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I have to admit that I am a little surprised by the reviews and rating for this movie. I actually found it quite funny at times, but I grew up with the show. I think what ultimately pulls this film past an average outing is the facts that some of the one-liners genuinely are funny, and my own personal affinity of the characters.

That's not to say that there aren't a few issues with the film. While the cast doesn't have to be regulated to the store to be funny (Grace and Favour proved that years later), they didn't have to transport the same jokes. There were at least 2-3 scenarios taken directly from the more popular episodes. On one hand, it's not the most original, however funny it was the first time, on the other hand, one has to take into account that some people may have never seen the show, and this movie is their first exposure to it (And shame on you, if so).

The biggest problem is that the plot relies too heavily on the likability of the characters, and the one-liners they shoot out. There are several inconsistencies, the ending is startlingly abrupt (yet ends on the same note as any of the episodes on the show), and plot-wise, they don't do that much. The Grace Brothers staff never gets out to explore their surroundings to add to some new situations and jokes. Again, the innuendos are funny, but the middle of the film drags in terms of things actually happening.

I don't think this film is worthy of its current "3" rating it has. It has it's moments, and the main cast shines in their personalities and silly hi-jinks (the supporting actors don't give the main cast much to work with, however). I think the biggest problem is that it's set up like an extended version of the show, minus the laugh track. You can see the television show format in it, and I think that ultimately hurts the pacing.

Perhaps this would be better for fans-only of the show, or people who haven't seen the show at all. It's not one of the best "episodes" of the series, but it's better than it's been given credit for, outside of some obvious flaws.

If you're a fan of the BBC series, this movie is worth watching just as a curiosity – it's fun to see these much-beloved characters on holiday and up to their usual shenanigans – but honestly, there's not much artistic value in it as a stand-alone work, and if you weren't familiar with the characters, it wouldn't make much sense. The sets are low-budget, the special effects laughable, and, as noted previously, much of the dialog is lifted directly and without revision from various episodes. It seems to me that someone was just attempting to cash in on the popularity of the series without putting much effort or financing into it. Given the talent of the cast and the creative synergy that they shared, it could've been much more than it is.

As a fan of "Fawlty Towers" as well, I have to say that Andrew Sachs is a delight as Don Carlos Bernardo – fancy Manuel finally running his own hotel!

As a fan of the wonderful Britcom, I searched and searched for a copy of this movie. When I finally found it, I was disappointed. I like the characters much better in the store -- they just don't do well outside of Grace Brothers. It was a bit dull that many of the jokes were pulled from the TV shows (e.g. the "Dear Sexy Knickers ..." note; Mrs. Slocombe making offensive noises while blowing up her air mattress, etc.) and the ending was an abrupt letdown. Still a worthwhile watch for any fan of the show, but don't expect a lot.

This film is slightly disappointing as unlike the series, there's far more slapstick "Carry On" style hijinks and not as many jokes. Still I can't deny that it doesn't have it's moments especially after the notes get passed around. Still one really misses the series trademarks and the fact that the cast are only briefly at the store.

OK, it's creaky, incredibly dated, and the sets (or was there just one set?!) are wobbly, but that's all part of the charm. It's also quite perceptive of the attitude of the British abroad, that still persists to this day. My friends and I always seem to end up quoting from this film when we go abroad!

The best scene has to be when the myopic Ernest Grainger, who's never been on a plane before, enters what he thinks is the lavatory (it's actually the cockpit). 'Oh, I'm sorry - will you be long?' he says to the pilot. 'About two hours' replies the pilot. 'Oh dear- I'll go to the other end' replies Mr Grainger. Absolutely priceless!

This film, based on the tremendously popular "Are You Being Served" British television show that ran from 1972-85 (and still endures on American public television), falls pitifully flat. It plays like one long episode of the television series, but without the spark that earned the series its large and affectionate following.

Had this film come at or near the end of the television series' original production run, we might have concluded that the writers and/or players had lost some creative energy. But it didn't. It was released in 1977, at the height of the show's popularity. After the film, the same people went back to create some of the most enjoyable and memorable episodes of the show--they were by no means washed up.

The plot plods doggedly through bits recycled from the television series, including some wince-inducing cultural slurs and too much toilet/fart humour. The writers even stoop to the "walk this way" gag, which is as old as time itself. Regular viewers of the TV show will tire at the cut-and-pastedness of the script; newcomers will sit puzzled by the running gags and in-jokes that one can only "get" from the TV show.

