This is one of those films that you really want to like.
The actors are good overall, the setting of the coastal town in Italy is beautiful. There is a nugget of a comedic idea that is pregnant with possibility.
The story is in the "Mouse that roared" variety. There is a little ship that is loved by its crew beyond all reason. The commander is an incompetent and anonymous little man, but he has the virtue of being nice. Then destiny arrives in the form of a little cannon. The German navy requires him to install this offending piece of artillery on his boat's fore deck. "That's all right, We'll pretend it isn't there" he tells an apologetic German officer.
Then the little boat encounters a British submarine three miles of the coast. When they return to port after the encounter the little man goes to the naval authorities and says off a major hunt for the submarine. Now the man craves to make an impression on the world, to become a hero. In his own mind he is involved in the hunt for the enemy ship and he and his little cannon will make all the difference.
It is unfortunate that the execution doesn't match the potential. Many of the comedic moments are telegraphed, or the setups for the gags take up too much screen time, so that the punch lines become anti-climactic.
Take for example the gag where the captain, a true landlubber, decides to start wearing a seaman's cap. The film shows him pulling out a cardboard box, discarding his hat and putting on the cap, then walking out. We then see the reaction of his first mate and a few passers by. We then see him inspecting the local "Gelato" ice cream vendor's white tunic. This is followed by several people reacting to his new "uniform" as he comes aboard ship. The director tries to be clever by not showing the captain in full until the very end, but he has already spoiled the gag by showing us everyone's reaction, plus bits and pieces of the tunic in various shots.
Most disappointing of all is the end. After facing ignominious disaster, the captain breaks down in tears and is rowed ashore in disgrace. The whole town is there to see him coming back. There is no closure or catharsis. The character is not shown to have learned anything and his life is in ruins. That is when the narrator informs us that he has come out better for the experience.
I agree with the one other commentator and would complain that the DVD transfer of this movie sucks, but that would be like the Woody Allen joke about the two elder women at the restaurant. One says "The food here is terrible" to which the other replies "Yes, and such small portions".
The actors are good overall, the setting of the coastal town in Italy is beautiful. There is a nugget of a comedic idea that is pregnant with possibility.
The story is in the "Mouse that roared" variety. There is a little ship that is loved by its crew beyond all reason. The commander is an incompetent and anonymous little man, but he has the virtue of being nice. Then destiny arrives in the form of a little cannon. The German navy requires him to install this offending piece of artillery on his boat's fore deck. "That's all right, We'll pretend it isn't there" he tells an apologetic German officer.
Then the little boat encounters a British submarine three miles of the coast. When they return to port after the encounter the little man goes to the naval authorities and says off a major hunt for the submarine. Now the man craves to make an impression on the world, to become a hero. In his own mind he is involved in the hunt for the enemy ship and he and his little cannon will make all the difference.
It is unfortunate that the execution doesn't match the potential. Many of the comedic moments are telegraphed, or the setups for the gags take up too much screen time, so that the punch lines become anti-climactic.
Take for example the gag where the captain, a true landlubber, decides to start wearing a seaman's cap. The film shows him pulling out a cardboard box, discarding his hat and putting on the cap, then walking out. We then see the reaction of his first mate and a few passers by. We then see him inspecting the local "Gelato" ice cream vendor's white tunic. This is followed by several people reacting to his new "uniform" as he comes aboard ship. The director tries to be clever by not showing the captain in full until the very end, but he has already spoiled the gag by showing us everyone's reaction, plus bits and pieces of the tunic in various shots.
Most disappointing of all is the end. After facing ignominious disaster, the captain breaks down in tears and is rowed ashore in disgrace. The whole town is there to see him coming back. There is no closure or catharsis. The character is not shown to have learned anything and his life is in ruins. That is when the narrator informs us that he has come out better for the experience.
I agree with the one other commentator and would complain that the DVD transfer of this movie sucks, but that would be like the Woody Allen joke about the two elder women at the restaurant. One says "The food here is terrible" to which the other replies "Yes, and such small portions".
