Porridge (1979) Reviews

• Tremendously enjoyable

  pnagy2002-04-01

  Porridge concerns the lives of a group of prison inmates. The brilliant Ronnie Barker plays Fletch, cheeky, good-natured, optimistic, quick-witted and able to handle all the little foibles of the other prisoners and guards to his advantage. Think of an Ivan Denisovich without the Siberian background. The trouble begins when Mr Grout, an aristocratic crime boss at the top of the prison hierarchy, 'requests' Fletch to suggest to the guards a celebrity football match, where a team of famous faces will play a team of prisoners. Never having seen the Porridge TV-series, I can't comment on any differences or similarities. However, it is hard to top the quality of this little comedy. The script is an excellent mix of character, witty word-play, amusing plot and some physical comedy, done in a way that only the British seem to do so competently. The situations in the prison are believable, and even the minor parts are well-rounded characters. Almost every other line contains some memorable gag. Some examples "Beware of him. He's known as the butcher of Slade Prison." "What did he do?" "Fiddled the VAT on some sausages." And then there's: "What's a peccadillo?" "South African bird that flies backwards to keep the sand out of its eyes." "No, that's not it. But I know what you're thinking of. That's called an armour-dildo." Oh, and how about that scene of the governor losing his self-respect and teeth in a huge pot of curry? A brilliantly written and well-acted comedy. Highly recommended.

• Genius TV show translates well for fun packed movie.

  Spikeopath2008-03-04

  Porridge is a spin off film from the successful TV series of the same name that aired on British BBC1 between 1974 and 1977. It's directed by Dick Clement who also co-writes with Ian La Frenais. It stars Ronnie Barker, Richard Beckinsale, Fulton Mackay, Brian Wilde and Peter Vaughn. Lets face it, and lets be honest here, for many Brits who grew up with the TV show, Porridge is simply one of the greatest shows Britain has ever produced. Sharp and on the money in writing and characterisations, and boasting a cast that were always irresistible, it still manages to enthral millions today during continuous reruns on cable and satellite TV. In light of the regard and popularity the show had, it was perhaps inevitable that a film production was just a matter of time, because, well, all the great British comedies of the past had feature films made. But of course not all were particularly any good. So it's with much relief to find that the film version of Porridge is a very decent offering. The plot sees Fletcher (Barker) involved as the manager of the prison football team, to which, unbeknown to the wily old lag, is being used as a front for an escape attempt by Oakes (Barrie Rutter), and naturally the smarmy menace of Grouty (Vaughn) is pulling the strings. Fletcher & Godber (Beckinsale) then accidentally get caught up in the escape and thus have to break back into the prison before anyone catches them! This set-up is wonderful and makes for some very funny comedy, executed with aplomb by Barker, Mackay and co. True that taking the characters out of the confines of the prison strips away much of what made the TV series so special, but the characters are so strong, the actors chemistry so evident, film stands tall enough to not sully the reputation of the show. It's a delightful way to spend an hour and half with your feet up, as a stand alone film it entertains those not familiar with the TV show. While for us fans? It sits nicely alongside the show as an extended viewing of comic genius behind and in front of the camera. 8/10 R.I.P. fellas, your legacy lives on always.

• As big-screen adaptions go, excellent

  LiamABC2004-03-01

  If you're going to make a film of Porridge, this is it. The nature of film demands a "big" storyline, and what could be bigger than the plot of this? Some people have said that the film doesn't quite have the same zest as the series. That is true - but then it goes to show how amazing the series was, because this is one heck of a good film. It has also been said that the plot (which I won't give away for people who haven't seen it) is weak. Here I disagree. The only minus point I have about the plot is the fact that the subplot about new arrival Rudge disappears about 2/3 of the way in. As for the main plot, see above. It's the only story you could do when making a film of Porridge! OK, so the pace of the film is a little slow - BUT you must remember that some people watching the film aren't familiar with the TV series, so they had to set the scene first. They could easily have re-used hundreds of scenes and lines from the series, but to their credit, they didn't - both Fletch and Godber are nearing the end of their stretches, and they brought in a new "first-offender", the aforementioned Rudge - that way, Fletch is able to dish out a little bit of advice to him the way he did to Godber in the series - again, to ease in "first time" Porridge-viewers. When you consider the number of TV sitcoms that were adapted for the big screen, and how much the quality varied, the good ones stand out all the more. And this is one of the best.

