KEVIN AND PERRY GO LARGE

You know it's like dat' guy dat' said dat' ting about dat' ting or whatever. Nah what I'm sayin'? Obvious ya' na'. Mi yam just giving it 'for real' or something about nothing about... errr... hmm... Oh! Enough of this nonsense for a moment. Please watch this film Directed by Ed Bye; and Starring: Harry Enfield, Kathy Burke, and Rhys Ifans. It was made in 2000 and lasts for 82-minutes. Cowabunga!


Kevin & Perry Go Large

THE STORY:

W*nkers. Fantasists. And wannabe DJ's. These are just a few of the words I could use to describe teenage virgins, Kevin and Perry (Harry Enfield and Kathy Burke). Moreover, I could also call this pair 'a couple of jammy b*stards' as well. Especially when they luck-out on getting a trip to the party capital of Spain, Ibiza, just after Kevin foils a bank robbery with his erection.

Though, come to think of it, I can come up with a lot more adjectives to illustrate this youthful duo, don't you know? 'Passionate' -- because that is how Kevin and Perry feel when they first bump into Candice and Gemma (Laura Fraser and Tabitha Wady) as soon as they arrive on Spanish soil. 'Enamoured' -- because that is what comes over them when they meet super-star DJ, Eyeball Paul (Rhys Ifans), who treats them like sh*t in turn. Plus 'Disgusted' -- when they hear Kevin's parents (James Fleet and Louisa Rix) get funky one hot and sticky night in their hotel bedroom.

Except for Perry of course. 

However, it only stand's to reason that they should be disgusted I suppose. Kevin and Perry are both feeling somewhat frustrated with their station in life. They want to bang the girls.They want Eyeball Paul to take them seriously. Plus They don't want not to be vomited on when then they manage to wrangle their way into a nightclub.

Blurg!

Oops! Well, I take it that is why what next transpires all kicks off when Eyeball 'eye-balls' Kevin's folks on a sex-tape! As friend's part ways - girls meet gays - virgins become DJ's - and a verb turns into a phrase.

THE REVIEW:

Before Ricky Gervais. Before Sacha Baron Cohen. And after Rowan Atkinson. Harry Enfield and his chums ruled British comedy. I can remember the day when I first saw him on the comedy show, 'Friday Night Live', doing his Greek character, 'Stavros'. My God was he funny. Half of me loved it because I am also of the Greek persuasion. Whereas the other half of me was enamoured by it due to the fact that he was f*cking hilarious. Heck, for years on end Harry and his gang could do no wrong comedy-wise. Loads of Money. Wayne and Wayne-etta Slob. The Old Gits. Kevin and Perry. Smashie and Nicey. Etcetera. Etcetera. Etcetera. Until one day 'catch-phrase comedy' took a nose dive, and suddenly Harry and co. were relegated to 'the legends of yesteryear'.

And do you know what? I wasn't really sure why this was so. I thought that Harry, Paul, and Kathy, were real trendsetters in the way that they could pervert the norm by summing it up in a pithy and repetitive phrase. However, once I saw 'Kevin and Perry Go Large', I began to see why. Mores the pity.

You see, although I am a big fan of these jovial characters, Kevin and Perry, I am afraid to say that I could gauge why this style of comedy has a finite life-span. Well, lets face it, how many times can you laugh at the same thing until it starts to become tedious and irritating? Also, how long can you tolerate a two-dimensional character until you yearn for something with more substance and development?

OK, I can understand that this movie was most probably aimed at kids of a 'certain age' -- mainly because of the subject matter that this story comprises of. Moreover, I could tell why certain gag's had that 'shock' spirit to them too. Nonetheless, disposable comedy does dilutee the essence of a tale, and turns it into cannon-fodder for the critiques to blast.

Oh! I don't know. I do not want to be disrespectful to Harry and Kathy. Both of them have given me so much enjoyment whilst growing up, that I feel bad about saying any of this. Now let's see if some filmic-facts can clear the air, huh? (1) Harry Enfield was once the stepfather of musician, Lily Allen, plus her brother, Alfie. (2) Kathy Burke went to Maria Fidelis Secondary School, Phoenix Road, Euston. And her best friend was actress, Kathy Coleman. (3) Rhys Ifans was the lead singer for the rock-band, 'Super Furry Animals'. (4) In the eighties Paul Whitehouse was a plaster with his now 'Fast Show' college, Charlie Higson. They were both inspired to go into comedy after they did some work for Steven Fry and Hugh Laurie. (5) After this film was made Laura Fraser starred in 'A Knights Tale' with Heath Ledger. (6) Harry would define himself as 'A ruder version of Dick Emery'. (7) Kathy once said 'When you are called a character actress it's because you are too ugly to be called a leading lady'. (8) Tabitha Wady was born in 1976 and starred in medical drama 'Doctors'. (10) Prior to becoming an actor James Fleet studied engineering at university. (11) Louisa Rix left acting for nine years to set up a soft furnishing business.

Nah! My trivia-splurge did not alleviate my anguish over abating 'Kevin and Perry Go Large'. Shame really. As it is a good film in places. I particularly enjoyed the introductory sequences because they reminded me of the nineties television series. Plus I did like the performances of the entire cast as well. Rhys is his ever punk-nut self. Laura and Tabitha both channelled their inner baroque brat. James and Louisa are the square parents in the round hole. And Harry and Kathy are Harry and Kathy. Great. But in need of a better and more developed script. Agreed guys?

Hmmm? 'Mad for it? A phase I could use to describe how I feel about this film. 

THE RATING: B-