The actors, while masterful at playing to a live audience (which they did for the television series), seem off balance without the buoyance of audience response, often pausing for laughter that never comes.

The aural atmosphere is either dead and silent, containing only the players' voices, or filled in by a Muzakesque musical score entirely indifferent to the events on screen. The lighting also has an unnatural spotlight quality at times. Like makeup, good lighting should look like none at all.

That there is tremendous talent here, both in the players and the writers, has been well demonstrated before and after this film. But not during.

I watched this film last night on a free DVD given away with a national newspaper and i have to say my wife and i I ENJOYED IT! Yes,it has oodles of cheese and camp moments but it was fun.I love the funky,Are you being served? opening theme tune at the beginning and the movie feel picture quality.Yes,the script is dodgy but not as dodgy as the Costa Plonka in a studio with cheap sets and the pretty abrupt ending with young Mr Grace storming through the hotel wall in an armoured vehicle dressed like he has just stepped out of Dad's Army! I never really cared much for the series only having seen a few episodes so i wasn't affected by the repeat joke syndrome so i found the film really amusing.Menswear!

Intellectual it isn`t,just a good belly laugh start to finish.All the old jokes double entendres and inuendo filled camp humour that made the tv show so popular for more than a decade.Inman sugden thornton & co at their funniest.Cheeky irreverant and pollitically incorrect.Enjoy!

This big screen outing for the employees of Grace Bros. sees Mrs. Slocombe (Mollie Sugden) delivering her first pussy gag within the opening few minutes ("Would you mind holding my pussy?"), which is as it should be, the film giving fans of the TV series exactly what they expect. On the menu: bedroom farce (or should that be 'bed-tent' farce?), sexist humour, xenophobia, homophobic comedy, racial stereotypes, and some quality crumpet. Don't bother watching if you're a PC millennial - this will prove too upsetting for your delicate sensibilities - but those who can appreciate '70s comedy in all of its wonderful, unpolitically-correct glory should have a lot of fun as Grace Bros.' staff cause chaos on a Mediterranean holiday (while the department store is closed for redecoration).

Much like Carry On Abroad (1972), which saw the Carry On team embarking on a package holiday to Spain, Are You Being Served?: The Movie transports the TV show's regular characters to the Costa Plonka, where sun, sea, sangria and sex are the order of the day. Much hilarity ensues as the staff let their inhibitions go and try to satisfy the carnal desires that they've been suppressing for so long. The humour doesn't always work, especially with the lack of live audience laughter, but there are enough comedic gems throughout to keep avid fans of the show happy: a pair of chattering clockwork teeth find their way inside a mannequin's trunks with hilarious results, a hairy caterpillar gives Mr. Humphries (John Inman) a shock, Andrew Sachs adapts his Manuel routine for the role of hotel manager Don Carlos, and Mr. Humphries gets to dress in drag, not once, but twice (disguising himself as Mrs. Slocombe and a nun). Wendy Richards (as Miss Brahms) and Sugden get the funniest lines: "I wouldn't mind if he wasn't so bleedin' common", "We're having it continental style", and "I usually give my pussy an airing this time of night".

As for the crumpet... Miss Nicholson (Penny Irving), Mr. Grace's sexy secretary, is stunning, and Conchita (Karan David), the gorgeous hotel servant girl, could clack my castanets any day of the week (interestingly, both actresses appeared in Pete Walker's sleazy 1974 horror House of Whipcord, helping to make that film one of my favourite British horrors of the decade).

6.5/10, rounded up to 7 for IMDb.

For some reason British sitcoms do not weather the translation to the big screen well. Many classic series have suffered from this problem ("Steptoe & Son", "Rising Damp", "Till Death Us Do Part" etc etc). None suffered worse than "Are You Being Served". Plagued by a weak Script, Sloppy directing & a cast who simply seemed to be embarrassed by the whole experience, it just plain isn't funny.

This is like a Carry on.with loads of laughs Mr Rumbold is absolutely hilarious.Its surprising that so little of the cast were used in carry ons they certainly could tell the same jokes with a twinkle in there eye.this is bawdy postcard humour at its best.

