The Beatles' second film had a hard act to follow in the wake of the ground-breaking "Meet the Beatles" documentary-style "A Hard day's Night". Director Richard Lester opted for a plotted spy-caper spoof in glowing colour and if he sometimes piles on too many gags and the boys, if one was being honest, are out-acted by the surrounding talent, this is still an entertaining romp, accompanied by some sublime music as the Fab Four really start to hit their creative stride in their vibrant mid-period.
Hanging on to the coat-tails of another of Britain's big entertainment success stories of the 60's, the James Bond movies (the "007" theme even gets an airing at one point), the episodic plot serves its purpose in taking the boys to far-flung exotic locations in which to clown and sing. There are as many good comedic devices as bad, but the best of them pre-date some of the anarchic humour of Monty Python and some of the group interplay echoes, if distantly, the drollery of the Marx Brothers.
The film therefore moves at a fast tilt from the off, with the songs reasonably well spaced out. Lennon emerges with the main plaudits with the classics "Help!", "Ticket to Ride" and the mature Dylan-influenced "You've Got To Hide Your Love Away". McCartney and Harrison contribute quality high-gloss pop of only slightly lesser standard and all these songs are given entertaining promo-video backings which work well independent of the surrounding whole.
The four can hardly be said to be stretched in the acting stakes and more than in "A Hard Day's Night" seem a bit less individualistic here. Their repartee is shared around so that no one really takes precedence which might of course have been the aim. There's strong support in the mainly British cast, with Leo McKern doing a good comedic turn as the chief "thuggee" and Eleanor Bron quietly effervescent, often riffing off Paul.
The film does drag a little even over its short playing time as it draws to its end, this viewer feeling a little worn down with all the sight gags, changes of perspective and general pop-art enthusiasm of director Lester. That said, it can be seen to encapsulate the swinging times of its genesis, so that in summing up, you know you should be glad (ouch!).
Hanging on to the coat-tails of another of Britain's big entertainment success stories of the 60's, the James Bond movies (the "007" theme even gets an airing at one point), the episodic plot serves its purpose in taking the boys to far-flung exotic locations in which to clown and sing. There are as many good comedic devices as bad, but the best of them pre-date some of the anarchic humour of Monty Python and some of the group interplay echoes, if distantly, the drollery of the Marx Brothers.
The film therefore moves at a fast tilt from the off, with the songs reasonably well spaced out. Lennon emerges with the main plaudits with the classics "Help!", "Ticket to Ride" and the mature Dylan-influenced "You've Got To Hide Your Love Away". McCartney and Harrison contribute quality high-gloss pop of only slightly lesser standard and all these songs are given entertaining promo-video backings which work well independent of the surrounding whole.
The four can hardly be said to be stretched in the acting stakes and more than in "A Hard Day's Night" seem a bit less individualistic here. Their repartee is shared around so that no one really takes precedence which might of course have been the aim. There's strong support in the mainly British cast, with Leo McKern doing a good comedic turn as the chief "thuggee" and Eleanor Bron quietly effervescent, often riffing off Paul.
The film does drag a little even over its short playing time as it draws to its end, this viewer feeling a little worn down with all the sight gags, changes of perspective and general pop-art enthusiasm of director Lester. That said, it can be seen to encapsulate the swinging times of its genesis, so that in summing up, you know you should be glad (ouch!).