Jackboots on Whitehall
{{Use British English|date=February 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2015}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Jackboots on Whitehall
| image = Jackboots poster.jpg
| alt =
| caption = UK theatrical release poster
| director = The McHenry Brothers
| producer = {{Plainlist|
- Patrick Scoffin
- Karl Richards
- Frank Mannion}}
| writer = The McHenry Brothers
| story = The McHenry Brothers
| starring = {{Plainlist|
- Ewan McGregor
- Rosamund Pike
- Alan Cumming
- Timothy Spall
- Tom Wilkinson
- Sanjeev Bhaskar
- Richard E. Grant
- Pam Ferris
- Richard O'Brien
- Richard Griffiths
- Hugh Fraser
- Tobias Menzies
- Stephen Merchant
- Dominic West}}
| music = Guy Michelmore
| cinematography = Michael Connor
| editing = Chris Blunden
| studio = {{Plainlist|
- Vertigo Films
- Matador Pictures
- Entertainment Motion Pictures (E-MOTION)
- McHenry Pictures}}
| distributor = Vertigo Films
| released = {{Film date|df=yes|2010|06|20|EIFF|2010|10|08}}
| runtime = 91 minutes[https://web.archive.org/web/20150209052510/http://bbfc.co.uk/releases/jackboots-whitehall-2010-0 "'Jackboots on Whitehall' (12A)."] British Board of Film Classification, 27 September 2010. Retrieved: 8 February 2015.
| country = United Kingdom
| language = English
| budget = $6 million[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0915463/business "Business: 'Jackboots on Whitehall'."] IMDb. Retrieved: 29 March 2015.
| gross = $20,776[http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/intl/?page=&id=_fJACKBOOTSONWHITE01 "'Jackboots on Whitehall'."] Box Office Mojo. Retrieved: 29 March 2015.
}}
Jackboots on Whitehall (a.k.a. Nazi Invasion: Team Europe) is a 2010 British adult animated/puppet satirical action comedy film set in an alternative history Second World War, in which Nazi Germany has seized London. The British must band together at Hadrian's Wall if they are to thwart the German invasion.Chapman, Matt. [http://www.totalfilm.com/reviews/dvd/jackboots-on-whitehall-1 "Jackboots On Whitehall."] Total Film, 21 February 2011. Retrieved: 23 June 2012. Conceived by Edward and Rory McHenry, it is the first of its kind to feature animatronic puppets and the voices of well-known British actors including Ewan McGregor, Rosamund Pike, Richard E. Grant, Timothy Spall, Richard O'Brien and Richard Griffiths.[http://www.totalfilm.com/news/puppet-love-for-jackboots-on-whitehall "Puppet love for Jackboots On Whitehall: Britain’s answer to Team America."] Total Film, 8 December 2006. Retrieved: 23 June 2012. The film was executive produced by Frank Mannion.[http://www.screenrush.co.uk/article/fichearticle_gen_carticle=18479081.html "Jackboots on Whitehall."] Screenrush.com, 14 August 2009. Retrieved: 23 June 2012.
The film premiered at the Edinburgh International Film Festival on 20 June 2010 and was theatrically released in the United Kingdom on 8 October 2010 by Vertigo Films.Vertigo Films production notes It received mixed reviews from critics, praising the cast, set design and voice acting but negativity toward the puppetry, action scenes, humor and story, calling it "lifeless, stiff, boring and unfunny" and compared unfavourably to Team America World Police.
Plot
In 1940, Nazi Germany invades Great Britain by drilling under the English Channel and up through the cobblestones on Whitehall, London. From his bunker under Downing Street, {{convert|200|yd|m}} away, Prime Minister Winston Churchill issues a call to arms for all of Britain to band together to resist the invaders. In a small village, Chris, a young everyman, rallies the residents to fight back. Joining forces with Churchill's small group of soldiers, the resistance movement retreats to Hadrian's Wall, where the unlikely saviours of the country come from the Scottish Highlands.
