The Jonsson Gang & Dynamite Harry (1982) User Reviews

Gösta Ekman made this movie

[Torgo_Approves · 6/10 · 8 October 2006]

(r#80)

Make no mistake: this is a Swedish movie and it is a sequel among many other sequels, to a crime comedy which wasn't all that good in the first place. It's not exactly Kubrick, or even Schumacher for that matter, but it is a fun little film that doesn't try to be anything it isn't. It also has one of the best endings ever in a comedy. The cast is excellent; the combined comic talents of Gösta Ekman, Björn Gustafsson, Nils Brandt and Ulf Brunnberg make a rather mediocre script much funnier on-screen than it has any right to be. Ekman is at the top of his game as Charles-Ingvar "Sickan" Jönsson and as usual, he's got a plan - timed and ready, down to the tiniest detail.

The plot is not important in a movie of this kind - it's all about the performances from the main actors, and they're hilarious. Their dedication to their characters is more than the movie deserves, and it really makes it a pleasure to watch.

Love them or hate them, the Jönssonligan movies are a part of Swedish culture. This series isn't exactly high art - it's just a pretty funny franchise. If you can forget that this series spawned a myriad of awful kiddie comedy sequels, you will enjoy this flick. Besides, where else can you see Gösta Ekman as a German businessman??

The Jönsson Gang & Dynamite Harry

[Magenta_Bob · 6/10 · 6 June 2012]

As the title implies, in the second film of the Jönsson gang series, Dynamite Harry joins the group. Harry likes beer and dynamite and was never one of my favourites, although he is at least more amusing than the Finnish imbecile Rocky, whom he would later sort of replace (in this movie, both are part of the gang).

Like all of the other films in the series, Jönssonligan & Dynamite Harry starts with a failed heist, this time against the restaurant Berns Salonger, after which the brain of the group, Charles-Ingvar Jönsson, is arrested, but then has a new, more elaborate plan when he is released from prison. What distinguishes it from the rest of the films is perhaps that the other members of the gang are unusually reluctant to do another heist, since they are trying to lead a life without crime. Indeed, it takes some 40 minutes before they actually agree to do it, and they then change their minds both one and two times. Having Charles-Ingvar do a large part of the plan by himself takes away some of the fun group dynamics of the other films, but I guess it is nice that it is not quite as formulaic as the rest.

A very bad Swedish implementation of the ingenious original

[lbk · 2/10 · 7 April 2020]

"The original is always better" is the standard war-cry in a re-making or transfer ... yes I'm aware. I grew up with the Danish original Olsen-Banden but was very aware not to judge this Swedish re-enactment compared to the original but on its own merits. Being a knock-off of the most successful movie series in Denmark there are high expectations though. I see many Swedish comedies and series and love most of them immensely. Jönssonligan is a disaster on every level. It is heavy-handed, amateurish, unfunny, forced ... everything is awkward. A school play when it goes wrong. The characters are not believable and uncharming, the music is cheap and uninteresting, the gags are not meticulously perfected in details as is the trademark of the original. Doesn't need to be the same but the perfectionism in the details is a must to make it work. The magic in the Danish series, which they were right to try to implement in a Swedish context and to Sweditize, is totally lost. What a shame, they got it all handed on a silver plate. Not even the walk they got right, the magic are the small steps the middle man do to keep in sync. But at least they kept the characters. The laugh of all times is when a producer in USA wanted to re-do Faulty Towers ... and wrote Basil Faulty out of the script.

Funny & Entertaining

[synthesite · 8/10 · 26 December 2001]

I agree with the previous note. There's some cool appearances by Gösta Ekman and Björn Gustafson in this pic, they're the ones to lift it off the ground making it one of the Swedish comedy classics. For instance, seeing Gösta, "Sickan" or "Charles Ingvar" as the character likes to be called, attempting not to be seen by the security guard while facing that his hideout; a giant lamp hanging from the roof, slowly but safely slides downwards since it can't carry his weight - that scene is a real classic. This is a movie I'd recommend anyone to see. It's more fun than most american comedy movies I've seen, and I've seen many.

Underrated movie, a classic!

[vato129 · 10/10 · 24 January 2008]

When i was young i didn't really care to much for this sequel it was decent nothing more. Last year i got the DVD and i really, it really was a masterpiece underrated though but a very good movie.

It has that touch of greatness when you watch it. Ragnar Grippe made an great soundtrack for the movie especially the intro sequence sounds awesome making it sound like an serious criminal movie.

I think if this movie could had become a big movie if it wasn't released a year after the first one. It has been underrated for too long, many find this movie the bad sequel in the series since they have not founded the greatness of it.

The jokes are good as always. This was also the last Jönssonligan movie Nils Brandt would ever be in.

Great fun! You'll laugh nearly all through.

[robbis · 8/10 · 20 January 1999]

This was the second film in the series and is the only film with the Jönssonligan containing 4 people instead of 3. The ever so smart Charles Ingvar "Sickan" is the leader of the gang. Played again by Swedish actor Gösta Ekman. His acting as "Sickan" reminds us of Peter Sellers as Clouseau or Rowan Atkinson as Mr. Bean. The other members are "Vanheden", "Rocky" and "DynamitHarry" who all seem at one time or another ruin "Sickan's" ingenius plan. Overall it is an entertaining film with a lot of gags. Not the best of the series, but certainly not the worst. See it!