Laurel and Hardy do theirs for the war effort. The film's funniest sequences are in a train cabin, at a dinner party (with very little you can call food) and despite this, the whole thing takes a wrong turn, with a truly head scratching end, that I can only imagine got a misplaced cheer by the wartime audiences.
I know that Asian people and particularly Japanese were not very popular in the United States in the 40s, but to portray them as wrong as so many filmmakers did and in my opinion still do, leaves me a little bit nauseated.
Of course, they were not the only ones given raw deals in Hollywood at that time, and I am glad that we live in a little more enlightened time.
Anyway, this is, despite the ending, full of what made Laurel and Hardy one of the most beloved comedy teams of the 20th century. Logic takes a back step (the inventor is particularly out of it, isn't he? Why would he ever hire such a pair of bumblers in the first place?). It's all an excuse for madcap comedy.
Despite my objection to that ending, this is somewhat entertaining. They could have done without the subplot about the gangsters, though.
I know that Asian people and particularly Japanese were not very popular in the United States in the 40s, but to portray them as wrong as so many filmmakers did and in my opinion still do, leaves me a little bit nauseated.
Of course, they were not the only ones given raw deals in Hollywood at that time, and I am glad that we live in a little more enlightened time.
Anyway, this is, despite the ending, full of what made Laurel and Hardy one of the most beloved comedy teams of the 20th century. Logic takes a back step (the inventor is particularly out of it, isn't he? Why would he ever hire such a pair of bumblers in the first place?). It's all an excuse for madcap comedy.
Despite my objection to that ending, this is somewhat entertaining. They could have done without the subplot about the gangsters, though.