Grimossfer Clever and entertaining enough to recommend even to members of the 1%

Senteur As somebody who had not heard any of this before, it became a curious phenomenon to sit and watch a film and slowly have the realities begin to click into place.

Edwin The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.

Staci Frederick Blistering performances.

crmfghtr This film has the look and feel of one of the Hal Roach films like Bonnie Scotland with the annoying subplots of other characters. That said it also resembles a Hal Roach film in the fact that Stan had control of the gags and execution. Plenty for a Laurel and Hardy fan to enjoy here. While the rest of the cast has dubbed dialog Laurel and Hardys is right from the horses mouth. on Yes Stan looked bad as he was ill but you get past that on repeat viewings. The ending is a rather fitting close to a great career. As for the later years films. If you are looking for a slick polished faster paced film try a Fox. If you are looking for classic style Laurel and Hardy in their later years, this is for you!

Theo Robertson This movie has a terrible reputation but I like to make up my own mind on things . The omens weren't good however and the fact that this movie is known by at least three titles , has three directors who are uncredited and four screenwriters who are then instinct tells you that you're going to be watching something of a mess . Alongside this a common criticism for the movie is that Stan and Ollie have lost their spark some six years after making there last film together and about fifteen years after they'd reached their peak . I wasn't filled with optimism and expected to hate every unfunny moment of it Perhaps because I had so low expectations I found ATOLL K not as bad as I was expecting . That said I wasn't expecting much . Stan and Ollie do retain a natural genius for slapstick and one liners but they're let down by everything surrounding them . This is also a public domain film and the picture and sound quality is very poor so right away you're irritated by the mis-en-scene. Having four directors didn't help either and what was needed was a mere one director and it's a pity he wasn't James Parrot or any of the other directors who worked with the duo in the 1930s . As you probably know this is a French/Italian co-production which means the supporting cast are non English speakers whose lines have been dubbed . This is apparent when someone talks and their mouths never match their words . They also speak in a dull monotone notorious in dubbed movies Not to be too negative because Stan and Ollie still sometimes show the almost supernatural ability to make an audience smile . Ollie is his usual arrogant bullying self and Stan ( despite looking slightly ill ) still manages the occasional laugh out loud one liner such as " There's something wrong with your eyes . When we get to the island you'll need to see an optimist " . I'm certainly not saying it's a great film but what I am saying it's a slightly mediocre comedy saved by Stan and Ollie

TBJCSKCNRRQTreviews This was part of a 3-DVD box-set, and it came with the Laurel and Hardy shorts Mud & Sand, Just Ramblin' Along, Oranges and Lemons, and the Three Stooges ones Brideless Groom and Sing a Song of Six Pants; it also came with another feature, Flying Deuces. The disc this was on came with The Tree in a Test Tube & Malice in the Palace. I haven't watched an awful lot of the duo, and other than the aforementioned ones, it has been years since I did. Not sure why this has such a low rating; it is genuinely funny and clever at its best(honestly, few of the light, goofy and, at times, cartoon-style slapstick gags fall flat), and it seldom, if ever, drags, for the 82 minute running time. It makes fun of politeness, taxes, and other everyday subjects, in spite of the unusual plot of a deceased eccentric uncle(always popular) leaving them an island. Inbetween clumsiness, knocking stuff over, falling, and other natural occurrences that are not presented as if they hurt, weepy Laurel(who looks so old and worn here) and dominating Hardy also explore social issues and government. Is that a good thing? Well, a lot of the way, the treatment of it is great. I don't think they quite keep up the quality all the way, though. Near the end(when this gets "big", with "action", as expected), this gets somewhat unrealistic, employs a sort of deus ex machina, and the conclusion has darkness to it. The FX are decent. Editing and cinematography are fine. A nice amount of laughs, and not boring. I recommend this to big fans of the two. 6/10

Petri Pelkonen Stan Laurel (1890-1965) and Oliver Hardy (1892-1957) are together in film for the last time in Atoll K (1951), which is also known as Utopia.This comedy duo, that had the thin Stan and the heavy Ollie, worked together as a team since 1926 (even though they appeared together in a movie five years earlier).And this was their last collaboration.In 1955 the pair had contracted with Hal Roach Jr., to produce a series of TV shows based on the Mother Goose fables.Unfortunately Hardy's stroke prevented that from happening.Also Billy Wilder had a plan to make a film with the boys.So in the early 50's they went to France to shoot this French/Italian film, which took a whole year to make.In the beginning the pair is in the offices of a London law firm, where Laurel is to inheritance left by a wealthy uncle.He inherits an island, so the boys head for the island on a rickety yacht.On the yacht with them they have a stateless refugee and a stowaway.A storm breaks and they shipwreck on an atoll, which they name Crusoeland.The island gets a new resident from Chérie Lamour, a nightclub singer who is fleeing her jealous fiancée, a naval lieutenant.Hardy becomes the president of the island while Laurel represents "the people".The place seems like a paradise at first, a place without taxes or legal fees.But then Chérie's fiancée finds uranium deposits from the island.People keep coming from all over the world.The new immigrants start a rebellion and want to hang the original inhabitants.Is this the end of Laurel and Hardy? As the movie's director is credited Léo Joannon, but much of the work was done by the blacklisted director John Berry.This movie was painful to make for Laurel and Hardy.They both had some major health issues.Stan even required hospitalization.But the boys still got their job done, and what a great job they did.The on-screen chemistry is still there, and the capability to make 'em laugh.The leading lady of the movie is played by French singer/actress Suzy Delair (b.1917).She does a wonderful job as Chérie Lamour.The rest of the casting is also good.Max Elloy plays Antoine, the cook.Adriano Rimoldi is Giovanni Copini, the stowaway and a bricklayer from Italy.Luigi Tosi is Lt. Jack Frazer.The movie has pretty much of good stuff and great gags.It's funny when the boys are enjoying a meal and Stan's food keeps disappearing from his plate.The stowaway keeps reaching down and taking it.Stan blames Ollie and that means an argument.The storm sequence is amazing to watch.Stanley struggles with the life raft, crying and screaming for help.And he shrieks when those bats arrive.The ending is pretty much a perfect ending for a Laurel and Hardy movie.Boys have arrived to the right island, when their land and supplies are impounded for failure to pay back taxes.Ollie says to Stan "That's another fine mess you've gotten me into."And what does Stan do? He starts to cry, of course.This movie is better than most people give it credit for.Of course the boys came up with better than this in their earlier years.One of those nine stars is for the life and work of Laurel and Hardy.There will never be a comedy team like Laurel and Hardy.