Porridge 1979 by AverageMansReviews

Porridge 1979 by AverageMansReviews

Related content: Animal Farm 2025/2026 Link https://averagemansreviews2017.blogspot.com/2026/07/animal-farm-20252026-by.html

Background and journey of: Norman Stanley Fletcher known as Fletch and sometime later for some time Lennie Godber better known as Godber [Ronnie Barker & Richard Beckinsale:] they began life on the British sitcom known as Porridge; 1974-1977; 3 Series; altogether 21 Episodes, then a continuation/spin-off; Going Straight 1978; 1 Series; 6 Episodes and then this movie in 1979

Review Time

Warning: there is flashing effects/colourful effects/rainbow community elements/medical/references to racism

Convicts vs. Celebrities: Norman Stanley Fletcher known as Fletch [Ronnie Barker:] is an experienced convict the is the head coach of the Convicts Team,  Lennie Godber better known as Godber [Richard Beckinsale/yes for the younger generations; he is the father of Samantha and Kate Beckinsale:] he is the cellmate of Fletch; they very much have a father and son relationship and he is a defender football/soccer player.

Generally speaking: the storyline/script and the framework and pacing of this 93 minutes film is good; there isn't much really to report here; all these components are very much solid and sound.

Comedy and action; the comedy is quick-witted as for an example of Fletch gets asked by a new addition to the prison officer staff something to the effect of why are you hear? As in what crime did you commit? Which Fletch responds with, because I got caught; as in I am here because I got caught committing a crime. So Fletch will slightly turned things to have a joke or to win an argument or frame or phrase things differently depending to suit what need such as playing a game of Draughts; because the situation has come to the attention that he needs to address, when he is playing this game and it is inevitable he is going to lose, you will call it a draw.

Godber will make a hat disappearing in today's food; as he gently patted down with a wooden accessory to make sure that it sinks down into days batch of food and much later on we have some football/soccer; where we have some really hard challenges/tackle going in, a sloppy goal and unfortunately Gober gives himself a concussion consequently a little time later he gives some Scottish football results; in the style of an individual that is re-capping an entire afternoon of football/soccer results in one sitting.

Character developments and performances; on both counts they are excellent versions of what they are meant to be; because they have an authentic presence to them; be it a convict has committed a crime hence why they are here or highlighting the the prison officers are serving time just like the criminals; in the context of you may have that choice to go home, but serving your time in a work sense, isn't much different. So it brings annulment of a symbiotic relationship between both prison officer and criminal and vice versa, and on top of that you have all the different levels of criminals and also the different levels of prison officers as well; that may go from let's try and talk to these criminals all the way to a strict hand; so broadly speaking you have this melting pot of a little society within HMP Slade Prison; so these performances regardless of role size had to slot into this environment and run with it; which in turn creates excellent chemistry and camaraderie which is priceless to the success of this universe; obviously a special mention has to go to the nucleus of characters/performers such as Barker and Beckinsale; because without this nucleus it struggles to work as the Porridge remake of 2017 has shown us; 1 Series; 6 Episodes; full disclosure I have never seen it, I mean I have never seen it fully but I have come across it channel hopping, but that is about it; you couldn't or shouldn't remake a project which has a legacy behind it and trying to re-create the time and tone of its place in history doesn't work which just to finish off Animal Farm 2025/2026 is now finding out the hard way.

This film receives: 8/10, this film is excellent; on reflection I have decided to award another extra mark based on; it is just a little pleasant film that is of the highest quality and most definitely has a timeless quality to it, this film also has some extra bits and pieces going on underneath the closing credits and it even has 1 Winning award to its name; Evening Standard British Film Awards 1980 Evening us Standard British Film Award Best Comedy Dick Clement