"That's Carry On!" is an okay compilation of the highlights from Britains' legendary "Carry On" series of theatrical farces. Series veterans Kenneth Williams and Barbara Windsor act as hosts, mugging their way through so-so material. She naturally is quick to point out how quick the filmmakers were to capitalize on her "assets", while he ends up having to go to the washroom very badly.
While a lot of this archive footage is indeed funny (and the footage gets more and more lively as the movie goes on), the viewer might wish for a more thorough examination of how this series got developed, and its importance to British cinema. Overall, "That's Carry On!" is rather lightweight, unless the viewer just wants to relax and enjoy memorable moments and sequences. There doesn't seem to be much rhyme or reason as to how the footage is assembled other than it is shown in a mostly chronological order. It's certainly a likeable enough movie, and one can see how talented the various cast members were. A lot of this farce was delivered in such a riotous, breathless manner.
At the very least, it may intrigue some viewers *just* enough to check out the whole series in the proper context. As of this writing, this viewer has only seen "Carry On Sergeant". In addition to listing all of the actors & actresses featured, various technical credits are listed at the end, indicating the number of entries upon which each person worked. Director Gerald Thomas had done all 28.
Six out of 10.
While a lot of this archive footage is indeed funny (and the footage gets more and more lively as the movie goes on), the viewer might wish for a more thorough examination of how this series got developed, and its importance to British cinema. Overall, "That's Carry On!" is rather lightweight, unless the viewer just wants to relax and enjoy memorable moments and sequences. There doesn't seem to be much rhyme or reason as to how the footage is assembled other than it is shown in a mostly chronological order. It's certainly a likeable enough movie, and one can see how talented the various cast members were. A lot of this farce was delivered in such a riotous, breathless manner.
At the very least, it may intrigue some viewers *just* enough to check out the whole series in the proper context. As of this writing, this viewer has only seen "Carry On Sergeant". In addition to listing all of the actors & actresses featured, various technical credits are listed at the end, indicating the number of entries upon which each person worked. Director Gerald Thomas had done all 28.
Six out of 10.