Dad's Army (U)

SALUTING the original Dad's Army was never going to be easy.

The classic BBC sitcom about the British Home Guard during the Second World War was well loved during its original run in the late 60s and 70s and is still considered one of the greats.

Shane Allen, controller of BBC comedy commissioning, even last year described writers Jimmy Perry and David Croft as the Lennon and McCartney of comedy in their day.

So remaking Dad's Army as a feature film was always going to be a battle – and sadly it is one that director Oliver Parker, known for the very average Johnny English Reborn, has lost.

The film sees the bored but ever enthusiastic Walmington-on-Sea boys all in a fluster when the glamorous journalist Rose Winters (Catherine Zeta-Jones) comes to write about them towards the end of the war in 1944.

They also discover a German spy is in their midst at the same time as being told their platoon could be disbanded.

But for every moment that the original Dad's Army was charming and witty this relies on ill-judged slapstick.

There are some funny moments – about five – but it will make you groan more often than not before the ridiculous climax.

Most of the cast seem to have waved the white flag too.

The usually great Michael Gambon is the butt of many of the unfunny jokes and is reduced to urinating on Frazer dressed as a tree.

Blake Harrison as Pike is basically a period version of gormless Neil from The Inbetweeners and Bill Nighy seems bored throughout, resorting to type as foppish Wilson.

Who do you think you are kidding Mr Parker?

DAVID MORGAN