Brendon Jones
It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.
Tymon Sutton
The acting is good, and the firecracker script has some excellent ideas.
Dana
An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.
RaspberryLucozade
Many popular sitcoms have at sometime or another acquired a spin-off, which more often than not is deemed inferior to the original. Everyone has heard of 'On The Buses' but how many people remember 'Don't Drink The Water'? Those who loved 'The Fall & Rise Of Reginald Perrin' were bitterly disappointed with 'The Legacy Of Reginald Perrin'. 'The Golden Palace' failed to replicate the success of 'The Golden Girls'. Unperturbed by the consequences, John Sullivan bravely created a sequel of his most famous creation, 'Only Fools & Horses'. A tough job, but one that Sullivan remarkably pulled off.Second-hand car dealer Boycie and his wife Marlene, played by John Challis and Sue Holderness, became favourites with fans of 'Only Fools' so Sullivan felt they had potential to appear in their own show. 'The Green Green Grass' saw Boycie and Marlene's idyllic lifestyle being turned upside down when Boycie learns that local mobsters The Driscoll Brothers ( Roy Marsden and Christopher Ryan ) are due to be released from prison and want to exact revenge on him as he was the one responsible for getting them put behind bars. Terrified for his safety, Boycie decides to sell his business and, along with Marlene, their dim-witted son Tyler ( Jack Doolan ) and their rotweiller dog Earl, flee to the countryside. However, Boycie's new life on the farm isn't quite as simple as he thought it would be.'The Green Green Grass' isn't a wonderful show, but it is certainly far from bad. There were many hilarious moments, such as when Boycie discovered that the prize bull he has just bought may be gay! Challis and Holderness were as brilliant as ever though I could not take to Jack Doolan as Tyler. The stereotypical country bumpkins weren't funny either, apart from David Ross as farm manager Elgin. June Whitfield made an appearance as Marlene's brassy mother Dora as did Paula Wilcox as her big-mouthed sister Petunia.'The Green Green Grass' was compared unfairly by some to its predecessor, as was the case with the 'Porridge' sequel 'Going Straight', though unlike Ronnie Barker's sitcom ( which only ran one series ), 'The Green Green Grass' was sufficiently popular to run to a respectable four series.For all its faults, it was superior to many other sitcoms that were around at that time such as 'The Office' and 'The I.T Crowd'. The best place for them was Boycie's compost heap!
ShadeGrenade
Whenever a hit sitcom appears, there will always be a spin-off. Sometimes more than one. Few manage to replicate the popularity of the original. Everyone has heard of 'M*A*S*H', but who remembers 'Trapper John'? Those who fondly remember 'Friends' do not feel as affectionate about 'Joey'. 'Going Straight' was funny, but no 'Porridge'. With 'The Green, Green Grass', John Sullivan tried to construct a semi-sequel to the much-loved, long running 'Only Fools & Horses'. A colossal task, whichever way you look at it.The premise is this; vicious gangsters Danny and Tony Driscoll ( Roy Marsden and Christopher Ryan ) are out of jail, and want revenge on the man whose evidence put them away - Boycie ( John Challis ). The terrified car dealer sells his business, and with wife Marlene ( sexy Sue Holderness ) and teenage son Tyler ( Jack Doolan ), abandons London, fleeing to the countryside to begin a new life. Of course being city folk they find it tough going. 'Green' is a 'fish out of water' show, a premise used before in countless shows, such as 'Two In Clover', and the U.S. shows 'The Beverly Hillbillies' and 'Green Acres'. Many 'O.F.A.H.' fans were unimpressed. The first season was patchy ( though the episode where Tyler tries to chat up a school girl only to discover she is his teacher was hilarious! ), but later ones showed signs of improvement. New writers were brought in, yet it still felt like Sullivan's baby. The supporting characters are stereotypes - the yokel farmhands, the idle housekeeper, the tight-fisted Welsh farmer - but it doesn't really matter. Sitcoms are traditionally full of stereotypes. Even new ones. Take a look at Miranda Hart's much-praised show and you'll see what I mean!Challis and Holderness are as good as ever, and David Ross hilarious as sly farmhand 'Elgin'. There was a change in format mid-way through the run as the Driscoll Brothers found Boycie ( with some help from Marlene's big mouthed sister, played by Paula Wilcox ). They forgave him, providing he stored a box of their money on his land.Whatever its faults, it did not warrant the juvenile hate-filled rants it attracted, and gave this reviewer at least one good laugh a week, which is more than most modern sitcoms can do now in a whole series. Four were made before the B.B.C. elected to close down Boycie's farm. I was sorry when this happened. The show had the potential to be special, but never quite made it.
gibbss
Only Fools and Horses lost its way years ago - so I wasn't surprised to discover that this series was a steaming pile of horse manure. How anyone can find this amusing is beyond me. The only thing that brings a smile to my face is Boycie's laugh. The new characters are weak and the story lines are poor. OFAH will always remain one of England's finest comedies but John Sullivan hasn't produced anything funny in years. Comedies such as Blackadder and The Office knew when to call it a day, even when the public were demanding another series. It's a shame that John Sullivan decided to run the OFAH name into the ground, because up till the last few Christmas Specials it was truly flawless. It seems that Sick Boy's unifying theory of life from Trainspotting was right: "At one point you've got it, then you lose it, and it's gone forever." The King is dead... Long live the king.
Fried-Gold
As a massive Only Fools and Horses fan, I began watching the first episode of John Sullivan's new sitcom with a certain degree of trepidation. My fear was that my fondness for OF&H would be ruined by a cheap, quickly knocked out spin-off featuring the classic comedy creations that are Boycie and Marlene. However, I was almost completely wrong. I think that a true Only Fools fan would find it impossible not to laugh at this fish-out-of-water caper, even if it is Boycie just doing almost exactly what he did in OF&H (slagging off Marlene, being tight, and just being quite nasty). Just this time it's got a new, nicer setting. Another of my worries was that Sullivan would just milk Only Fools for all its worth, by name dropping the entire population of Peckham. Wrong again, he didn't do this. Del-Boy was mentioned once or twice and there was a cameo from Paul Barber (Denzil), but apart from that there was no real mentions of any core Only Fools characters. For anyone walking around saying things such as "The Only Fools And Horses Cash Cow Has Been Well Milked" clearly hasn't got a clue what they're talking about. Although this comedy series isn't exactly a fresh concept, it is very entertaining indeed. To summarise, I think that the legend that is John Sullivan is on top form, and the rest of the series should hopefully be a joy to watch.
