Mindhorn - A nice little chuckle

‘Mindhorn’ is one of those films that just do the job if you’re looking for something simple which will amuse for an hour and a half.  There aren’t that many ‘laugh out loud’ moments, but, if you’re into this kind of humour, then you should have a smile on your face for most of its runtime.
Julian Barratt (most famous from TV’s ‘The Mighty Boosh,’ but did better in the much maligned ‘Nathan Barley’ in my opinion!) is always good value for money and this is his first outing as a ‘lead.’ He plays the titular ‘Mindhorn’ – a TV detective from the eighties whose career has lasted about as long past 1989 as you might expect for someone from that era.  He spends his time making embarrassing TV commercials and being bitter about how his fame has descended into this.  However, when a real life police case on the Isle of Man needs his ‘expert’ attention, he thinks this may prove to be a way of getting back into the public’s awareness.

I guess what you need to know before you watch this is what sort of comedy this is, as the style will totally dictate whether you like the film or not.  Like I’ve already hinted at, it’s hardly a ‘laugh out loud’ affair.  Its humour derives more from unsubtly poking fun at the very niche genre of ‘80s detective TV shows.’ It has plenty of references and throw-backs to the genre and the laughs come more from watching an incapable, slightly self-obsessed, character succeed despite his own failings.
Julian Barratt is the star and he carries the film.  His character could have been too unlikeable to root for, but he plays it tragic enough (ala Boosh/Barley) for you to feel sorry for him at the same time as probably not wanting to hang out with this guy in real life.

If you get your laughs from subtly smiling at cringe-worthy humour like ‘The Office’ and ‘Peep Show’ then this should entertain you, plus Barrett’s fans will have been waiting a long time for him to shine on his own as a leading man – and he does it well here.  Probably more a 6 out of 10, but I’m feeling generous.

7/10 if I woke up on Groundhog Day and had to watch this again, I could live with that