slbbooksmusicfilm Review of Spud 3: Learning to Fly

Spud 3: Learning to Fly (2014)

Perfectly Decent 3rd Outing

[6/10 · 1 September 2016]

I'm not quite sure why the other two reviews hate the film so much. True, it doesn't have quite the sense of fun of the previous two movies, with the Crazy 8s up to far fewer antics, and there is indeed too much of the running time dealing with Spud's family, but for a third outing in a film series, this isn't really letting the side down. The script - by the author of the books, it should be noted - is less focused than previous and jumps around all over the place, but still has its moments - and there is a rather nice poignant scene between Spud and The Gov (played by John Cleese) towards the end of the film which is surprisingly touching. Elsewhere, things are a little repetitive if you've seen the other movies in quick succession, with the usual romantic liaisons, spliffs, alcohol, and school plays - not in that order necessarily.

It seems likely this will be the last film in the series, which is a bit of a shame, as I'm guessing most audiences would want to see the final book made into a film too. That said, these movies have been something of an easy-going, unexpected treat, with a decent mix of comedy and poignancy and, perhaps best of all, John Cleese doing his best Robin Williams/Dead Poets Society impression and pulling it off. He even gets a bit of love interest in the final film, which is a nice touch.

So yes, it's not quite up to the standards of the others, but it's certainly not the mess that some would have us believe.