Notorious highwayman Dick Turpin also known as "Big Dick" is terrorising the residents of Upper Dencher. Captain Fancey and Segreant Strapp are tasked with bringing the infamous and feared highwayman in. They turn to the reverend Flasher for help completely unaware of who he is and what he gets up to away from the church...
Carry On Dick begins well with a series of clips showing copycat crimes from Turpin contemporaries then an amusing opening scene featuring Dick, his gang, Fancey, Strapp and Madame Desiree and "her birds." Sadly, for me, this film didn't manage to keep up the momentum that it was initially building up...
I personally thought that there was not enough of Dick Turpin and his crews escapades and too much time was spent on the clueless Fancey and Strapp trying to work out his identity; whilst this is necessary to the plot I would have liked to see more of Turpin terrorising the town as this would have undoubtedly made the film funnier and definitely would have made it more involving. A good chunk of the screen time revolves around Strapp trying to identify Turpin by the birth mark on his 'diddler' - a weak joke that was overused and stretched way too thin. Joan Sims has been great in other Carry on films, but her character was not all that funny and I didn't understand the act involving her and "oiseaux des paradis." (apologies if I've spelt that wrong). The joke involving Sir Roger Daley and his missus having their clothes stolen was funny the first time, but is repeated several times over with different people (Talbot Rothwell is usually reliable when it comes to a good screenplay so I'm surprised by his lack of imagination with this film).
It's not all bad though most of the cast are on good form; thought Bernard Bresslaw was terrific and Williams and James were both good, but this is comfortable territory for them at this stage in the franchise. I thought everyone else did fine work though I didn't feel that Jack Douglas added much to the film truth be told.
There are some laughs to be had here, but to be perfectly honest this is the first Carry on film that I've seen thus far where I found myself checking the time now and again, and it has to be said the 90 minutes here felt longer than it did in other more enjoyable films that the franchise has had to offer.
Not terrible by any means, but disappointing when compared to many of its predecessors.
HONOURABLE MENTION: Margaret Nolan's cleavage.
Carry On Dick begins well with a series of clips showing copycat crimes from Turpin contemporaries then an amusing opening scene featuring Dick, his gang, Fancey, Strapp and Madame Desiree and "her birds." Sadly, for me, this film didn't manage to keep up the momentum that it was initially building up...
I personally thought that there was not enough of Dick Turpin and his crews escapades and too much time was spent on the clueless Fancey and Strapp trying to work out his identity; whilst this is necessary to the plot I would have liked to see more of Turpin terrorising the town as this would have undoubtedly made the film funnier and definitely would have made it more involving. A good chunk of the screen time revolves around Strapp trying to identify Turpin by the birth mark on his 'diddler' - a weak joke that was overused and stretched way too thin. Joan Sims has been great in other Carry on films, but her character was not all that funny and I didn't understand the act involving her and "oiseaux des paradis." (apologies if I've spelt that wrong). The joke involving Sir Roger Daley and his missus having their clothes stolen was funny the first time, but is repeated several times over with different people (Talbot Rothwell is usually reliable when it comes to a good screenplay so I'm surprised by his lack of imagination with this film).
It's not all bad though most of the cast are on good form; thought Bernard Bresslaw was terrific and Williams and James were both good, but this is comfortable territory for them at this stage in the franchise. I thought everyone else did fine work though I didn't feel that Jack Douglas added much to the film truth be told.
There are some laughs to be had here, but to be perfectly honest this is the first Carry on film that I've seen thus far where I found myself checking the time now and again, and it has to be said the 90 minutes here felt longer than it did in other more enjoyable films that the franchise has had to offer.
Not terrible by any means, but disappointing when compared to many of its predecessors.
HONOURABLE MENTION: Margaret Nolan's cleavage.