Cast
As appearing in Jackboots on Whitehall, (main speaking roles and screen credits identified):[https://archive.today/20130130071439/http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/382457/Jackboots-On-Whitehall/cast "Credits:Jackboots on Whitehall."] The New York Times. Retrieved: 23 June 2012.
{{div col}}
- Ewan McGregor as Chris
- Rosamund Pike as Daisy
- Richard E. Grant as The Vicar
- Timothy Spall as Winston Churchill
- Tom Wilkinson as Albert and Joseph Goebbels
- Dominic West as Billy Fiske
- Alan Cumming as Adolf Hitler and Braveheart
- Sanjeev Bhaskar as Major Rupee
- Richard Griffiths as Hermann Göring
- Richard O'Brien as Heinrich Himmler
- Stephen Merchant as Tom
- Pam Ferris as Matron Rutty
- Hugh Fraser as Gaston and the Newsreader
- Tobias Menzies as Captain English and Bernard Montgomery
- Martyn Ellis as Zeppelin Captain
- Alexander Armstrong as Red Leader
- Rory McHenry as Johnny
- Caroline Duff as F.A.N.Y Girl 1
- Charlotte Moore as F.A.N.Y Girl 2
- James Hicks as Igor / Joseph Kaplinsky / Farmer 1 / Skinny Guard / Scottish Savages
- Brian Conley as Zeppelin Crewman / Farmer 2 / Stupid Farmer / Erummel / Squire / Hereford Farmer
- Jimmy Boyle as Pinkypoo
- Edward McHenry as Charlie/Rat Catcher
- Benedick Blythe as German Soldiers
- Stephen Lord as Yorkshire Farmer
- Jonathan Barlow as Scottish Savages
- Jana Agnew as Nazi Girls
- Karl Richards as Camp Nazis
- Mark Taylor as Camp Nazis
- Neil Newbon as Tank Driver
{{div col end}}
In using real-life characters to embody a more accurate portrayal, some characters are easily recognizable.Etier, Bob. [http://technorati.com/entertainment/film/article/barbie-vs-hitler-jackboots-on-whitehall/page-2/ "Barbie vs. Hitler: Jackboots on Whitehall (2010)."] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140226154125/http://technorati.com/entertainment/film/article/barbie-vs-hitler-jackboots-on-whitehall/page-2/ |date=26 February 2014 }} technorati.com, 3 31 August 2011. Retrieved: 20 October 2012. While Battle of Britain hero and American pilot Billy Fiske appears, he embodies the characteristics of screen legend Clark Gable.[http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Film/JackbootsOnWhitehall?from=Main.JackbootsOnWhitehall "Film: Jackboots On Whitehall."] TV Tropes Foundation, LLC. Retrieved: 20 October 2012. Spall had previously portrayed Churchill in The King's Speech (2010).
Production
{{Expand section|date=February 2021}}
{{multiple image
| direction = horizontal
| image1 = Puppet Churchill.jpg
| width1 = 100
| image2 = Model Spit.jpg
| width2 = 100
| footer = The characters were sculpted accurately to portray real historical figures and the models of military equipment and weapons were likewise realistic.
}}
Writer-directors Edward and Rory McHenry created several supermarionation puppets that featured accurately rendered period uniforms, architecture and military equipment.
Theatrical release and premiere
Jackboots on Whitehall was released in cinemas on 8 October 2010 in the United Kingdom by Vertigo Films and premiered on 20 June 2010 at the EIFF.
Critical reception
File: BAFTA 2007 (387046786).jpg was praised for his performance.{{cite web
| url =http://www1.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/film-reviews/jackboots-on-whitehall-film-review-1004099292.story
| title =Jackboots on Whitehall -- Film Review
| last1 = Bennett
| first1 = Ray
| author-link1 =
| date =June 20, 2010
| website =
| series =
| publisher =Hollywood Reporter
| location =
| access-date =
| quote = with Grant a standout as the foul-mouthed vicar.
