Four out of
Five stars
Running time:
96 mins
Enjoyable, frequently hilarious comedy-drama with a strong script, imaginative direction and delightful performances from its two young leads.
What's it all about?
Set in the 1980s, Son of Rambow stars Bill Milner as Will Proudfoot, a young boy who lives with his single mother (Jessica Hynes) in a Plymouth Brethren community, which forbids radio, television and films. Naturally, this sets Will apart from the other kids at school, but a chance encounter with school trouble-maker Lee Carter (Will Poulter) soon opens Will's eyes, particularly when Carter shows him a bootleg video of Sylvester Stallone's Rambo-franchise-spawning First Blood.
His imagination fired by what he's seen, Will readily agrees to help Carter with his pet project, a home-made sequel to First Blood that will help him win a TV film competition. However, when super-cool French exchange student Didier (Jules Sitruk) decides he wants in on the action, things start to get out of control.
The Good
Newcomers Milner and Poulter make a terrific comedy duo and their mismatched friendship is entirely believable. There's also strong support from the likes of Jessica Hynes, Adam Buxton and, in a delightful cameo, Eric Sykes.
Son of Rambow is directed with wit and imagination, which is unsurprising, given that writer-director Garth Jennings (The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy) is better known as half of Hammer & Tongs, alongside producing partner Nick Goldsmith. Consequently, the film is packed with wonderful offbeat touches, such as hand-drawn visual effects and gags involving a flying dog.
The Great
Jennings' excellent script crackles with great dialogue and explores several different themes such as friendship, growing up and the power of childhood imagination, while layering in tonnes of nostalgic background detail that will delight anyone who grew up in the 1980s. It's also surprisingly moving in places and the finale is a genuine treat.
Worth seeing?
In short, Son of Rambow is a brilliantly written, imaginatively directed and superbly acted British comedy that is laugh-out-loud funny and thoroughly engaging. Highly recommended.