Mike Bassett: England Manager DVD

Advantages: One of best British comedies of recent years, Excellent soccer film, Funny and very well observed
Disadvantages: A bit slow early on, Not as much fun if you hate soccer

...Well it’s the latter for Mike Bassett, Manager of First Division Norwich City who answers his country’s call to take over as England Manager. Because the current Boss has been rushed to hospital with a heart attack (how apt is that after the weekend’s sad problems for Liverpool’s Gerard Houllier – Best wishes to him for a full and Speedy recovery), the FA rush to appoint a successor. With just three English managers ...
...is cast as the hapless Mike Bassett in this British comedy about the world of soccer. It is done documentary style along the lines of that epic rock spoof ‘Spinal Tap’. Just as ‘Tap’ was done well and keenly observed, so ‘Bassett’ is not only funny, but cleverly drawn, with characters based on various soccer ‘idols’ you all know and love. The film follows the fortunes of the tubby unknown as the media ... Read review

Advantages: funny, made me laugh
Disadvantages: the Sports Centre scene, not as good for non-football fans

Mike Bassett: England Manager Over recent years, there have been countless fly-on-the-wall documentaries. The problem with these, however, was that people got bored watching normal people do normal things so it wasn’t long before something had to be altered to keep reality TV shows on our TVs. One thing was the forced situations such as in the recent hits of Big Brother and I’m A Celebrity… Another option was spotted by a smart ...
...Ricky Tomlinson – Mike Bassett The star of the show, Mike Bassett now coaching Norwich City and doing a dam good job at it. He was a footballer once but never made moves towards the elite leagues and lingered down in the lower leagues until he got his big break as Colchester assistant manager. When the England manager’s job becomes available, he is thrown into the limelight and becomes the most famous man in England. Ricky Tomlinson ... Read review

Advantages: Brilliant observation
Disadvantages: None

...individuals in his role as Mike Bassett England Manager, and this highly amusing mockumentary, parodying all those documents of past World Cup finals with true Panatone Movie News perspective, paints a vivid and enormously satisfying masterpiece. I loved it. The story is of the rise to fame of Norwich City football manager Mike Bassett, who is the surprise choice to take over as the new boss of the national side when the previous incumbent is ruled ...
...circus which surrounds it, then Mike Bassett England Manager won't be anywhere near as entertaining as it is if you get the joke. You'll still find it an engaging and warmly amusing piece, but you won't appreciate it fully, with its cruel dissection of the kind of larger than life caricatures you find on the football pitch. I love football, and I adore Mike Bassett, a quite splendid example of the enthusiastically small time English cinema industry. ... Read review

Advantages: light-heartd fun if you are a footie fan
Disadvantages: slow

...unless you’re into football. Mike Bassett – England manager is at times very funny but at other times the film is awfully slow and waiting to burst into life then it suddenly ends. The film itself stars Ricky Tomlinson as Mike Bassett and is set against the background of the need for a new England manager who is then followed round like a fly on the wall documentary. Faced with the need to hire a new manager the FA sit round their table ...
...they are left to grab Mike Bassett – Norwich manager and recent cup winner at Wembley. Tomlinson is joined by Bradley Walsh for his coaching skills in the game. They turn out to be woeful which just adds to the film. After taking the job he is followed everywhere by Martin Bashir for what is a sort of documentary type programme. Everyone is astounded that Bassett is picked to be manager and the film gets going. Bassett looks to pick his own ... Read review

Advantages: Very funny in places, good idea as it is different, a good lead actor:Ricky Tomlinson.
Disadvantages: The ending seemed rushed, a bit too much swearing in places.

Mike Bassett: England Manager This film appears to be only for those of us who are avid football supporters. This is not true. So I’m not a big football fan, but this film kept me entertained. I’d seen the trailers for the film which made it look fairly appealing, especially with Ricky Tomlinson, from ‘The Royle Family.’ Amanda Redman and Bradley Walsh also star in the film. It is rated a 15 and lasts 89 minutes. ...
...probably imagine from the title, Mike Bassett becomes the England Manager. If you have seen the adverts for the film you will probably have seen the Norwich City team after winning their league going along a by pass on an open topped double decker bus after the driver takes a wrong turn. This is a good start to the film, although it does appear to take sometime to get to the action. It appears that the current England Manager is unable to continue ... Read review