Rating: 
Summary: Funny, funny film with a big heart
Review: "The Full Monty" is one of those rare films that gets comedy and drama JUST RIGHT!! This is the story of Gaz, an unemployed former criminal who is trying to maintain his relationship with his son. When his ex-wife seeks full custody, he must find a way to start raising his support money. He gathers his mates and devises a scheme where they would put on a stripper show. Hilarity ensues.
Robert Carlyle is great in this movie, not nearly as severe and evil as his role as Begby in "Trainspotting." He demonstrates a softer side that allows the audience to root for him. Mark Addy and Tom Wilkinson give strong performances as friends Dave and Gerald, respectively. Dave struggles with his weight and his marriage while Gerald hopes to find a job quickly to pay his wife's credit card bills. These are real life situations these men face. It's all believable and human.
It's no wonder this film was among the five that year nominated for Best Picture. Curses to "Titanic" for being such a big deal! But the Oscars helped more people discover this relatively smaller picture (which I believe is only in terms of budget and gross) and now it has become a kind of cult favorite in the U.S.
One suggestion to American audiences: If you're going to watch the DVD, turn the subtitles on. The accents are thick, so this will help you understand it.
Rating:
Summary: All men are sexy dancers.
Review: What a fun way to use up an evening. It is not a deep movie, it will not give you insight into British politics or humanity itself, just lots of good laughs. We watch as 6 unemployed Yorkshire bloks work up the courage and, dare I say, the talent, to go the Full Monty after the Chppendale Dancers swagger their goods through town. Seeing this as an easy way to fatten their wallets we go through the emotions of these every day guys trying to just make it in the world when they lose their jobs, their furniture and lives when the Steel Mill they work in closes. It is great to watchthe relationships in this movie. That between Mark Addy's character and his wife that he thinks is cheating on him, because he sees himself as to fat. Addy and Robert Carlyle as friends is fun and funny. The greatest relationship to watch is between Carlyle and the kid who plays his son Nate. All this stripping hulabaloo started as a way for Carlyle (Gaz) to repay his back child support so he can continue to see his son whom he loves very much, though he may not always be the best role model. The kid is in on some of the casting calls and helps with the music. All the characters are a shear riot to watch. I highly recommend this film. It has a broad range to reach more than just those who enjoy British films, it is not that stuffy! great listening to and trying to decipher the dialect while keeping up witht he movie.
Rating: 
Summary: Cute Comedy Drama - Great Disco Sound Track
Review: This low-budget sleeper is indeed very pleasant entertainment. A clique of down-on-their-luck buddies have an idea to give their financial bad times a shot in the arm: Why not work on a one-night stand act as Average Joe "Chippendales", packing the house with a bunch of Average Jane woman, and go "Full Monty". Several side plots hint at how desperate these guys are to make a "come back". One man's custody battle to keep seeing his son, another one keeping the bad news of being fired from his wife (for 6 months!), yet another contemplating suicide. There is an impressive Classic Disco Sound Track, featuring big hits like "You Sexy Thing", "Hot Stuff" and "You Can Keep Your Hat On", worked into all of the "practice", fantasy and show scenes. Although this film is very enjoyable, I would never consider it "Best Picture Material". The Motion Picture Academy must have some strange criteria in selecting each year's nominees. On a scale of 1 to 10, this one ranks a 7 with me. Best Picture Candidates should include only 9s and 10s. Oh well.****
Rating:
Summary: The Full Review
Review: Several out-of-work men in the decaying town of Sheffield, England envision a scheme to earn money and the adoration of a town full of women...and thus begins the delightful story of 'The Full Monty.' I approached this movie with no expectations and found an incredibly funny and realistic look at hard times in a struggling town. With jobs difficult to find and the town's women being lured to view the oiled bodies of Chippendale dancers, these friends take matters into their own hands in an attempt to reclaim the pride that was vanquished when they found themselves unemployed. While their ultimate plan may be a strange way to take pride in themselves, these men pull it off quite humorously. Aside from the general plot, this movie also gives us a glimpse of how families deal with hard times (including unemployment and divorce). I found myself interested in not only the fantastic scheme of the men, but also in the dynamics of how these families would ultimately succeed. All in all, I was quite impressed with the movie and enjoy watching it anytime I need a good laugh. This movie may not make anyone's Top Ten list, but it is definitely effective when the desired result is a hearty bit of laughter.
Rating:
Summary: Lovable Lads; Lovable Movie; Sub-Par DVD
Review: Without re-hashing the plot, suffice to say that this is one of the more original and accomplished feel-good films you'll ever see. The story focuses on a bunch of lovable unemployed lads in Sheffield, England, following the collapse of the local steel industry (the film opens with one of those "Progress Is Today" film-reels we all watched in elementary school and sets a perfect tone for the rest of the film). Their rallying cry: an all-male strip tease. The set-up: minimal dancing talent and a low beefcake factor. Instead of a bunch of caricatures, "TFM" gives us a fully realized ensemble, even with some touching scenes from the women who inhabit the fringes of the film. The dense accents give the flick a delightful authenticity , and the cast has some wonderful comic timing as well as the ability to pluck the heartstrings at the right moments. "TFM" builds from a great premise to one of the best closing scenes in recent years -- you'll either be on your feet cheering or on the floor laughing, and maybe both. The DVD offers good sound and picture quality, but there is a notable lack of extras. Still, better a good flick and no extras than a mediocre flick and a bunch of goodies.
