show was Blackadder II and that series began on video with Blackadder II, Part 1!

It is a rare thing that I end up calling a VHS a poor use of the medium. Indeed, it is a poor medium, but the use of it is often limited only to being that medium. In the case of Blackadder II, Part 1 it is a poor use of the poor medium: the entire second season of Blackadder could easily have fit on one video whatwith its running time being under three hours. As it is, Blackadder II, Part 1 contains the first three episodes of the second season of Blackadder, (retitled Blackadder II) a historical comedy set during in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

In "Bells," Edmund Blackadder is a lord in Queen Elizabeth's London surrounded by his useless servant Baldrick - who he is using for target practice - and Lord Percy a dimwit he can't seem to shake. Kate, a poor woman, has been trying to take care of her crazy father, who wants her to become a prostitute. Rather than taking that avenue, Kate runs off to London, impresses Edmund and becomes his servant, disguised as a boy and going by the name Bob.

Edmund, much to his chagrin, finds himself able to talk with Bob and excited by having such a witty boy about the house. They go on long walks and talk and Edmund soon fears he is falling in love with his servant. Distressed, Edmund goes to the doctor who prescribes leeches to prevent him from going gay and he seeks advice from an equally unhelpful Wise Woman. Soon, though, the truth comes out and much to Queen Elizabeth's dismay, Blackadder moves to marry Bob, er, Kate . . .

In "Head," Edmund is promoted to Lord High Executioner when the prior executioner accidentally signs the wrong line on an execution order. Ordered by the Queen to take the position, Edmund immediately attempts to cut corners while taking the job. As a result, he reschedules the execution of one of the criminals from Wednesday to Monday in order to give him, Ploppy (the jailer), Ploppy (the last meal cook) and Baldrick (whose hobby it turns out is being the actual executioner with the ax) most of the week off.

The complications ensue when the Monday executions take place and the wife of Poncenby (who was supposed to be killed Wednesday) successfully petitions the queen to see her husband one last time. Threatened with his own execution, Edmund impersonates Poncenby, despite his many physical deformities and having to wear a bag upon his head.

In "Potato," Sir Walter Raleigh returns to Britain with the potato and all England is abuzz with news of his return. The queen is eager to marry him if he isn't hideous, Melchard is envious and Percy and Baldrick are celebrating with wearing ridiculous hats made of potatoes. Only Blackadder is disappointed by Sir Walter Raleigh's return and he mopes around in a jealous fit while the others swoon over Raleigh's stories.

While Raleigh is telling one of his travel stories, Blackadder challenges his statement that no one could sail around the Cape of Good Hope. Eager to regain his standing, Blackadder says he can, hires an insane sea captain and drags Percy and Baldrick onto a ship with him. Unfortunately Blackadder's cunning plan to simply sail to France and tell everyone they went around the Cape Of Good Hope is complicated by the captain truly being mad and not knowing the way to France, resulting in a sea voyage much more dangerous than the one Blackadder intended to go on!

Blackadder II is a wonderful mix of historical one-liners that make obscure references to British and European history and universal, timeless humor. So, for instance, in "Potato," there are numerous allusions to various explorers while "Bells" includes a number of jokes about the profitability of surviving on prostitution. There's a good balance between the bawdy jokes about sex (and Edmund does get some this time around!) and jokes about such things as the size of the ruffs being worn in the Queen's court. The balance makes for a smart and simultaneously universal show.

As well, the characters are fun and interesting. Edmund is hilarious with his could sarcasm and Percy is an utter idiot. Fans of the Blackadder franchise will likely enjoy seeing Edmund evolve from the first Blackadder from the hapless noble into the more intelligent and cunning lord that he is in Blackadder II. As his servant, Baldrick is cast in Blackadder II as an utter imbecile, for whom "The Renaissance is just something that happened to other people" ("Bells"). Edmund is especially likable in "Bells" and "Head."

On the character front, these first episodes of Blackadder II are fleshed out with Queen Elizabeth who is presented as a deranged flirt and Nursie her equally scatterbrained keeper. Her court is defined by her advisor Melchard, who is a man of faith who is Edmund's intellectual equal. Watching them spar is a great deal of fun in these episodes!

The acting is great as well, whatwith Rowan Atkinson taking the title role of Edmund Blackadder. Atkinson is given a fairly unique acting challenge: the present essentially the same character (Blackadder) a different way while keeping the performance fresh and funny. Atkinson does this by altering the delivery of his lines. While the first season of Blackadder had Atkinson delivering most of his lines with a sniveling quality, Blackadder II has him delivering them all with a pomposity that is rich and developed. Atkinson makes for a credible intellectual snob in this series and he plays off the blank-faced idiocy that Tim McInnerny presents with Percy perfectly.

In fact, the only real strikes against this video is that is it not living up to its capacity and the occasional lighting washouts from pyrotechnics ("Bells") and quick camera movements.

Still, it is not enough to not recommend this as a timeless, classic bit of British comedy well worth the buy from adults who love to laugh!

[Given that VHS is a rapidly dying medium, a far better investment would be Blackadder - The Complete Second Season, reviewed here!
As well, those who already love Blackadder will find Blackadder - The Complete Series to be an even better buy, reviewed here!
Thanks for reading!]

8/10

For other television reviews, please visit my television index page by clicking here!

© 2012, 2008 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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