I have seen "Are you being served" many times over since the early 90's. In fact, I could probably restate word for word every episode made over the 13 year run (1972 - 1985). While I loved every episode of the TV series, the movie did not provide the same level of satisfaction.

MOVIE PLOT: Grace Brothers store is being remodeled and the crew is offered a 2 week Holiday vacation in Costa Planka.

ACTING: If you are very familiar with the TV Series, you will notice right away that most of the jokes were taken directly from the various episodes. One joke per episode with laugh tracks worked very well. But when you combine 5 or 6 and remove laugh tracks, you quickly lose interest. It looked like they grabbed whatever material they had from the earlier TV series and just cramped it into a 90 minute movie in a different setting... You will also notice that the characters looked very distracted and from time to time it seemed like they weren't even paying attention to the surroundings. Pay attention how the hostess girl in the hotel repeats her line word for word within a minute when she is trying to cuddle up with Mr. Humphries. Looked like she was reading directly from the script. There were also many inconsistencies. At one point everyone wanted to run for the bathroom, but after Mrs. Slocombe used it, no one seemed to want to go anymore??? Have they forgotten? Another one is when they kept writing notes to each other at the dinner table. I can see how there could be one mixup, but 3 or 4? One of the very first episodes featured a similar mixup but it was done as a part of a bigger scheme. Not in a movie, though.

SET: Here is another failure. The set looked extremely cheap, it was very obvious that the whole movie was done inside a TV studio, the lighting and shadow was even worse than in a TV series. The general feel of the set was like a Soap Opera. They must have had a very little budget to do this movie. It would have worked much better if they did 3 separate episodes 30min each, with laugh tracks.

CONCLUSION: If you love the TV series, it is worth to watch this movie. It has its moments but for the most part there was nothing new that the 30 min. series offered.

This big screen outing of Are You Being Served is not as loved as the series is but it still features the original (and by far the best) cast at the top of their game and features lots of laugh out loud moments.

The film struggles to adapt with not having the laughter track behind and the jokes are left hanging because of it. Without it the piece doesn't flow as it could which is a shame because the jokes do come thick and fast.

Also some routines that have previously been used in the series are recycled but they are worth another viewing because they are so good.

Overall a good rarely seen film that is well worth a look for those who already know the series and for those just discovering it.

Ignore the gargantuan ballot-stuffing--median 10.0 indeed!

For fans of the tv show this is somewhat amusing, but as a movie it's just shamefully inadequate. In terms of pedigree, this is truly the progenitor of all those later scenarios where five-minute SNL skits had to come out as full-length movies. In the 1990's this would have gone direct-to-video.

The regular cast all play as well as ever, but a surprising guest turn is Andrew Sachs who appears as the hotel manager... an amusing irony given his lasting fame as hotel lackey Manuel in "Fawlty Towers".

The staff of Grace Brothers Department Store head off for a summer holiday in the amusingly named resort Costa Plonka in Spain, only to find themselves caught up in an armed rising. The TV series was classic, I was a young boy when it was first aired but remember it well. I'm not afraid to confess that I had an early crush on Wendy Richards (Miss Brahms). In addition to the great cast of regulars (John Inman arriving at the airport in a pink suit is pure camp) Andrew Sachs reprises his Manuel character, but as a Spanish hotel manager instead of a confused waiter. The humour is very much of its time, very saucy, also a bit racist (in this instance, there are some Germans also staying at the same hotel). The movie starts off at the store, feeling much like one of the TV episodes. Sadly when the story movie moves to Spain it is limited to the hotel set and it just feels very stretched, by the end the same old jokes have worn thin and the ending is very silly.

The problems with this movie are many. First, there is no laugh track. Let's face it; half the comedy of watching Mr. Humphries come out of the lift dressed like a fairy prince is the audience howling with you. Now, even had the laugh track been present, it would be forced at best; it's simply not funny. Most of the one-liners and sight-gags are simply recycled from the episodes, but with inferior delivery and context. Next the plot suffers from being contrived, itself borrowed from 'Hurrah for the Holidays'. And the lighting and set pieces of Grace Brothers are unfamiliar and distracting.

A very disappointing piece that should be skipped. You may wish to see anything and everything that is AYBS?, but are not missing anything by passing this one up.

