Best movie of this year hands down!

the audience applauded

Good movie but grossly overrated

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

When I read my TV Times on a Tuesday afternoon in early 1971 and saw this film was scheduled for a screening I squeeled with laughter and exquisite anticipation at its title: I imagined a film about bowel movements and envisioned an existentialist scenario a la Truffaut, Fellini or Bunuel: a gentleman suffering from severe constipation (as did I before discovering Vindaloo; chilli; onions; red wine and Stella Artois) unable to follow through embarks upon a journey featuring potential dump scenarios always to be frustrated until the final scene when his problem is relieved allowing a Forrest Gump of the largest size imaginable - hence The Big Job. In reality, the film differs from my fantasy whilst being just as preposterous whilst not becoming a pile of Tom Tit: Carry On stalwarts Sid James, Joan Sims and Jim Dale interact well with non Carry - Onners Sylvia Syms, Dick Emery, Lance Percival and Deryck Guyler. For me, the star of the show is Egon Ronay's gorgeous daughter Edina as the daughter of widowed landlady Joan Sims. These two would be teamed up alongside Sid and Jim the following year in Carry On Cowboy.What we actually get here is the oldest story in the book: the robbery gone wrong. On the plus side at least the crooks don't end end betraying each other. Along the way we see amusing social commentary about the prevalence of "New Towns"; a charming homage to The Great Escape with the soil from the tunnel disposal episode.

When is a Carry On film not a Carry On film? The answer is when it's THE BIG JOB, a fun, lighthearted CARRY ON movie in all but name, sharing the same major cast members, writer, producer, and director as the CARRY ONs. It's a film made in the same spirit too, with lots of humorous moments between the sexes mixed in with slapstick jokes and some old dependables giving solid performances as ever.The opening robbery scene is my favourite part of the film and after that it turns into a loose remake of A FIRE HAS BEEN ARRANGED, where a criminal gang are imprisoned but not before stashing their loot in an old tree. They're released fifteen years later only to discover that the tree now stands in the yard of a newly-built police station, so the rest of the film chronicles their efforts to retrieve it.THE BIG JOB suffers a little from a drawn-out narrative which sees some of the situations feeling rather aimless and unfocused; it's certainly not the finest comedy out there and it doesn't have the finesse of one of the best of the CARRY ONs. However, there's a lot to love. Sid James is on top form as the lead and gets plenty of laughs as the running time goes on. Lance Percival and Dick Emery are equally fun as his companions, and Sylvia Sims makes for an arresting presence as the female of the group. Later, the foursome are joined by the likes of a scatty Jim Dale playing a policeman, Joan Sims as the owner of a boarding house, and the incredibly beautiful Edina Ronay as her daughter.The best part of the film, aside from the hilarious opening sequence, is the climax, in which the criminals decide to dig a tunnel under the road to get to the tree. The gags with the spare earth which spoof all those prisoner of war films are simply delightful and constantly hilarious. There's not one but two strong twist endings as well, so it's just that slightly stodgy mid section that slows this down a bit. Not a lot though; CARRY ON fans will be in their element with THE BIG JOB, which feels like a forgotten instalment in the long-running series.

Another homegrown gem from the director (Gerald Thomas ), producer (Peter Rogers) & writer (Talbot Rothwell) of the Carry On movies. This is very similar to those classics as it also has a cast of Carry On regulars such as Jim Dale, Joan Sims & the irrepressible Sid James! After finishing their porridge at her majesties pleasure a gang of crooks attempt to retrieve the loot they hid before being caught. Unfortunately the tree they hid it in is now within the grounds of a police station! They hole up in a neighbouring B&B and so begin many bungled attempts to retrieve it. To make matters worse their fellow lodger is a policeman. D'oh! A top comedy with that must have ingredient, good characters (often lacking from more recent so-called comedy films). A great hour & a half for fans of Carry On. It would be a crime to miss it!

This film about the antics of a group of inept bank robbers is British comedy at its finest. It's Carry-on in everything but name, with regulars such as Sid, Jim Dale and Joan Sims.There are some wonderful performances, but for my money it's Dick Emery who steals the show. I love the part where himself and Sid James have messed up again and are questioned by Jim Dale (the constable) about their antics the previous night. Dick, convinced they've been nobbled, turns to Sid and says "Did you see the look he gave us?It was loaded with handcuffs!"Priceless.This is what REAL comedy is all about and I'm eternally grateful to messrs Thomas,Rothwell and Rogers for providing us with moments like these we can cherish forever.