• shear class

  shardy9588557092007-01-13

  sadly cant put an 11 rating of this film as it certainly deserves it. This is a spin off from the TV series and only the name and characters are the same. The plot, unlike other sitcoms-turned-movies like Steptoe, Dads Army and Are You Being Served, is completely new. Brief outline as here is no way I'm going to spoil it for anyone. Barker is the lovable rogue Fletch and he has been put in charge to arrange a football match in order for another con to escape. The jokes are fresh, the story is fresh and the characters are fantastic. This deserves Oscars for performance, script and direction. Catch this on DVD. Its well worth the money and the time to watch it.

• Fletcher's final stir

  ShadeGrenade2011-11-02

  The fad for British films based on hit sitcoms came to an end as the '80's dawned. Among the last batch were 'Rising Damp' and 'George & Mildred' ( both 1980 ), and, of course, this, derived from Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais' masterpiece about wily convict 'Norman Stanley Fletcher' ( magnificently played by the late, great Ronnie Barker ). The series had ended three years before. In between we had had 'Going Straight' which chronicled the ex-lag trying to adjust to life without the iron bars across the windows. 'Porridge' begins with a mini-bus pulling up at the gates of H.M. Slade Prison - among the new arrivals are poker-faced officer 'Beal' ( Christopher Godwin ), first-time offender 'Rudge' ( Daniel Peacock ) and bank robber 'Oakes' ( Barrie Rutter ). Contrary to what was established at the end of 'Going Straight', Fletcher and Godber are back behind bars in the same nick and even sharing the same cell again. Godber's status as Fletcher's son-in-law is never mentioned. And 'Mackay' ( Fulton Mackay ) is once again making Fletcher's life difficult even though he left the prison service at the start of 'Going Straight'. So the movie's clearly set during the original run of the series. Yet at one point 'Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick' by Ian Dury & The Blockheads can be heard on the radio. It wasn't a hit until late 1978. Continuity problems aside, what about the film itself? It is episodic in structure, as though three episodes had been bolted together. The first features Fletcher coming into possession of Mackay's false teeth after he has sneezed them into a big pot of curry in the prison kitchen ( note that Godber's assistant - played by Zoot Money - is called 'Lotterby'. Named after Sydney Lotterby, the show's producer, no doubt ). The second has Grouty ( Peter Vaughan ) ordering Fletcher to organise a celebrity football match to provide cover for Oakes' escape ( he has money from his last job stashed away somewhere ). The third and final part has Fletcher and Godber making their way back to the nick across open country, dodging police cars and having run-ins's with angry farmers. All this is very good stuff, if not quite in the same class as the show itself. It was overshadowed on its release by the sad death of Richard Beckinsale a few months before. As the critic of 'Photoplay' magazine noted, his was a great talent and the film does nothing to disprove this. Paul Ableman wrote a novelisation for Pan Books entitled 'Porridge: The Inside Story' in which he took the opportunity to develop the characters and expand the situations a bit further, such as having Fletcher and Godber working behind the bar in the Prison Officers Club ( and which explains how they knew about it at the end of the film ). Alongside the regulars ( only Christopher Biggins' 'Lukewarm' is missing and Michael Barrington's 'Mr.Treadaway' has been replaced by Geoffrey Bayldon's ), the irreplaceable Brian Wilde shines as the tame warder 'Mr.Barraclough', who drinks in the cellar because its an alternative to going home and facing his wife! Funniest moment? Fletcher commenting on Mackay's adjustment to the evening meal. "He sees himself as an authority on curry on account of where he was stationed during the war!". "India?", his friend asks. "No, Bradford!", comes the reply. Not a great joke admittedly, but impeccably delivered by Barker.