Editing this post after watching it another 10 times... it kind of grows on you I guess. I still give it an objective 2 stars for it's quality (or lack thereof) but for some weird reason we've watched it several times.

The history of classic British tv sitcoms made into films has had a very chequered history. Some, like the 1979 film version of PORRIDGE, have worked surprisingly well, some like the two STEPTOE AND SON films or BLESS THIS HOUSE may fall slightly short of their source material but are still very watchable, and then there are the truly dreadful. By that I mean the GEORGE AND MILDRED movie and this one.

Whilst Are you Being Served the tv series was not one of my favourite shows of the 1970s, it was nonetheless popular. For every joke that didn't work or was blindingly obvious and therefore unfunny, there were usually a few witty lines and gags that raised a smile. Characters had limited screentime and shortish scenes so you never really had enough time to tire of a badly written scene as the editing and dynamic tended to keep things moving along so prevent the show from becoming tiresome.

Unfortunately this film shows the cracks that the tv series could paper over. The badly written characterisation, obvious indoor sets and plodding direction make this film not just unfunny but boring. Whilst great character actors like Harry H Corbett, Ronnie Barker, Sid James and Leonard Rossiter effortlessly played their television roles on the big screen by understanding them well enough to flesh them out and make them interesting, the threadbare plot and minimal characterisation here (and it has to be said, some occasional ropey acting) make this lame effort difficult to watch.

The film suffers from an undercooked script, some clunky dialogue and cut price production design. Even the usually reliable Frank Thornton, as Captain Peacock, seems a tad embarrassed and bored. The film is also a great example of bad direction. I can also only assume it was filmed very quickly as it visually looks flat, no interesting shots or close ups to keep the attention, and without those to break up the monotony of the aesthetic the editor has nothing to work with.

I know some people who have done reviews here seem to have a lot of affection for this movie but i'm not one of them. The Carry On films did a similar thing but with a lot more energy and inventiveness. With no particular central focus in the film and no imposing personality to take control to help it along this film is just a set of poorly done sight gags but without the tightness and intimacy of the tv series to keep the whole thing on track.

Sorry, but I found this painful to watch.

Love the idea, love the writing and it delivers a full mug of comfort.

British comedy created by the best, a fantastic cast, who delivered a great performance.

This is a classic. An innocent time where we could laugh at any situation without all the politics that plagues our world today.

I can't rate this movie high enough.... The cast delivers, the script delivers and it provides an enjoyable innocent fun time away from the realities of today.

If you like it (as I do, with a passion) then do check out the Are You Being Served TV show, 10 series, over 60 episodes, it's awesome and has all the same qualities mentioned above.

It makes me smile as soon as the iconic theme tune starts to play.

For fans of the show only, this was an international romp starring the characters you've grown to love. Sort of.

Imagine someone had taken your favorite episode of "Are You Being Served" and padded it out to about an hour and a half, threw in a few jokes from other episodes, and shot the whole thing on film for some reason as it clearly is all done in a studio (With the exception of the airport, which I found hilarious).

That's about what they've done here. While still funny and worthwhile to sit through it can get a little tedious at times. Some of the jokes are recycled and the comedy of errors that ensues is something we've seen a half-dozen times before in the series.

I do wish they had left the entire thing in the store as the setting is as much of a cherished character as any of the cast, but I suppose for the big cinematic release they wanted to stretch a little. Even if it is just transplanting everyone from one set to an even cheaper-looking set.

If you're a fan it's totally worth a watch, just don't expect too much of it.

I've always been an infrequent fan (if that makes any sense?) of the cult British TV show "Are You Being Served?" When it was originally aired it was actually in black and white and then moved on to color as the years progressed. I thought the characters were likable and had good trademarks, the humor was well-established as was just about everything regarding the series. Overall it was just very well crafted.

However this spin-off movie from 1977 really lacks the spark, charisma and humor of the TV show and as a result is quite lame and not even very entertaining. Part of the reason, I think - believe it or not - is due to the awkwardness of the missing laugh track. We've become so accustomed to the use of a fake laugh track (you know - the people who always seem to laugh at even the lame jokes in "Friends" for no reason whatsoever) that watching a "film" playing like a full-length sitcom - minus the laughs - seems really bizarre.

Oh, that, plus the movie itself is a stinker and not very funny. That probably has something to do with my dislike for it as well.

Overall not horrible but hardly worth your time.