Thunderpants
Thunderpants
Director Peter Hewitt
Writer Phil Hughes
Stars Bruce Cook, Rupert Grint, Simon Callow, Stephen Fry, Celia Imrie, Paul Giamatti, Ned Beatty
Certificate PG
Running time 87 minutes
Made UK 2002
A moon rocket is powered from an 11-year-old boy's bottom.
I saw the premise and decided to give this one a wide berth, so I can't really review it properly, though I'm sure that my son will want to rent the DVD at some point, and then I'll get back to you.
No one likes Patrick Smash because he farts, is overweight, and he's slow.
No one likes Alan A Allen because he is a brainy swot, speaks posh, looks funny and doesn't join in. He has red curly hair and specs and big teeth. He smiles a lot, has no sense of smell, and he invents things..
Naturally, they become friends.
When I saw this advertised, I could hardly believe it. As a comedy for children, Peter Hewitt's film has just one joke. I would guess that for adults, the flatulance gag would last for about ten minutes, but I can tell you that there is a certain age for little boys who would find this funny for days on end, and then some more too.
Patrick's amazing ability to break wind leads him first to fame and then to death row, before it helps him to fulfill his dream of becoming an astronaut.
Rupert Grint, who plays Ron in Harry Potter, plays posh Alan. Simon Callow's opera singer and Stephen Fry's barrister are all played equally over the top. Bruce Cook is the flatulent British schoolboy with two stomachs, like a cow, which explains his "gift", and whose skill is harnessed by the American Space Agency.
The moral of the tale is that everyone has a talent, and that however improbable, a boy's ability to fart explosively can transform him from a social misfit to hero of the hour. Amazingly, kids reviews of this film all think that it has a very positive message: that everyone can overcome their problems.
Probably, I'm just getting too old!
Edit: We now have this on video. In style it is very like 'Matilda'. It does only have the one joke, but the variety of different ways of telling the same joke is astounding itself.
Thunderpants
Director Peter Hewitt
Writer Phil Hughes
Stars Bruce Cook, Rupert Grint, Simon Callow, Stephen Fry, Celia Imrie, Paul Giamatti, Ned Beatty
Certificate PG
Running time 87 minutes
Made UK 2002
A moon rocket is powered from an 11-year-old boy's bottom.
I saw the premise and decided to give this one a wide berth, so I can't really review it properly, though I'm sure that my son will want to rent the DVD at some point, and then I'll get back to you.
No one likes Patrick Smash because he farts, is overweight, and he's slow.
No one likes Alan A Allen because he is a brainy swot, speaks posh, looks funny and doesn't join in. He has red curly hair and specs and big teeth. He smiles a lot, has no sense of smell, and he invents things..
Naturally, they become friends.
When I saw this advertised, I could hardly believe it. As a comedy for children, Peter Hewitt's film has just one joke. I would guess that for adults, the flatulance gag would last for about ten minutes, but I can tell you that there is a certain age for little boys who would find this funny for days on end, and then some more too.
Patrick's amazing ability to break wind leads him first to fame and then to death row, before it helps him to fulfill his dream of becoming an astronaut.
Rupert Grint, who plays Ron in Harry Potter, plays posh Alan. Simon Callow's opera singer and Stephen Fry's barrister are all played equally over the top. Bruce Cook is the flatulent British schoolboy with two stomachs, like a cow, which explains his "gift", and whose skill is harnessed by the American Space Agency.
The moral of the tale is that everyone has a talent, and that however improbable, a boy's ability to fart explosively can transform him from a social misfit to hero of the hour. Amazingly, kids reviews of this film all think that it has a very positive message: that everyone can overcome their problems.
Probably, I'm just getting too old!
Edit: We now have this on video. In style it is very like 'Matilda'. It does only have the one joke, but the variety of different ways of telling the same joke is astounding itself.