}}]]
Robbie Collin, of the News of the World, gave the film 4 stars summarising it as "Stupid, throwaway nonsense - and that's the whole idea".Collin, Robbie. "Jackboots On Whitehall (12A)." News of the World, 3 October 2010.Total Film magazine also gave the film 4 stars stating "Jackboots wittily merges war flick iconography, Inglorious revisionism and Team America silliness to create a hilarious, endearing one-off".Smith, Neil. [http://www.totalfilm.com/reviews/cinema/jackboots-on-whitehall "Jackboots On Whitehall."] Total Film, 11 October 2010. Retrieved: 23 June 2012. While The Guardian praised the "impressive all-star vocal cast" in Jackboots on Whitehall, and called it a "labour of love" by its writer-directors, concluded it was "amiably intentioned but desperately weak in terms of script" comparing it unfavourably with Wallace and Gromit and Team America: World Police.Bradshaw, Peter. [https://www.theguardian.com/film/2010/oct/07/jackboots-on-whitehall "Review: Jackboots on Whitehall."] The Guardian, 7 October 2010. Retrieved: 23 June 2012. Other reviews were of a similar nature;{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2010/digital/reviews/jackboots-on-whitehall-1117943047/|title=Review: 'Jackboots on Whitehall'|first=Charles|last=Gant|date=24 June 2010|work=variety.com|accessdate=24 October 2016}} the review in The Telegraph characterized the film as "an enterprising comedy but ultimately a boorish overkill."Robey, Tim. [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/filmreviews/8048946/Jackboots-on-Whitehall-review.html "Jackboots on Whitehall, review By Tim."] The Daily Telegraph, 7 October 2010. Retrieved: 23 June 2012. it currently has a 44% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Box office
Home media
Jackboots on Whitehall was released on DVD and Blu-ray on 26 July 2011 by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.
Awards
| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ List of awards and nominations ! Award ! Category ! Nominee | |
| rowspan="2" | British Independent Film Awards 2010
| Raindance Award | {{Nominated}} |
Soundtrack
{{Infobox album
| name = Jackboots on Whitehall
| type = Soundtrack
| artist = Guy Michelmore
| cover =
| alt =
| released = 10 August 2010
| recorded = 2010
| venue =
| studio =
| genre = Film score
| length = 64:45
| label = MovieScore Media
| producer = Mikael Carlsson
| prev_title =
| prev_year =
| next_title =
| next_year =
}}
All music was composed by Guy Michelmore.
{{div col}}
- Battle Of Britain
- Harvest And Village
- Nazi Airship Attack
- Punjabi's Last Stand
- Light The Beacons
- Last Of The Few
- Retreat To Scotland
- Battle Of Downing Street
- Chris To The Rescue
- Freedom
- Nazis In London
- Travelling North
- Punjabi's Escape From London
- Hadrian's Wall
- Aurora Borealis
- Where Is Herr Churchill?
- The Morning After
- A Highland Morning
- Chris' Mission
- Facing The Enemy
- Jerusalem - Performed by Rosamund Pike, Tom Wilkinson, Stephen Merchant, Sanjeev Bhaskar, Pam Ferris and Cast
- Defending The Wall
- The Battle
- Facing Defeat
- Scottish Attack
- You're A Scotsman
- The Fallen
- Rule Britannia
- Scots Revenge
- Whitehall March
- Scotland The Brave
- Jackboots Demo
{{div col end}}
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb title|0915463|Jackboots on Whitehall}}
- [http://www.netribution.co.uk/people/109/1774-behind-the-scenes-jackboots-on-whitehal Behind the scenes] on Netribution
- [http://bestforfilm.com/film-reviews/comedy/jackboots-on-whitehall/ Jackboots on Whitehall reviews] at Best For Film
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Jackboots On Whitehall}}
Category:2010 action comedy films
Category:British action comedy films
Category:British satirical films
Category:Films about Adolf Hitler
Category:British alternative history films
Category:British aviation films
Category:British adult animated films
Category:Battle of Britain films
Category:Films about Winston Churchill
Category:Animated films set in London
Category:Animated films set in Scotland
Category:Films about World War II alternate histories
Category:2010s English-language films
Category:Animated films set in the 1940s