Mutiny on the Buses

You lecherous moron! The second of three film spin-offs from the very popular British situation comedy, On the Buses, is actually the best of the three. Of course this will mean nothing to any Brit who wasn't a fan of the format, or anyone perturbed by the absence of political correctness in movies from a different era. Falling in line with the wave of sex comedy based movies that surfaced in 1970s Britain, Mutiny on the Buses pitches our sex hungry bus depot workers against a new management regime determined to actually operate a bus company! Hence the mutiny when all and sundry do all they can to usurp the plans of Inspector Blakey (Stephen Lewis) and Mr. Jenkins (Kevin Brennan). What follows, in between the kissing and fondling - and the not so sly innuendo - are the usual pratfall scenarios played for energetic laughs, with the stand out being a fire drill training stint that descends into frothy chaos. Somewhat forgotten is that the snapshot of the era carries considerable value for those that lived it. The cramped housing arrangements, the sexual attitudes and the unemployment issues brought about by redundancy, these are here making a mark regardless of being played for laughs. The change over of ramshackle buses to the new type as a new era is ushered in - with the engine at the rear no less! And delightful old wives tales to help you to stop snoring. Yes, there's the harmless smut (this is hardly the "Confessions Of" or "Adventures Of" standard of sex comedy films), and a gentle smell of misogyny (though the girls are empowered to take control here), but time is a funny thing and so is nostalgia. Mutiny on the Buses, good fun with a wink and a nod to early 70s Britain. 7/10

Almost better than the first film, if not for that messy ending. Still good. 'Mutiny on the Buses' is the second of three spin-off films from the 'On the Buses' television series. I think I've watched bits of this one before, certainly the safari parts, but not in full as far as I'm aware. Reg Varney, Bob Grant and Stephen Lewis are as good as they are in the original film, with Lewis again my personal standout. The sexism, which is prevalent in the 1971 film, is toned-down here, though there are still occurrences - as you'd expect. Any 'Laugh-O-Meter' would remain at the same level, nothing close to a full-on laugh but there are amusing moments. I found the plot, whilst still silly, an improvement on its predecessor. However, the ending feels too randomly stuck together in order to fill the run time; despite it still giving stuff to make for decent viewing.