Film Reviews

Thunderpants

• Rating:
• Director:
• Starring: Bruce Cook
• Details: UK / 87 mins / (G).

The title says it all. Indeed, if ever a film was made for a niche market audience - in this case, pre pubescent boys - then this is it. The story revolves around a young school kid and social misfit, Patrick Smash (Bruce Cook) who has trouble controlling his flatulence. However, help comes in the form of another nerdy but hyper-intelligent kid, Alan A. Alan (Rupert Grint) who invents a pair of underpants, the Thunderpants of the title, which control his mate's bowl movements. But even though Thunderpants manage to hide Smash's embarrassment, it soon becomes clear to Alan that his friend's flatulence can benefit society greatly. Suffice to say that anyone over the age of twelve is unlikely to find Thunderpants an engaging enterprise. While there are a couple of chuckle worthy moments, Thunderpants is a limited enterprise with little sense of purpose or direction beyond its one gag about uncontrollable farting. That said, the kids who attended the preview screening seemed to love it, so what do I know?

Review by Garreth Murphy