The Full Monty

I'm certain that the makers of this movie came up with the title first, and tried desperately to create a story that would lead up to that moment. With that said. I liked it, or at least the beginning. This might be in part due to the British slum setting and the accents. I really liked the characters. A deadbeat Dad, a fat man, a suicidal man, and a man that lies to his wife about the fact that he (and the rest of them) are laid off. They are a motley crew, but somehow I could empathize with them, and could almost see myself hanging out with them.

Much of what follows is implausible, but sometimes interesting. It held my interest until the final act. It suddenly became a little stupid and on the nose. They all decide to drop the strip-act, but end up making one performance due to popular demand. At the last minute Gaz, the ringleader, chickens out but his son convinces him not to give up now. They perform a dance number. The camera freezes and fades melodramatically just as they finish.

It sort of seemed like a long joke requiring too much build up before the punch-line, which you knew from the start anyway. I did like the characters though.