I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

A waste of 90 minutes of my life

It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

The acting in this movie is really good.

Self-styled criminal mastermind George Brain (Sid James) and his gang (Emery as Binns and Percival as Day) somehow manage to rob a bank, only to be caught by the police. Just before he's caught Brain manages to hide the loot in a hollow in a tree trunk. Because they won't tell where the money is the gang get fifteen years. After their release they determine to recover the money, with the aid of Brain's long suffering girlfriend Myrtle (played by the beautiful Sylvia Syms), only to find that a housing estate has been built on the farmland where the tree was. The tree still stands - behind the wall of the new police station. Mildred (Joan Sims), a widow with a grown daughter has two double rooms to let in a house opposite the station. Myrtle uses the double rooms and the 'respectable' widow to trick Brain into marrying her, though he's more interested in the money than consummating the marriage. Two further complications hinder their efforts. One is that the other lodger is an enthusiastic young policeman. The other is that they learn the tree is due to be cut down. The rest of the movie is taken up with the gang's increasingly elaborate efforts to recover the money. This cross-plays with the male-female relationships. The hapless Day has his eye on the daughter while the desperate widow has her eye on Binns. All the while the despairing Myrtle just wants Brain to spend the night with her instead of on his latest 'brilliant' idea. The film is unexceptional being neither particularly good nor particularly bad. What might have made a decent two part episode of a half-hour comedy show is drawn out to make a feature film. Some of the humour has dated badly. A mildly risqué remark that might have drawn a titter half a century ago won't do so now. The acting is as solid as the cast suggests with Emery, Syms and Sims the pick.

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.

Totally agree with all other reviewers of this brilliant film that it's a Carry On film in everything but name. Made between the filming of Carry On Cleo and Cowboy and starring the usual batch of actors at the time there's probably 2 reasons why this wasn't given the 'Carry On' title - 1 it's in black and white, the carry on series had by now already moved and would stay in colour and 2 - what could it have been called? Carry on Criminal/ Thieving/ Stealing all send out a message that crime is fun so are probably unsuitable, 'Carry on the Big Job' doesn't really work so maybe that's why it's not included in the series proper but let's face it this IS pure Carry On and a fantastic addition to the films the team were making at the time and easily the funniest non Carry On title made by Gerald Thomas and Peter Rogers. I have all the carry on films (and this on DVD) and every year or so I watch them in order and I always include this between Cleo and Cowboy, as far as I'm concerned there were 32 Carry On films - Don't Lose Your Head and Follow That Camel were quickly re-released with the Carry On prefix - although that was just because of a change of distributer, it's a shame this wasn't added because it sits perfectly into the series. Chances are everyone involved treated this as a continuation of the series anyway. A very funny film.

A group of criminals led by George Brain (known to himself as `The Great Brain') plan to rob a bank. Although the job doesn't go totally to plan, they do get away with £15K. However the police catch them as they make their get away and George is forced to stash the money in a hollow tree. For refusing to say where the money is the group get 15 years each in prison but vow to escape. 15 years later they are released and immediately go to find the tree – but find that a new town has sprung up where once there was fields. Happily the tree is still standing – unfortunately it is now standing in the back yard of a police station. The gang take up rooms in a B&B across the street to plan their next move.Although I doubt I will ever prove it, I maintain that this film must have been a source of inspiration for the film Blue Streak. The set up is identical although the follow through is different. Regardless of this, The Big Job is an enjoyable film with plenty of Carry On style humour (although not part of the series proper). The plot is good and has a few nice touches towards the end. Although the comedy stays away from the bawdy antics of later Carry On features, it does have a gentle line in innuendo. My favourite lines involve one of the characters talking about animals that odd names – such as a lengthy discussion on the rarity of the bird the `Little Bustard' – had me laughing! The slap stick of the piece is also done well and there are some nice set pieces – although some are a little obvious.The cast are good and work well together with so many Carry On faces. Sid James is good value and uses his facial expressions well (albeit without the trademark laugh). A young Emery is funny and Percival is quite enjoyable. The best members of the cast are those who have smaller inputs which are usually funny. Dale is amusing as the cop but Guyler (who has but 3 scenes) is good value for money. Joan Sims is funny playing a slightly amorous widow! Edina Ronay plays her daughter and, at only 20 at the time, is very, very sexy – and made even more so by the fact that she really plays that side of her character up!Overall this is an enjoyable film that will appeal to anyone who watches the Carry On films there were made around the same period. It has a good plot, some nice sequences and plenty of good lines or characterisations. You won't be roaring with laughter but it is amusing and funny enough to justify watching.