General Spanky---6/10.
I feel mildly disappointed after watching this film. It's not a bad film, not really, but it's nowhere near as good any of the 'Our Gang' shorts that I grew up watching on TV. What are good are the performances by its chief stars, the kids: Spanky and Buckwheat. They steal the show from every adult actor in the movie with the exception of Ralph Morgan as the 'Yankee General'. The comedy bits are good, most notably the battle scene where Spanky and the gang protect their territory with a row of vertical sticks (simulating guns) and some accidental explosions (how on earth did these kids get a hold of so much gun powder?). I found myself cringing a bit during the dinner table scene where Spanky inadvertently keeps feeding a dog instead of Buckwheat, not because it was bad or unfunny, but because I know what chicken bones can really do to a dog.
The comedy isn't that funny, the acting isn't all that great, but the cast carry on with a wink to the audience all the way until the credits.
My favorite scene is the scene where Buckwheat keeps spitting into his hands while driving a stake into the ground.
6/10.
Clark Richards
I feel mildly disappointed after watching this film. It's not a bad film, not really, but it's nowhere near as good any of the 'Our Gang' shorts that I grew up watching on TV. What are good are the performances by its chief stars, the kids: Spanky and Buckwheat. They steal the show from every adult actor in the movie with the exception of Ralph Morgan as the 'Yankee General'. The comedy bits are good, most notably the battle scene where Spanky and the gang protect their territory with a row of vertical sticks (simulating guns) and some accidental explosions (how on earth did these kids get a hold of so much gun powder?). I found myself cringing a bit during the dinner table scene where Spanky inadvertently keeps feeding a dog instead of Buckwheat, not because it was bad or unfunny, but because I know what chicken bones can really do to a dog.
The comedy isn't that funny, the acting isn't all that great, but the cast carry on with a wink to the audience all the way until the credits.
My favorite scene is the scene where Buckwheat keeps spitting into his hands while driving a stake into the ground.
6/10.
Clark Richards