Blackadder Back & Forth (1999) Reviews

• a delightful old favorite gets a makeover

  dr_foreman2003-01-17

  Old BBC shows are lovely, so low-budget and witty and strange. To a lover of literature and history like myself, Blackadder stands as possibly the funniest sitcom of all time. Like Doctor Who, it was cheap, but I didn't give a fig...it was simply ten times cleverer than anything on American television, and I loved it. At first, I was dubious about this millennium special - I didn't think that Blackadder really needed a big-budget makeover, special effects, etc. But in the end, "Back and Forth" served its purpose for me. I laughed. Lots. Maybe I would've liked a little more wit and a few less sight gags, but so what? It's been ten years since the original Blackadder went off the air, and it's unreasonable to expect that a new special will emulate the old show exactly. And in addition to the new material, there's plenty of nostalgic jokes on hand (e.g. "I have a cunning plan"...why do people complain that this was recycled here? Can you image Blackadder WITHOUT this line?). Like the recent big-budget Doctor Who and Asterix films, this was criticized by fans who were disappointed that it wasn't 4 stars all the way...but a general audience can forgive the odd flaw and accept this for what it is, a delightful reunion of great British comics for one last episode of a great show.

• Not as bad as reputation has it...

  TheCooperVane2001-06-28

  I understand why people think this is a dud compared to the rest of the Blackadder legacy. It isn't particularly remarkable. It isn;t as good as any of the series episodes of Blackadder (though it is better than the Christmas Carol special). However, by the average standard for comedy, this is still enjoyable. It's cute. Admittedly, Blackadder was never good because of being "cute," but it works here. I suppose I liked it for the most part for the nostalgia value - 10 years after the last official episode, we see my favorite British comedians reunited (worth the price alone): Rowan Atkinson, Rik Mayall, Stephen Fry, Hugh Laurie... and all the rest. I was lucky enough to be in London during this show's run at the Millennium Dome, and now am proud to own it as part of the new DVD Blackadder set. There are some great gags, and (for fans of British comedy) some great appearances. It's no "Bells" or "Dish or Dishonesty," but it makes me smile. And that's the important thing.

• Great reunion, for actors and fans.

  Raleon2001-09-17

  Blackadder Back and Forth was, or seems to be, meant as a collector's film for fans of Blackadder, and also as a fun reunion for the actors at the millennium. That is, it started out with the same motif as the other Blackadder series: just to have fun and be funny. Though Back and Forth is only funny as an addition to the other Blackadder's, not by itself. All the other series' could be funny on their own. This movie isn't a disappointment if you realize that it's just a wrap up put together for fun at the turn of the millenium, it wasn't meant to be like the other Blackadders, and it certainly isn't. It's a mere following of some of the characters throughout time, which is funny in itself, especially the part with the Romans and the short skirts. The only real disappoint I had was the loss of Percy Percy. Even in the "Making of a Blackadder" they seemed to avoid talking about Percy Percy deliberately. I think it's great to see Tim McInnerny as more than one role in the series: Darling and Percy (and Smedly), because he's such a terrific and underrated actor, but I loved him the most as Percy and I miss that character. I know he doesn't want to be pigeon-holed as just one character, and he shouldn't be, but it would have been great to see both Percy and Darling in one film.

