Huievest Instead, you get a movie that's enjoyable enough, but leaves you feeling like it could have been much, much more.

Dynamixor The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

Suman Roberson It's a movie as timely as it is provocative and amazingly, for much of its running time, it is weirdly funny.

Caryl It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties. It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

Leofwine_draca THE PURE HELL OF ST. TRINIAN'S is the third of the initial four films, coming hot on the wake of the very good BLUE MURDER AT ST. TRINIAN'S. This one's not as hot, as it feels like the series was winding down by now, the gags are limited and it's more like an endless parade of cameoing guest stars, including the likes of Sid James, Thorley Walters and the ubiquitous Michael Ripper.Still, for fans of both genre and era this will provide an adequate example of days-gone-by British cinema, with a slightly racier edge than normal (raising uncomfortable questions about the sexualisation of schoolgirls in the process, especially in the wake of Jimmy Savile-obsessed media coverage). It's great fun seeing all the favourite stars back once more, Joyce Grenfell is typically excellent and George Cole has a highlight with his rendition of "Knees Up Mother Brown".The plot does seem to be unfocused and all over the place after an admittedly dramatic opening, and indeed the St. Trinian's schoolgirls don't seem to feature much in the antics involving various characters finding themselves washed up on a desert island. Worth a look for nostalgia enthusiasts, then, but I preferred the next one, THE GREAT ST. TRINIAN'S TRAIN ROBBERY; also the first in colour, which seemed to revitalise everything somehow..

NJMoon Third time the charm? Well, not really. This installment in the original and classic St. Trinian's films doesn't actually take place at St. Trinian's at all! The school is a pile of embers at the top of the first reel! Gone, too, is Alistair Sim (everyone's favorite Scrooge) in the drag double role as headmistress and her brother. The up side is this allows more shenanigans from the likes of Joyce Grenfell (a personal favorite) and the supporting cast. But with school girls of St. Trins only set decoration, it's just not the same. There's a remake of the original that's also spawned two sequels (Rupert Everett subs for Sim) but these are inferior goods - stick to the glorious black and white originals!

CML-2 There is something beautifully reassuring and warm about this film. The story is almost incidental to the characters. It is packed with superb performances and is a feast of character actors. The comedy is often subtle, but beautifully presented. It ranges from slapstick to the pure surrealism. The bizarre military bath unit stationed in the desert, the ballet-dancing civil servants, the desert island cookery - all superb. The civil servant chap handing over his wallet had me in stitches too. Its innocence is wonderful, although if you look a little closer the darker side is visible, along with lots of little touches that give the whole thing surprising depth. It isn't going to suit everybody. I don't expect too many Americans or teenagers to get the point. It is however a superb piece of work.

walmington This is the final of the three original St. Trinian's films. Alastair Sim doesn't appear in this one, which leaves quite a space but is filled well by new characters and extensions of existing ones. The plot is a lot different from the 2 before, in that it's more surreal. In the other 2, the fact that Flash Harry, a police woman and a professor would become stranded on a desert island wouldn't have happened. Neither would the storming of an Arab sheiks palace. The charceters of Sergeant Ruby Gates (Joyce Grenfell) and Flash Harry (George Cole) are explored much more, with us learning things like Harry's middle name and where Ruby's mother lives. Fantastic performances form the whole cast but I think Cole and Grenfell steal the show. Comedy at its best. Watch out for the scene in the strippers club. Watch Harry's face. Probably the best comedy without words ever.