The hapless duo go diving for sunken treasure in the South Pacific, which leaves ample scope for jokes about amorous gorillas, rubber giant squids and a wealth of glamorous island maidens. By this time, the Road movies had settled into a production line comfort zone, and the flat direction which lacks the necessary
pizazz of the great musicals combined with the deeply unconvincing sound stage bound locations means that Bali relies entirely on the amiability of its stars. But let's face it, these old pros were never going to disappoint. The stream of Vaudevillian skits and songs are very familiar to anyone who knows the series and Hope and Crosby's usual backstabbing and bickering is just as fun as always. It's a bit like watching an extended sketch from a Morecambe And Wise Christmas Special in that the knockabout charm of its stars outweighs the quality of the gags to the point where you can't help laughing at even the weakest of jokes; the groans are just as amusing as the chuckles! Very old school, but still fun.
December 20, 2007
