Professor Branestawm Returns (TV Movie 2015) Poster

(2015 TV Movie)

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5/10
Time for only one inventor
Prismark1018 March 2016
Despite mixed reviews of the first adaptation in 2014, Harry Hill is back in Professor Branestawm Returns again adapted by Charlie Higson.

Branestawm's finances are out of control as he faces big bills so his young friend Connie gets him to take part in an inventing competition as a legacy by the not yet dying Lady Pagwell.

However to win the competition he must contend with the self proclaimed greatest inventor in the world, Professor Algebrain from somewhere in Europe, suspiciously like Germany and this dastardly villain is trying to steal Branestawm's own invention and submit it as his own.

The film is more of the same, slapstick, absurdity, zany special effects, eccentric characters and the cast seem to be enjoying themselves with broad comedy. Diana Rigg wonderfully hams it up at the beginning.

I felt it was slightly weaker than the first film but good enough as family festive entertainment.
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7/10
Brought it all back... in a good way
jbeartist14 January 2016
Not as bad as some reviews have made it out to be. I loved PB as a child. I loved the drawings and the characters. It's the only book that I can actually remember being read to me in bed. I had no idea that this had been turned into a TV thing until tonight. I watched it on BBC iPlayer and I was pleasantly surprised. Very quaintly English and gentle in it's treatment of a much loved classic I found it entertaining and very charming. There are bits of adult humour added in for good measure, but these would slide easily above the heads of youngsters. One reviewer used the words 'vile' and 'tripe' - total nonsense in my opinion, this programme couldn't have been made any differently. Disney doesn't rule the world and neither do Pixar or Dreamworks, there's room for Aardman and and other takes on humour and charm. I'd rather spend an hour watching this lovely little bit of harmless nonsense than the truckloads of so-called comedy that occupies most of television... endless 'teen' situations, poorly written stuff about groups of goofy people who live or work together... this is different, it harks back to more simple times and does it with warmth and affection. Besides, anything with Matt Berry in it has to be good.
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5/10
Professor Branestawm Returns
jboothmillard5 January 2016
Warning: Spoilers
The Incredible Adventures of Professor Branestawm, based on the popular children's books, was a good acting platform for the star of TV Burp, this sequel, also broadcast at Christmas, would hopefully be good as well. Basically in the town of Great Pagwell, before passing away Lady Pagwell (Dame Diana Rigg) leaves a fun, in memory of her late husband, to fund new inventions. As the only inventor in town Professor Branestawm (Harry Hill) is the obvious recipient, he is having financial troubles and could do with any money to help pay the bills. However the Professor's nasty opponents Harold Haggerstone (David Mitchell) and Miss Silt (Doreen Ingleton) create a competition, to find other inventors and display their new inventions, to divert the cash elsewhere. Three competitors are borough into town, but Professor Awfulshirt (Matt Berry) and Mary Oxford (Rosie Cavaliero) disappear, and Professor Algebrain (Steve Pemberton) becomes Haggerstone and Silt's best chance to get the better of Professor Branestawm. Algebrain lodges with Branestawm's good friend and budding inventor Connie (Madeline Holliday) and her mother Aggie (Sophie Thompson), he decides to steal one of Branestawm's creations, electric clairvoyant glasses that can see five seconds into the future, and pass it off as his own to win the competition. In the end Professor Algebrain is defeated, the Mayor (Charlie Higson) awards Connie as the competition winner with her invention, a "tablet", and she gives the winnings to Professor Branestawm to stop his eviction. Also starring Simon Day as Colonel Dedshott and Adrian Scarborough as Vicar. Hill again is a good choice for the highly bonkers and eccentric inventor, supporting cast members Day, Mitchell and Pemberton do well also, the special effects and magic is good, the slapstick and oddball jokes are fine, and overall it is just childish stuff the whole family will like, a fun comedy fantasy. Worth watching!
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1/10
Vile, Utter, Trash.
HonestReviews20 December 2015
When I heard that this abysmal piece of trash had received a sequel I couldn't stop crying with laughter. The original Branestawm was so terrible and so badly received by not only critics but the public as well. So how on Earth did this get the all clear for a sequel?!?! Nice to know our license fee cash for the BBC is being well spent - on trashy programs that are vile and repulsive to watch.

I'm not even going to comment on the story. The story was full of plot holes and made no sense once again. CGI - awful, looked as though it was done on Windows Movie Maker. Comedy - there were no jokes, no laughs and no gags. Acting - Harry Hill is a trashy comedian who jumped the shark a long time ago. The fact that his terrible film only gets a 3.5 on IMDb is hilarious. This unfunny "comedian" needs to get down the job centre and find another job cause comedy and acting clearly isn't his thing.

Isn't it hilarious how they couldn't get Ben Miller back? Obviously he realised and knew that this TV film was abysmal. The rest of the actors are awful. Just go and get new jobs the lot of you no one likes you get off television.

Anyone involved in the making of this should hang their heads in shame at wasting money on something so hideously awful. There is some good news though. The license fee for the BBC will most likely be scrapped soon, meaning this channel will soon be abolished and we won't have to put up with trash like this being made anymore.
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10/10
Great family viewing
philbenton21 March 2016
My 7 year old son and me were looking forward to the follow up to the 2014 very funny adaption of Professor Branestawm and it did not disappoint.Great family fun and Harry Hill's portrayal of the Professor is brilliant as are the rest of the cast.Charlie Higson's adaption is quite faithful to the books, taking bits from different stories and creating something new and bumping up the character Connie to the front of the story and the inventions are of the quality of the W.Heath Robinson illustrations that feature in the original book.Hopefully they will make more. I felt I needed to give a review of this show as the reviewer know as HonestReviews wrote a very unfair review and was written before it had been shown on Television, what a 24 carat wally.
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8/10
Brilliant Christmas Fare
jsf-153 January 2016
Don't pay any attention to the HonestReviews troll.

This children's programme is perfect family viewing. Based on the writings of Norman Hunter, it brings to life the original madcap illustrations that accompanied them, done by the master of the absurd: William Heath Robinson.

The goofball inventions of the professor are enough to make anyone giggle, but the reaction of the stereotypical middle-England residents of mid 20th century Pagwell are what makes this so special.

Forget the bad reviews, sit down and enjoy some British Quaintness at its best.
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