The League of Gentlemen's Apocalypse (2005)

User Rating:

6.0/10   

Director:

Steve Bendelack

Writers:

Jeremy Dyson (written by) and
Mark Gatiss (written by) ...

Release Date:

3 June 2005 (UK)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

Are you local?

Plot:

The notorious fictional town of Royston Vasey is under threat and its inhabitants are forced to leave.

Plot Keywords:

Black Comedy | League | Murder | Good Versus Evil | Gentlemen

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Mark Gatiss	...	Matthew Chinnery / Hilary Briss / Mickey / Mark / Sir Nicholas Sheet-Lightning
Steve Pemberton	...	Tubbs / Pauline / Herr Lipp / Steve / Lemuel Blizzard
Reece Shearsmith	...	Edward / Papa Lazarou / Geoff / Bernice / Reece / Father Halfhearte / Red Devil
Michael Sheen	...	Jeremy
Danielle Tilley	...	Dahlia
Bruno Langley	...	Damon
Alan Morrissey	...	Johnny
Liana O'Cleirigh	...	Claire
Philip O'Sullivan	...	Vicar
Jeff Mirza	...	Asian Dad
Angel Coulby	...	Receptionist
Lucy Miller	...	Minnie
Liam Cunningham	...	Director
Kate O'Toole	...	Casting Director
Emily Woof	...	Lindsay

Also Known As:

Royston Vasey: The Motion Picture (UK) (working title)

Runtime:

91 min

Country:

UK | Ireland | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Australia:M | Ireland:15A | UK:15

Filming Locations:

Dublin, County Dublin, Ireland

Company:

FilmFour

Trivia:

Filming took place in Dublin, Ireland as it would cost far less (due to tax breaks) than in England, where the three TV Series were filmed.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: 10 minutes in, a member of the crew can be seen ducking out of shot from behind the rear car window. He was pushing the car along as Reece (who plays Geoff) cannot drive.

Quotes:

Bernice: And a giraffe will spunk up over a load of old biddies.

Movie Connections:

References Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971)

Odd - but what did you expect?

The film was apparently spawned from an idea one of the writers had when he 'saw' one of his creations in a supermarket. The inhabitants of Royston Vasey head into 'our' world to persuade the writers not to stop writing about them and thus destroy their world.

If that sounds a bit too serious, don't be put off. Within the first few minutes we get: Bernice (the vile female vicar) letting rip at an unfortunate penitent during confession; Chinnery (the vet who inadvertently destroys every animal he touches) attempting to collect semen from a giraffe; Mickey (thick beyond belief) being, ah, thick; and Tubbs (inbred sister-wife and local shopkeeper) being sweet as ever - but still disgusting.

Some of the regular characters are missing, but a new idea by the Gents introduces some 16th-Century characters - and we have the Gents themselves in the action too. If you're new to The League of Gentlemen, this is an easy introduction and a lot of fun. If you're a long-standing fan, this has everything you've come to expect - including the joys of Jeremy Dyson spotting.

All told, it's got the same faintly surreal humour that's the hallmark of the series, plus some moments of quite touching 'introspection'. Herr Lipp, for example, maintains a gentle dignity on learning that he's regarded by his creators as a 'one-joke character'. While most of the characters stay as they are, some develop in unexpected ways that are perfectly natural when they happen.

This film is a 'swan song' for Royston Vasey, but it's also a showcase for the Gents who prove that (gasp!) they can write other stuff - and it can be very funny. (But you knew that anyway.)