Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1577 in DVD
• Released on: 2003-06-30
• Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Anamorphic, PAL, Widescreen
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English, Portuguese, Swedish, Danish, Hungarian, Polish, Icelandic, Finnish, Czech
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 88 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
Overtaking Jurassic Park as the UK's biggest box office attraction of 1998, and winning one of its four Academy Award nominations, The Full Monty was the surprise world-wide smash of the year, it's unexpected success reflecting the underdog inspiring message of the film itself. Leading a strong cast, it was Robert Carlyle's appearance here which propelled him to sex-symbol superstardom and brought him high-profile Hollywood roles in Angela's Ashes, The World is Not Enough and The Beach among others. The story revolves around the attempts of five unemployed grafters from the recession-hit industrial North to reclaim some of their dignity, which they attempt to do by the unlikely expedient of becoming male strippers. The film follows their struggle to become The Chippendales for real women, from their shambolic beginnings to their euphoric debut appearance in front of 300 hungry lasses! Saucy and spicy with a rocking soundtrack, The Full Monty tells of the triumph of spirit over adversity, reminding us that everyone can be special, no matter what their shape ... or size. This is British independent film making at its very best, exhibiting the heart-warming truthfulness captured by many UK directors, yet eschewing their often gloomy negativity for an altogether more optimistic outlook: it's a modern fairy tale in which all five Cinderellas get to go to the ball. --Paul Eisinger

Special Features
1.85 Wide Screen
16:9 Wide Screen
DVD 9
English
English
Region 2
Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround English
Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround
Interactive Menus
Scene Access
Original Theatrical Trailer
Czech\Danish\Finnish\Hebrew\Hungarian\Icelandic\Norwegian\Polish\Portuguese\Swedish

Synopsis
In hopes of raising a few quid after their steel factory shuts down, a desperate group of working-class blokes in Sheffield decide to form an exotic male dance troupe, a la Chippendales, with one difference despite their, well, average-at-best physiques, they're going to go the full monty, meaning they'll offer their audience total nudity. Surprisingly bittersweet moments and well-intentioned social commentary imbue this raucous, feel-good comedy from England. Academy Award Nominations: 4, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Original Musical or Comedy Score. Academy Award: Best Original Musical or Comedy Score.

Customer Reviews

A really good film about the human spirit
The basic story of this film is very simple, a group of unemployed steel workers in Sheffield in England decide to try to raise money by performing for one night only as male strippers.

Beyond that, there is so much more.

First of all, the film is very very funny. The sight of a group of men of dubious attraction and in varying stages of unfitness trying to become a dancing & stripping troupe is just the start. Side stories like the theft of garden gnomes and the act of offering to fix a man's car so that he can gas himself are classic examples of off-beat British humour.

There is also a lot of warm human interest in this film. We see the relationship between Gaz (Robert Carlyle) and his son and his ex-wife. Also, the relationships between his friends and their wives.

In all cases, the men had lost self respect and, through the act of former workmates getting together again and making new work for themselves they recaptured their self respect, regain the respect of others and most importantly to them, they realise that they are important to their friends and families.

Often films with such a lot of fun and feel good factor leave me feeling that they are too sickly sweet and aim at some lowest common denominator. This was not like that at all, I enjoyed every minute of it.

I first saw this at the cinema and I have never before seen such a happy audience at the end of a film.

"It's not bad - this stripping lark - is it?"
The Full Monty is a "right good laff" (to borrow the parlance of its protagonists). Although the dialect may occasionally bewilder viewers unused to north-England speech, the humour doesn't need any translation. Gaz is down on his luck and is possessed of an endless supply of far-fetched money-making schemes. Inspired with a visit by the renowned Chippendale male strip-show artists to his hometown of Sheffield, and impressed at the huge amounts of money they make by seemingly just taking off their clothes and prancing around a bit, Gaz decides this is his ticket to some fast cash.
Part of the reason this film is likeable is that humour and realism go hand in hand. From the depressing backdrop of an industrial town with high unemployment, Gaz manages to cobble together a troupe of six unlikely strippers, including a suicidal security worker, a man with a dodgy hip, and a well-endowed bathroom repairman. These guys aren't super-studs, they're just ordinary blokes who are willing to give it a shot, and maybe, just maybe, get rich.
The film begins with Gaz and his friend Dave becoming marooned on a partially submerged car in the middle of a canal (the unanticipated result of one Gaz's plans), and the originality of the comedy continues throughout. So fresh is the humour, that the occasional moments when it sinks to the level of slapstick and cliché, disrupt the natural feel of the movie. The funniest sequences involve the self-titled 'Hot Metal' strippers - who have trouble comprehending dance moves unless they're related to positioning on a soccer field - attempting to master the strip-tease bump and grind (accompanied by a fabulous soundtrack of retro tunes, including Donna Summer and Hot Chocolate).

Superb
Six unemployed Sheffield steelworkers decide they can get rich quick by putting on a striptease show of their own, intending to go the `full Monty` and strip naked!

This is a British film that had astronomical success when released. As well as Robert Carlyle, who plays the main character Gaz, there are other recognisable comedy faces for British viewers: Mark Addy as Dave, Paul Barber as 'Horse', (formely Denzil in Only Fools and Horses, and Hugo Speer as Guy. Only in a British film could gnome theft and dancing in a dole queue (amoung other memorable scenes) get the whole audience hysterical.

The film's soundtrack features cool music of Wilson Pickett, Tom Jones, Donna Summer, Gary Glitter, Sister Sledge and, of course, 'The Stripper'. Indeed, as many people did in the cinema aisles, you will end up dancing yourself!

The downside is with regards to the DVD extras. Nothing special I'm afraid: scene access and original theatrical trailer only :(

Anyway. 4/5 for a great Brit-flick with an absol: would have given it 5 if the DVD extras cut the mustard!