Glimmerubro It is not deep, but it is fun to watch. It does have a bit more of an edge to it than other similar films.

Freeman This film is so real. It treats its characters with so much care and sensitivity.

Jakoba True to its essence, the characters remain on the same line and manage to entertain the viewer, each highlighting their own distinctive qualities or touches.

Sarita Rafferty There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

csrothwec Had found this one of the most hilarious things I had ever seen when originally viewed in the late-1960s/early-1970s and I had wondered for years why it was not shown more regularly on British TV. Finally got to see it again when it was tucked away at 11.00 pm - midnight on pre-Christmas viewing schedule. Having now re-watched it, I now know why it enjoys so few showings as it just does not cut it any more. Tommy Cooper is still hilarious (as he always was) just through his physical presence and personality and Jim Dale's appearances and the effects of these are also amusing. Otherwise, though, there is very little going for it. Most of the gags are so predictable you can see them coming miles away and the added tinned laughter others have commented on is just ghastly. The main problem, I found, though was that the TIMING was just atrocious to modern eyes. Sykes was very obviously trying to recreate ( could one say milk?) the heritage of classic stars such as Chaplin, Lloyd and, above all, Laurel & Hardy but does not come within five miles of their talent, especially the latter pair. I think any modern audience (of any age) will find more hilarity and deep belly laughs in virtually any Laurel &Hardy short than in this offering, which now really does belong in the museum of British comedy on film and is only really suitable for viewings by scholars of the genre and others like me (hence the rating) looking back on a much more innocent age and stage of their lives.

benten6572 I have watched this film many times now and it still makes me laugh.the main thing i like is that it has no swearing in it....well lets be true here....there is not much talk at all.i have loved both Sykes and coopers work for many years and this is not the best but they both seem to be enjoying what they are doing.i love the film from the start with the laughter in the timber yard right up to the end as they both pull up the floor boards they just put in.you will have to see the rest to know what happens.the cast list is impressive even for today.about 20 comic names to boot.and the story is so simple that a child of 3 could get it (i know my youngest son has watched it too and has laughed) yes it is showing its age but if you just let that go you have a very good "silent?" movie that will offend nobody

stuart-mcalister Sadly, and quite rudely, leask81 seems to have got it all wrong. The Plank was made in 1967 by some of the finest British comedians of the day - 'poms' or not. His comment was posted in February 2006 so, quite naturally, it would seem out-dated. In fact, any viewing later than 1976 would ... have you tried watching Paul Hogan's early stuff?The sheer enjoyment out of watching the story of this errant plank of wood and its two clumsy handymen is not only a gem of British comedy, but is also a bar over which not many comedy performers since then have managed to clear.A highly enjoyable 'short' and one for the collector.

The_Movie_Cat No, this isn't a new starring vehicle for Keanu Reeves; it's a chirpy, cheesy British homage to the slapstick era.Though quite admirable for it's time, thirty-three years later The Plank has dated somewhat. This is the sort of comedy where you hear breaking window sound effects (though don't get to see the cracked window) and comedy music, cute cats and yapping dogs take a part. Tommy Cooper was a very amusing man who knew how to time a joke, so it's perhaps a waste of his ability to cast him in a nearly silent role.One pleasant thing about the film is that it is, apart from one or two light examples of sexism, entirely innocent, and can be watched by all ages. (Though look out for the newspaper advertisement for The News of the World, not covered up, which reads: "Pop Stars and Drugs"). Perhaps another example of this dated style is that the three black cast members all play dustbinmen.This was probably highly amusing stuff at the time, but looked back upon it doesn't really stand up. Seeing men jumping with rage till their false teeth fall out, or a man being pulled along by a car isn't that funny anymore. In fact, I remembered this film being a hell of a lot funnier than it patently is, and had my memory jogged by the IMDb: it turns out this is the first time I've actually seen the film, and I was thinking of Sykes' work for television in the late seventies/early eighties, which included Rhubarb, Rhubarb and a TV remake of this film starring Harry H.Corbett and Charlie Drake. Maybe that's why I was so disappointed as the '79 version obviously brought this tired format up to date, and, by all accounts, halved the overlong run-time.Ultimately The Plank can only be watched in it's own era. If you wanted the greatest silent comedy then you'd look to the more professional standards of the 20s and 30s (sound dubbing is quite poor here). And if you wanted to laugh at Eric Sykes holding a plank, then you'd watch the remake with it's laughter track half-way convincing you it's funny. For the '67 version there's the feeling that all of its heavily signposted gags don't have the pay-off they deserve, or that the pace isn't quite right. This was a time when The Beatles, The Stones and Dylan were redefining music. In the meantime, Jimmy Edwards was getting excited at young girls in miniskirts. But nevertheless, as a historical document, it's okay, one for a rainy afternoon when there's nothing else on. 5/10.