Postman Pat: The Movie (2014)
Dir: Mike Disa
Running Time: 88 minutes
From stop motion small screen to CGI silver screen,
everyone’s favourite marrow-schnozzed parcel-chucker makes a distinctly flaky
transition to full length feature. Concerning the titular delivery man’s star
turn in a national talent competition, the plot is erratically-paced and
frustratingly inconsistent. With Stephen Mangan leading Pat’s vocal duties (but
jarringly, not his singing), it’s remarkably well cast, which probably explains
the film’s remaining deficiencies – namely, the scattershot script and cheap
visuals.
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| A Patbot, yesterday. |
There's some cheerfully silly slapstick and a few
genuinely good jokes (talent show judge Simon Cowbell’s insulting retorts and a
Dalek cameo among the standouts), but that they’re hung loosely together up
in such a haphazard manner is to the film’s detriment.
But you know what? It doesn’t matter what I think. Meet
Elijah. He’s my son, aged 4. He loves Thomas the Tank Engine and Babybels. And
he bloody ADORES this film. I press him for a reason why.
“Because I love the Patbots!” he replies enthusiastically,
and charges off into the living room, pretending to be one. For four year olds,
it would seem Pat delivers the goods.
5/10
Elijah’s score: To the moon and back/10
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| Elijah, pretending to be a Patbot next to sister Willow, dressed gamely as Jess the cat. |
