As a kid growing up in the Fifties, I managed to see a whole bunch of Laurel and Hardy shorts, and a few of their feature films as well. I don't recall "Great Guns" among them, and I wonder now if it's because I didn't actually see it, or because it's just not that funny. I usually learn more about a picture than I knew before by reading the reviews here on the IMDb site, and in this case, the posters for this film have done a much better job than I can possibly do to sum up the inadequacies of this flick. Made in some degree to capitalize on the success of the era's other comedy kingpin duo, Abbott and Costello, this film falls somewhat short of the same year's "Buck Privates". That picture showcased patriotism as a cherished ideal, and utilized a barrage of elements to keep movie goers clamoring for more, not the least of which included the Andrews Sisters performing the classic 'Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy'. By comparison, this picture falls measurably flat, most likely as suggested by others on this forum, that the stars lost considerable creative control by signing on with Fox.
Not that the film is a total dud, but the charisma that Laurel and Hardy developed earlier in their careers just isn't on display here. As I mentioned in another review ("Tit For Tat"), I delight now in seeing how L&H did things funny, as opposed to doing funny things. The one bit that comes close to passing muster here is the 'raven in the pants' scene, but even that one seems a bit overdone and forced, without the nuance of the cookie routine in "Tit For Tat". As well, I kept waiting for one of Stan's brilliant but nonsensical affirmations ('He who filters your good name steals trash'), but there just weren't any.
Still, for fans of the boys, there's enough here to recommend at least a single viewing, even if they're not at the top of their game. In that respect, every great actor and comedy team is entitled to an eventual mis-step. The good thing about Laurel and Hardy is that their sub-par work often beats the competition anyway.
Not that the film is a total dud, but the charisma that Laurel and Hardy developed earlier in their careers just isn't on display here. As I mentioned in another review ("Tit For Tat"), I delight now in seeing how L&H did things funny, as opposed to doing funny things. The one bit that comes close to passing muster here is the 'raven in the pants' scene, but even that one seems a bit overdone and forced, without the nuance of the cookie routine in "Tit For Tat". As well, I kept waiting for one of Stan's brilliant but nonsensical affirmations ('He who filters your good name steals trash'), but there just weren't any.
Still, for fans of the boys, there's enough here to recommend at least a single viewing, even if they're not at the top of their game. In that respect, every great actor and comedy team is entitled to an eventual mis-step. The good thing about Laurel and Hardy is that their sub-par work often beats the competition anyway.