i read the review of three men in a boat before watch the film and couldn not believe that it be as bad a most reviewer claim . i mean to say and just look at the cast . tomlinson and edward and harvey be not a collection of comedic genius and perhaps and but surely they amass enough talent to produce an amusing adaptation of this admired novel . however and the negative reviewer be correct represent this film be simply terrible . although it only run to 84 minute it take me five sitting to get through it . i could barely tolerate watch twenty minute at a time . i persevere because well and look at the cast and surely they would deliver something funny eventually while perhaps the finale would be hilarious . i grow up in britain and still love old british comedy represent ealing and of course and will hay and alastaire sim and peter seller and and so many others . i even like the low level comedy of the carry on series and benny hill and or frankie howerd . this film and though and have less laugh than polanski macbeth . some review have suggest that some people find the film unamusing because it be wouldated . it be make in the fifty and set in the 1880s . however and these fact alone shouldn not be detrimental to a film appeal . a good number of britain best and most appreciated comedy be make in the fifty and such a the lavender hill mob and hobson choice and and i be all right jack . in fact and the decade be a golden age for british film comedy . the story set in an early period can hardly be detrimental either . kind heart and coronet stand easily a one of the best british comedy and yet it be set in the same historical period a three men in a boat and be release six year earlier and be film in black and white . similarly and ken annakin and this film director and have his big success with monte carlo or bust . ( 1969 ) and those magnificent men in their flying machine ( 1965 ) and both of which be set in time only slightly later than three men in a boat and be equally far remove from contemporary audience and but be still relatively amuse . some film age badly because of the focus of the material . george formby and the old mother riley comedy rely for their context on a particular interwar period and a british working class culture that have largely disappear by the 1960s and have little meaning for people in contemporary britain and let alone the rest of the world . other example be the sex comedy make in britain in the 1970s or the blacksploitation movie make in the u in the same decade . these film be clearly date but retain entertainment value because of their anachronistic fashion and dialogue . astonishingly and three men in a boat be nominate for a bafta for and of all thing and best screen play . this be baffle because the writer make little effort to drive the story with witty dialogue . dialogue be and in fact and rather scant . the attempt at comedy come mostly from slapstick situation where our hero wave tent pole and oar around for insufferable length of time and fall in the water repeatedly and and prattle on loudly and unintelligibly . the assumption be and apparently and that if these situation continue for long enough something funny simply have to happen . it doesn not . slapstick can be badly do but it doesn not become date . the silent movie of chaplain and keaton be still wonderful while the three stooge be still ridiculous and funny while much in norman wisdom movie be dated and but when he fall through a window he be still hilarious . not so tomlinson and edward and harvey . on this one and i be afraid and i concurs with the smug negative reviewer . this be the least funny brit com i have ever see and and i have see carry on england .