Ricky Tomlinson - Football My Arse (Quiz)
0Ricky Tomlinson became a household name thanks primarily to his role as Jim Royle in the Royle Family, hence the borrowing of his famous catchphrase in the role: My arse!
There are a lot of football DVDs out there, but this is a little different. At times it is predictable but it's generally quite amusing and there are plenty of clips from leagues around the world, something that seems to be lacking from other DVDs on the game that concentrate solely on one league and present things we've seen before.
Ricky's delivery and presentation is good, although there are a few times that there's a bit of a lack of continuity. There are some nice old black-and-white segments that try to show that this is a broad and well-researched DVD, but they don't add a lot. While Sir Stanley Matthews is, indeed, a legend, there are other legends, and the clip showing him doesn't electrify. Other than the fact that he could shimmy like Ronaldo without falling over and/or whining.
The top 10 goals are, sadly, dominated by Liverpool as Ricky is a fan of the team. Nothing wrong with that, and the top 10 will always be subjective, but these are exactly that, his favourites only. Definitely not the best of all time.
Regardless, there are many interesting and amusing moments. And Ricky's comments are decent. Much as I have new-found respect for Robbie Savage, his display on his football blooper DVD was quite wooden, and not overly amusing. Not so with Tomlinson, and the frac-arse section, featuring some hysterical and amazing "arguments" is worth the money alone. Definitely "don't try this on your home field" territory.
These DVDs are always too short, although the out-takes are funny. It does make you wonder exactly how much of a fan Ricky is, however, as he butchers difficult names, easier names, and even English ones. So it's one to buy, if you can find a reasonably-priced copy, lend out to other fans, add to the collection and maybe watch once a year.
If you are in the US/Canada and have a multi-region player, this should work just fine. It's definitely a great hour's entertainment, especially if you know who Ricky is. Even if you don't, there's enough on offer in the clips to keep you entertained, and cringing at some of the injuries and own-goals.
Worthwhile if not perfect.