Gripping story with well-crafted characters

Absolutely the worst movie.

Absolutely Brilliant!

It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

I doubt many CARRY ON fans would agree with me that this is the second best entry in the series, or that it deserves a 10. But I'll put forward in argument in favour.The CARRY ON films were all about cheeky seaside postcard humour, sending up British institutions and poking fun at peculiar aspects of life in Britain. SCREAMING is the one I consider the best because it has an energy running through it higher than any of the others. Everyone is at the top of their game - the actors, the script writers, the producers... everyone. Everything is right about that film - the pace, the puns, the atmosphere, the comic timing, the flow... everything. Well, CARRY ON ABROAD is a close second in that department because everything feels 100 per cent perfect here as well. All the regulars are in this film and they deliver some of their finest performances here, with special mention to Peter Butterworth and Hattie Jacques. It is well-documented Charles Hawtrey's alcoholism was a problem during the film, and as a result, he was sacked from the series after this film. But he goes out with a bang, not a whimper, and seems to relish every moment of filming. He is simply a joy to watch on the screen and this was his finest performance in the whole series in my humble opinion. The reason why I rate SCREAMING the best, above ABROAD, is that the jokes flow a little better and the characters play off each other that bit better too. There's not much separating the two, though.No one watches a CARRY ON film expecting much of a plot but here goes - a group of tourists go to an island in the Mediterranean and find the hotel they're booked to stay in is only half-finished. Cue lots of hilarity as toilets malfunction, balconies fall over, bathrooms have to cover two rooms and much more.The strange thing about all this is that the whole thing is so well acted, scripted, photographed and everything that I used to think they actually did go to Spain to film it. I was quite surprised that much of the filming was at the back of Pinewood Studios... in a car park!The film squeezes out every gag that can be had from the situations presented to the "gang". And there are plenty of corny lines that don't sound all that funny but are hilarious when delivered on the screen. Here's an example:Kenneth Williams: I'm the executive from Wundatours - Stuart Farquhar.Peter Butterworth: Stupid what?Kenneth Williams: STUART! STUART FARQUHAR!Sid James (mutters to Joan Sims): I think he was right the first time!Here's another of my favourites:Kenneth Williams: Well it seems to me that this hotel isn't quite finished.Peter Butterworth: Not finished? It's nothing... just a little building work... four or five floors maybe, that's all.There's plenty more where they came from. The whole thing is very corny and very British. But it all has a timeless charm and films like this will always be fun to watch, as many other films and franchises have come, gone and been forgotten. Also, given a choice between what seems to pass for a comedy film these days (rubbish "rom-coms") or a delightful, unpretentious film like CARRY ON ABROAD, the latter wins hands down every time. You simply can't go wrong with this film.

Publican Vic Flange is looking forward to a holiday in the Spanish resort of Elsbels with customer Sadie Tomkins; that is until another customer starts talking about it in front of Mrs. Flange... when she insists on going too it is inevitable Vic won't be getting the holiday he'd hoped for. We are introduced to the other holidaymakers as they board the coach to the airport; they include Evelyn Blunt and her henpecked husband Stanley, tour leader Stuart Farquhar, a group of monks and dipsomaniac Eustace Tuttle. When they get to Spain it becomes apparent that their brand new resort hotel is so new they haven't finished building it nor is it fully staffed. The rooms aren't good either with shared bathrooms and wardrobes with no backs which enabled people to see into the next room. Inevitably everybody complains and things don't improve the next day when the 'glorious sunshine' turns into pouring rain.Watching this I have to wonder whether it was sponsored by the English Tourist board as it doesn't make an overseas holiday seem an attractive proposition! Being fairly late in the Carry On series there is inevitably plenty of less than subtle innuendo and some mild nudity (a glimpse of Barbara Windsor's bare backside); thankfully though it isn't too bad and there are plenty of laughs to be had from the silliness of the situations. It was great seeing most of the core Carry On team putting in enjoyable performances. I was not at all surprised to learn that none of it was filmed overseas; as the holiday makers sunbathe the lighting is that of a grey English day and we don't even see the sea... odd given that they are meant to be on the beach; perhaps the budget didn't stretch to a visit to Southend! Overall I'd say this isn't a bad Carry On film but it is far from a classic.

One of my favourites and the last great Carry on film. All the gang is here for the last time Sid, Kenny, Charlie, Babs, Joan, Hattie and they all seem to be having a great time and go out with a bang. Its meant to be set in Spain but its pretty obvious the team haven't ventured further than Slough. Great lines, and set pieces through but for me its Peter Butterworth as hotel manager Pepe who steals the show never since Up the Khyber has Butterworth been given a more showy role and he plays it to the hilt, shame he wasn't more cherished as a regular and was and is still overlooked in favour of less funnier member's of the team such as Bresslaw, Douglas. Love the scenes between him and Williams' Farquar. A great pick me up if your feeling a bit fed up it never fails to make me laugh. Classic!

"Carry On" movies come in three basic flavors. Several early ones are heart-warming but still happily silly. The historical and movie spoofs ("Jack", "Spying", "Cowboy", "Cleo", "Jungle" etc.) are preferred by many aficionados. The third kind are set in ('70s) modern dress with scripts containing wall-to-wall double-entendres. And single-entendres."Carry on Abroad" is a quintessential example of the third type. Of the long-term "Carry On" repertory company Connor, Williams, Hawtrey, Sims, Jacques, James, Windsor, Bresslaw and Butterworth appear. Adding June Whitfield (making her first "Carry On" since "Nurse" more than a dozen years before) and the twitching Jack Douglas (in his second "Carry On" movie outing) gives the film a nicely representative "Carry On" cast."Carry On Abroad" takes its cast on a tour to a foreign resort (actually, the parking lot of the studio), where Murphy's Law is proved at every turn. Kenneth Williams runs the tour agency, Peter Butterworth and Hattie Jacques run the hotel that hasn't been completed, and the rest run rampant.Some of the attitudes are offensive by today's standards – but some of the attitudes were offensive back then, too. Some of the attitudes will continue to be offensive in the future, whether posterity becomes more Victorian in sentiment, or whether it continues to expand into politically-correct, anti-free speech liberalism. "Carry On" movies of this flavor were made to offend."Carry On Abroad" does have a serious bone in its body, too, in the June Whitfield sub-plot, but that doesn't detract us long.The six stars should be taken in context. "Carry On" movies were made as cheaply as possible and are not meant to be judged in the same way as one appraises, say, "Doctor Zhivago"