• occasionally funny, but mainly a mistake

  TheNorthernMonkee2005-05-24

  SPOILERS To celebrate the millennium, people did some very stupid things. One of the most noteworthy however was the Government spending huge amounts of money to create a large exhibition to celebrate it. Spanning the whole of 2000, the exhibition, housed in the hideous Millennium Dome, included one potential thrill, the return of Edmund Blackadder. Released long after on video and DVD, "Blackaddr Back and Forth" probably felt like a great way to reunite, but ultimately it has little going for it and should never have been made. To celebrate the turn of the century, Lord Edmund Blackadder (Rowan Atkinson) invited his closest friends to join him for a meal. Using a copy of Leonardo Di Vinci's actual blueprints of a time machine, Blackadder has servant Baldrick (Tony Robinson) build a copy for a prank. To his surprise though, Baldrick does such a good job, the machine actually works. Travelling through time, Blackadder attempts to get home only to learn that time travel has potential consequences. Written by Tony Curtis and Ben Elton, this half an hour long episode probably seemed like a good idea originally. Unfortunately however, this reunion of original staff might have been fun to make, but it's not particularly good to watch. Firstly, ignoring the issue of a Blackadder being witty and intelligent any time before the pathetic wimpy Edmund of the first series, the short scene at Hadrians Wall is incredibly mediocre. As Blackaddercus and Baldrickus, Atkinson and Robinson are not too bad. The problem emerges with the awful lines given to Hugh Laurie as Georgius and Stephen Fry as General Melchecus. Given a short skirt for cheap laughs, Stephen Fry recites a large amount of Latin before then making a traditional Melchett sound afterwards. This scene remains benign of humour and is completely pointless. Next, to attempt to bring back an old classic, and personally a massive favourite, the two writers probably thought it would be an idea to reintroduce the character of Queen Elizabeth. Whilst a nice idea, the scene is done so badly, that it actually puts you off the story before it's properly started. As Elizabeth, Miranda Richardson reprises the role which she did so well, but whilst thirteen years ago the character had a natural feel of childlike nature and humour, now it feels awkward and forced. This is sadly partly due to the performance of Richardson who doesn't look as comfortable in the role as she once did. The inclusion of Kate Moss as the love interest is also a huge error in judgement. Whilst there's little denial that Moss is a beautiful woman, she is pointless as Maid Marion of Sherwood, albeit not quite as much so as Rik Mayall as Robin Hood. With the notable exception of Bob, there is no woman that has really been good enough for Blackadder, and by adding Kate Moss to the mix, it just doesn't feel right. To try and say something nice about this woeful mistake, the appearance of Colin Firth as William Shakespeare is a definite plus. Only on team for a short time, he doesn't necessarily need to put in the greatest of performances, but the way in which Blackadder insults the great bard and pokes fun at Kenneth Branagh is definitely a highlight. Sadly, apart from the short scene involving Shakespeare, there is little else positive to say about "Back and Forth". Given a random name which does little except to confuse it with "Blackadder Goes Forth", it is a programme which never should have been made. It lowers the overall picture of Blackadder and it should be ignored whenever possible. Written specifically for the opening of the Millennium Dome, the idea of a reunion was probably a really appealing idea for cast and writers of the "Blackadder" series. Unfortunately though, the end product was a calamitous mistake. Mediocre in story and humour, the episode was also given a dire title. We can forgive the cast and writers for wanting to meet up again and have a laugh, but we can't forgive them for making such a mess of the final version. A dire mistake.

• OK – but a shadow of the series in terms of humour

  bob the moo2002-04-22

  Blackadder and his faithful servant Baldrick build a fake time machine from original plans in order to fool their friends into thinking that they went back in time and collected artifacts, thus winning a big bet. However they travel back in time and accidentally change history – wiping out the very characters they claimed to have met. This special was made for show in the millennium dome, however it was also shown on BBC recently. This is no way classic Blackadder – the story is a mix of Blackadder trademark sarcasm and Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure. The time traveling element is amusing and is also an excuse for some very funny scenes (Robin Hood, Jurassic Park moment) but other bits don't work as well (the current-time dinner party is weak given the cast, and the Blackadder II bit isn't very funny and just shows how good the series was). The dialogue lacks the sharp, cruel sarcasm that the other 4 series had – it tries to do it but it isn't as fresh as it once was…I guess that's the real effect of time! Atkinson is good as Blackadder – but he never seems comfortable with this incarnation as he did with previous ones…perhaps because it is an one-off creation. Robinson is good as Baldrick because his character never changes. Of the rest of the talented cast only Rik Mayall is really funny – the rest (Fry, Laurie, Richardson etc) are all weak and never as good as they were in their roles in the 4 series. However nice cameos from Colin Firth and Kate Moss make it interesting. Overall it's worth a watch – but don't expect to be anywhere near the height of the original 4 Blackadder series.