One can totally understand Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy's appeal, with distinctive comic timing and easy to remember personalities. It is also very easy to see why the chemistry was, and still is, considered legendary. Their best material, both verbal and particularly physically, was amusing to hilarious, with quite a fair share of classics through the late 20s and all the way through the 30s.
Their 1940s (know that a few of the late 30s films were less than great but not to this extent) films sadly saw quite a big decline. A period when Laurel and Hardy and their material on the most part were tired, they were put in settings that they didn't gel in, the films seemed to forget what made Laurel and Hardy's prime period as great as it was, a lot of the verbal humour was dumb and trite, the supporting casts were variable and a few were too plot-heavy and the plots were far from great. 'The Big Noise', as has been noted, has a very bad reputation. Didn't think it was that bad actually when seeing it, as a Laurel and Hardy completest and out of curiosity to see whether it was that bad, it does have quite a number of big problems but there are good things here in 'The Big Noise'.
It is with those good things that this review will start with. Laurel and Hardy are both amusing and endearing, not at their peak but they look engaged and their chemistry hasn't tired, some inspired and at times remarkably subtle interaction here. Robert Dudley is scene stealing support. 'The Big Noise' does have amusing moments, with the meal and accordion gags coming off best, and some of the lines likewise.
Visually, it is competently made and do agree that the fade-out is whimsical and moving.
Unfortunately, the story is very messy. Not just very thin, with overlong scenes that could have been shortened or excised (the train bunk scene did amuse but did go on for too long), but also rather too unfocused with the gangster subplot complicating the storytelling and becoming far too silly at its worst.
Laurel and Hardy don't really gel in the wartime setting (have found this in general with their 1940s films) and the dialogue tends to be trite. Also found the ending too ham/heavy handed, going too far making its point and feeling tacked on.
In summary, watchable and not that bad but by Laurel and Hardy standards it falls short. 5/10 Bethany Cox
Their 1940s (know that a few of the late 30s films were less than great but not to this extent) films sadly saw quite a big decline. A period when Laurel and Hardy and their material on the most part were tired, they were put in settings that they didn't gel in, the films seemed to forget what made Laurel and Hardy's prime period as great as it was, a lot of the verbal humour was dumb and trite, the supporting casts were variable and a few were too plot-heavy and the plots were far from great. 'The Big Noise', as has been noted, has a very bad reputation. Didn't think it was that bad actually when seeing it, as a Laurel and Hardy completest and out of curiosity to see whether it was that bad, it does have quite a number of big problems but there are good things here in 'The Big Noise'.
It is with those good things that this review will start with. Laurel and Hardy are both amusing and endearing, not at their peak but they look engaged and their chemistry hasn't tired, some inspired and at times remarkably subtle interaction here. Robert Dudley is scene stealing support. 'The Big Noise' does have amusing moments, with the meal and accordion gags coming off best, and some of the lines likewise.
Visually, it is competently made and do agree that the fade-out is whimsical and moving.
Unfortunately, the story is very messy. Not just very thin, with overlong scenes that could have been shortened or excised (the train bunk scene did amuse but did go on for too long), but also rather too unfocused with the gangster subplot complicating the storytelling and becoming far too silly at its worst.
Laurel and Hardy don't really gel in the wartime setting (have found this in general with their 1940s films) and the dialogue tends to be trite. Also found the ending too ham/heavy handed, going too far making its point and feeling tacked on.
In summary, watchable and not that bad but by Laurel and Hardy standards it falls short. 5/10 Bethany Cox