Dad's Army: Then and now

I recently watched a new British movie called Dad’s Army, a film about a platoon of eccentric, doddery soldiers serving as the Home Guard during World War II. It is based on the acclaimed late 1960s sitcom series of the same name. When I first found out they were making a movie of the series, which I had never fully watched when I was younger, I decided to give it a go, and I immediately fell in love with the extreme subtlety the show’s humour and the beloved characters. A comedy set during one of the most devastating wars in history would have flopped instantly, but it worked like a charm, and made the cast members, crew and audiences happy during the ten years that it aired. 

Not everyone was happy with the new film, however, as many (my grandfather included) wished the series would remain as it is with the original cast members.

Original cast:
From left to right, Captain Mainwaring, Sergeant Wilson, Corporal Jones, Private Frazier, Private Godfrey, Private Pike, Private Walker

One of the things the new film manages well is correct and critique one of the major problems of the original show: Giving the female characters more time and development on screen.

Obviously we love our boys, but the lack of female characters on the show bothered me enormously. Mrs Pike, Frank's mother and Wilson’s partner, was like a firecracker on the show, with her stern overprotective nature and no-nonsense attitude. Every time she appeared on screen, which was very rare and brief, she stole the show. 

And then there's Mrs Mainwaring, who was one of those  “unseen” characters on the series, mentioned as being a domineering, intimidating hermit. She is shown in the movie as a leader of female soldiers, helping out and encouraging their fellow men. And Cissy and Dolly, Godfrey’s elderly sisters (again, who’s personalities were described by their brother, but rarely personally displayed by themselves) play a big part in uncovering an important secret, which the men take forever to realize themselves.

There were some disappointments with the film for me, however. One is that corporeal Jack Jones, the old butcher, did not feature strongly enough, leaving most of his famous eccentricities behind (“Don’t panic!” “You’re breaking my constipation!” “I should like to volunteer…”). And although the film had a much more cinematic feel than the 1971 version (with the original cast members), as a story with a lot of potential poignancy, as well as the humour, it just didn’t deliver.

Still, this film was made with a lot of sympathy and heart. Toby Jones delivers a fantastic, performance as Captain Mainwaring. Even though I like Bill Nighy, I didn’t think he was that well suited for the role of sergeant Wilson.

Despite not looking much like the original cast, the actors playing the soldiers did relatively well, mostly due to sounding a lot like the characters. And the best out of all of them is undoubtedly Michael Gambon, who steals every scene as the doddery Godfrey. Oh, and two of the original cast members, Ian Lavender and Frank Williams (reprising his role as the Vicar) make cameos.

The film itself is not exactly a game changer for new audiences, but certainly works as a nice trip down memory lane, in some ways.

I admit, I had a bit of a tear in my eye when the original theme song came on at the end. We’ll never see any of the actors from the series again, so I’m personally glad the film was made, even if it feels more of a tribute, rather than a stand-alone film.