Rating:
Summary: A Thoroughly Entertaining British Comedy!
Review: This classic (albeit very modern) 1997 British film, which I have seen a few times now, is one of my favourites. The storyline is highly original, very funny, and hugely entertaining overall, but it's also heartwarming. The setting is Sheffield, England, world famous for its steel. Sadly Sheffield, like most of the North of England, has had to deal with massive unemployment; in Sheffield's case, it's a result of the collapse of the steel industry. Briefly, the story revolves around six unemployed men, victims of the times, who aspire to "putting on" a one-night-only "full monty" (British slang for "taking it ALL off") strip show to raise some much-needed cash. The idea is actually the brain-child of one of the men, Gaz (played by Robert Carlyle (The World is Not Enough)), who is in arrears in his maintenance payments for his son (who lives with Gaz's ex-wife and her new boyfriend). Gaz is at risk of losing joint custody and fears he may lose his son altogether. His motivation (and indeed his desperation) in coming up with such an outrageous scheme is, therefore, both plausible and understandable, for the men stand to pocket a nice little sum of money if they can, quite literally, pull it off. The film, which is 95 minutes, also features Tom Wilkinson (Essex Boys), who plays the lads' former boss from the steel factory, and Paul Barber (Denzil from Only Fools and Horses). In conclusion, I highly recommend this film to fans of British comedy in general, but I think its appeal is broad enough to be enjoyed by anyone looking for a thoroughly enjoyable comedy with a really good storyline. Just one thing: Viewers ought to be prepared for fairly thick Yorkshire accents. This may be a bit of a shock at first for the unfamiliar, but close attention helps and it is well worth the effort. It's a cute story that is superbly acted and very well presented. What's more, it's a film that can be enjoyed time and again. Very highly recommended!
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely hilarious film with--ahem--terrific staying power
Review: I brought "The Full Monty" home one evening when my boyfriend was not feeling well because I thought that a good laugh would cheer him up. His reaction to seeing the video box? "I'm already not feeling well. I don't want to watch a movie about a bunch of male strippers prancing around." And then we put in the movie and couldn't stop laughing. "The Full Monty" is about so much more than male strippers. The film centers around out-of-work steelworkers trying to cope with life now that their mill is shut down. The movie realistically explores male friendship, men's feelings about failing their wives' expectations, devotion to family, coping with loss,... but in ways that do not become depressing. The stripper plan comes about because Gaz (Robert Carlyle) needs to come up with money to bring his child support current so that he can continue seeing his son. The father-son relationship is one of the most touching aspects of the movie. Gaz's son, Nate, tags along with Gaz as he tries to put together a Chippendale-style show to catch up on his child support. [As an aside, "The Full Monty" and "A Thousand Clowns" with Jason Robards would be an interesting pair of movies to see together as a starting point for examining what makes a good father.] The relationships between the dancers that Mark Addy and Carlyle assemble is fun to watch. Tom Wilkison (also seen in "The Patriot", "In the Bedroom", and "Moulin Rouge") is excellent as their former supervisor who turns to dancing to cover his wife's extravagant spending. Addy is equally good as Gaz's chubby friend who is struggling with his marriage: His wife wants him to take a job in a local variety store. He thinks she's having an affair because he's too fat. To top it off, the soundtrack is awesome!
Rating:
Summary: I can watch this over and over
Review: Hilarious and touching. Deals with heavy issues without forcing anything down your throat and keeps you laughing. Man-strippers unite!
Rating:
Summary: What a man in love will do
Review: I was quite impressed with this story centering on a hard-luck post industrial town and its desperate but likeable inhabitants. The main character represents a type we are all familiar with, a man who believes that charm alone will bring him all he wants and needs...until his ex-wife puts his back to the wall with a threat to withdraw access to his young son unless he starts paying court ordered child support. This slick slacker is someone you'd be hard pressed to find sympathy for until you understand the very deep love for his son battling the Peter Pan immaturity of his nature. What a wonderful light bulb clicking moment when he finds his ex accompanied by his luckless pal's wife at a Chippendale type entertainment. Believing his own talents equal to the money making muscle bound strippers, he sets off on a journey of self-discovery dragging his skeptical but loyal young son along. As he ensnares one after another of the down-on-their-luck former employees of the defunct factory into his get rich by getting naked scheme, each unknowingly becomes the kind of man he didn't believe possible. But will this timid team of cash poor prancers go the whole way in front of everyone they know? I won't spoil the ending but beyond going "the full monty", they reveal more to themselves than the town.
Rating:
Summary: Sexy Guys!
Review: If all women can be beautiful, then all men can be sexy! This truly hillarious movie shows an out-of-work group of men trying anything to make ends meet. When their womenfolk all go off to see the touring Chippendales show, the ringleader of the guys decides that stripping might not be such a bad gig. After all, all you have to do is dance a little and take off your clothes, right? And they need the money, one guy hasn't told his wife that he's lost his job and she keeps spending money, another needs to pay back child support or forgo seeing his son, and still another just needs the shot of self-esteem to save his marriage. They gather together a group of followers, book the club, and set about creating their act. Well, with a little soul searching and some some dance lessons, this eclectic group of men (most of them not in the least bit handsome) show us that ALL men can be sexy in the right get up and stripping to the right music!
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