Fisherman’s Friends: One and All Review

The Fisherman’s Friends have become incredibly popular over the last decade. They have released albums, had a film that was released in 2019, and a musical has been produced based on that film. The second Fisherman’s Friends film focuses on the group performing on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury.

Fisherman’s Friends: One and All takes place a year after the first film. The group has had a successful tour around the UK, but they face new challenges. Jim (James Purefoy) has struggled after his father’s death and has fallen into depression and alcoholism. The president of Universal Records, Jez Chandra (Ramon Tikaram) is hostile toward the group and wants to cut them loose. Their manager, Leah (Jade Anouka) is forced to put the group through media training and find a new member, changes that Jim tries to resist.

There has been a trend in the British film industry to make music based to appeal to slightly older, middle-class audiences. Some have been loosely based on true events like Military Wives and the previous Fisherman’s Friends film. These were all safe, inoffensive films that are designed to appeal to a broad audience. Fisherman’s Friends: One and All was no different.

Fisherman’s Friends seemed like an unlikely candidate to get a sequel. The first film was about an unlikely group becoming music stars. There didn’t seem to be many story possibilities to go, and it seemed like this film was only made for the potential financial returns. Fisherman’s Friends: One and All was a film that was struggling to justify its own existence. It made the Fisherman’s Friends: One and All a lot like another needless sequel, A Christmas Gift From Bob.

The sequel had a scattergun approach at the beginning. There were many storylines set up in the first act. Many involved Jim because he was suffering from grief and alcohol dependence, and his troubles with leading the band. Jim had a potential love interest in the form of Aubrey (Imelda May), an Irish lady who was escaping to Cornwall for a quiet life. They needed to find a new member to replace Jago (David Hayman) and there were fears of a second album syndrome. There were subplots like Rowan (Sam Swainsbury) getting accused of having an affair, and Leadville (Dave Johns) becoming a feminist.

It was only when the film reached the second half that things got moving. The group was finally given a goal because they needed to get themselves booked for Glastonbury. This half became more focused since it centred around Jim and Aubrey’s relationship. They bonded because they had demons and Aubrey helped Jim regain his sobriety.

Fisherman’s Friends: One and All felt the need to replicate some of the first film’s major scenes. The group had to do a public performance to prove themselves to the record label, a character suffering the effects of the tide, and showing the Coastguard in action.

This sequel wrote out Danny and Alwyn, two of the main characters from the film, so Jim was promoted to the main character role. Like Danny, Jim had a romantic storyline, although Jim’s romantic circumstances were different. It was strange that Danny and Alwyn were away overseas, but Alwyn’s daughter, Tasmyn (Meadow Nobrega) remained in Port Issacs.

The film did have some good intentions. The film addressed the issue of men’s mental health through Jim’s character arc. Jim was shown to be a stoic figure and of the view that real men don’t talk about their feelings. Jim needed to deal with his emotions in a healthier manner and most audience members can agree with the message.

The humour in the film was a mixed bag. There were some witty lines, and the cast was game. I did like the name of the local taxi firm. Certain audiences will like the digs against PC culture. However, there was a reliance on toilet humour which made the sequel feel more childish. The auditions for a new singer where it showed all the wacky characters reminded me of The Vicar of Dibley episode “Songs of Praise” and the Sing movies.

A cheesy moment in the film was many of the characters sang “Cornwall My Home,” but I would be lying if I said it didn’t tingle my heart.

Like the original film, Fisherman’s Friends: One and All was incredibly formulaic and predictable. People who enjoyed the first film will probably be entertained with The Fisherman’s Friends’ second outing. It was a film that didn’t need to be made.