As a huge fan of the "Are You Being Served?" TV series (even with all of the replacements later in the series), I was looking forward to seeing this, and in spite of some hysterically funny moments, felt a bit let down. Like some T.V. movie follow-ups to classic TV series of the 1960's, this seemed forced without its laugh track, whether or not it had been dubbed in or actually filmed in front of a live audience. In the case of "Are You Being Served?", the cast seems lonely without the laugh track behind Mrs. Slocum's constant "And I am unanimous in that!", Mr. Humphrey's screeching "I'm Free!" or Captain Peacock's stern gaze at the antics of Mr. Lucas ogling Miss Brahams. Yes, this is the original characters back, and the premise has them on vacation in a seemingly fictional Spanish country on the verge of rebellion. Why a group of people who already spend enough time together during the work week would agree to a vacation together is impossible to believe, even if you do accept all the sexual harassment going on by both male and female characters, pretty racy stuff for what us Yanks mistakenly thought about the British prior to the "Carry On!" films and this T.V. series which seems like a feature version of that which could have been called, "Carry On, Grace Brothers!".
If Mr. Humphreys was effeminate in the T.V. series (yet his sexuality was often lied about although we knew...we knew...), he is downright flamboyant here, his obvious gayness out there like a British Paul Lynde as Uncle Arthur. Even with that, his co-workers are all pretty accepting, even if they do tend to harmlessly tease him with cracks that today might be considered defamation. This makes this pre-political correctness era a lot more fun to observe, reminding us that we all have something to be laughed at, making me believe that the creators were simply indicating we needed to relax and not be so uptight about parodying stereotypes without being turned over to the P.C. Police.
The funniest gag has to do with a pair of chattering false teeth which Mr. Lucas hides in a dummy's bathing suit causing lots of chaos and the visual of Mr. Humphreys in drag in Mrs. Slocum's robe and one of her wigs. There is a lot of innuendo and confusion as notes passed at dinner create hopes for trysts which obviously never occur yet lead to a Keystone Cop style chase sequence between Mr. Humphreys, a Spanish rebel, and even Mrs. Slocum, stunned by encountering her "look-alike" in the midst of it.
You won't be bored but neither will you be enlightened either. Some of the plot twists ("Dear Sexy Knickers") are straight out of earlier episodes and the finale is outlandishly ridiculous even if it keeps with the flavor of how many of the series episodes ended.
If Mr. Humphreys was effeminate in the T.V. series (yet his sexuality was often lied about although we knew...we knew...), he is downright flamboyant here, his obvious gayness out there like a British Paul Lynde as Uncle Arthur. Even with that, his co-workers are all pretty accepting, even if they do tend to harmlessly tease him with cracks that today might be considered defamation. This makes this pre-political correctness era a lot more fun to observe, reminding us that we all have something to be laughed at, making me believe that the creators were simply indicating we needed to relax and not be so uptight about parodying stereotypes without being turned over to the P.C. Police.
The funniest gag has to do with a pair of chattering false teeth which Mr. Lucas hides in a dummy's bathing suit causing lots of chaos and the visual of Mr. Humphreys in drag in Mrs. Slocum's robe and one of her wigs. There is a lot of innuendo and confusion as notes passed at dinner create hopes for trysts which obviously never occur yet lead to a Keystone Cop style chase sequence between Mr. Humphreys, a Spanish rebel, and even Mrs. Slocum, stunned by encountering her "look-alike" in the midst of it.
You won't be bored but neither will you be enlightened either. Some of the plot twists ("Dear Sexy Knickers") are straight out of earlier episodes and the finale is outlandishly ridiculous even if it keeps with the flavor of how many of the series episodes ended.