I've seen this movie several times, and I can't remember really laughing one time at anything in the film, but it raises a grin here and there. Lemmon does his best to carry the film, but the title and story are ho- hum at best. The story is carried more by attitude and atmosphere generated by music and performance, and not by any real gag nor humor in the script itself.
Speaking as a man who used to race yachts in his younger days, this film doesn't really hit on the short comings of novice sailors, and it could have. Instead an antiquated wooden sloop is given the ugly treatment, and the sailors try to portray their characters as being reluctant incompetents. Real novice sailors ask questions, don't know a halyard from a mainsheet, and where the jargon and equipment is briefly touched on, it's clear that the screenplay artist and director don't know much about sailing nor training sailors.
Still, it's a WW2 comedy, so the movie going audience at the time probably gave it some leeway, and Lemmon's performance is a pleasure to watch. In fact all the actors hit their marks, but the script and some of the direction where accentuating the humor goes, falls short. But, if you can get my that, and you can if you let Lemmon and the supporting cast wash over you, the movie is okay. But just okay.
I hadn't seen the film in years, and watching it with a more mature and educated mind, I can still appreciate it as a film experience out of nostalgia, but if I were a younger viewer being introduced to this film, I might get a little impatient with it.
If you grew up with it, you'll like it. If you're new to it, then there's much to criticize.
Give it a try, or watch at your own risk.
p.s. there was no Air Force in WW2. It was the US Army Air Corps.
Speaking as a man who used to race yachts in his younger days, this film doesn't really hit on the short comings of novice sailors, and it could have. Instead an antiquated wooden sloop is given the ugly treatment, and the sailors try to portray their characters as being reluctant incompetents. Real novice sailors ask questions, don't know a halyard from a mainsheet, and where the jargon and equipment is briefly touched on, it's clear that the screenplay artist and director don't know much about sailing nor training sailors.
Still, it's a WW2 comedy, so the movie going audience at the time probably gave it some leeway, and Lemmon's performance is a pleasure to watch. In fact all the actors hit their marks, but the script and some of the direction where accentuating the humor goes, falls short. But, if you can get my that, and you can if you let Lemmon and the supporting cast wash over you, the movie is okay. But just okay.
I hadn't seen the film in years, and watching it with a more mature and educated mind, I can still appreciate it as a film experience out of nostalgia, but if I were a younger viewer being introduced to this film, I might get a little impatient with it.
If you grew up with it, you'll like it. If you're new to it, then there's much to criticize.
Give it a try, or watch at your own risk.
p.s. there was no Air Force in WW2. It was the US Army Air Corps.