Review of The League of Gentlemen's Apocalypse (2005) by Kostas M — 22 May 2010

Best in Show: The League of Gentlemen.

One for the future: The League of Gentlemen.

Stand-out scene: Appearance of stop motion devilish creature.

Brainer or no-brainer: Brainer.

Stands up to one viewing or repeated?: Repeated.

DVD commentary any good?: Excellent - All the League.

DVD.

Ah, The League of Gentlemen. Three treasurable series, one ground-breaking Christmas Special, one funny throughout live performance DVD and now the excellent movie. You may have guessed that i'm a bit of a fan. I also saw them live in Llandudno (the north-south divide of Wales was palpable when the theatregoers lapped up the "there is a Swansea" (ie. heaven) line) which was a treat and a half. I'll have to wait for their panto of this year to come out on DVD as I am unable to make either of their local dates, but I look forward to its release. Now, of all the movie spinoffs from TV programmes, this is the only one I can think of that was any good (clunkers that spring to mind are; Guest House Paradiso, On the Buses, Cannon and Ball, George and Mildred - BE GONE FROM MY MEMORY!) and The League obviously had that shameful back catalogue in mind when they resolved to make this project ambitiously wide in its scope rather than a lazy hatchet job. They even take the Mickey (love) out of the On the Buses in Spain movie. My two favourite characters, the griping couple Stella and Charlie Hull (because their constant bickering reminds me of my own parents' relationship - in a good way if that's possible) sadly do not appear here, nor my second favourite character, cleaner/shop assistant Iris Krell, but the League has such a rich fund of characters that this still warrants full marks. The Charlie Kaufman-esque premise that various characters enter the real world, Bernice Woodall's church crypt being the conduit, and make contact with the actors who play them is a richly rewarding one. Throw in a segment set in a bygone era where the king was Bernard Hill and the Queen Victoria Wood and the story's got more meat than a butcher's window. Surely DVD sales will buoy up this movie's reputation (many non-League following critics were left baffled), as it takes it rightful place amid the canon of LoG excellence. How the cast would love the fact that this website misspells them as The League of GentleMAN not MEN!