The St Trinian's films of the 50s and 60s were a quintessential English oddity. They were broad comedies based on Ronald Searle's eccentric drawings of a girl's boarding school. This school operated on a quasi-criminal basis where you rooted for the girls because they weren't so much wicked as naughty, constantly seeking to get one over on authority, bigger criminals etc. They were not great works of art, they fitted their own niche and reflected their time.

Fritton's Gold is the second movie in the revived franchise, and it does much the same thing as its predecessors - it reflects the era in which it is made through a broad comedy about slightly delinquent schoolgirls. Rupert Everett reprises headmistress Miss Fritton in the tradition started by Alistair Sim of the headmistress being played by a man in drag and, like Sim, he also plays other family members. It is also pleasing to see Colin Firth, David Tennant and Toby Jones revelling in playing such broad and very British material.

There is a tolerable plot running through this, although I felt it went on a bit too long. The girls carry much of the movie, of course, and most of the key players get their own moments. I chuckled fairly constantly through most of it, and felt that it was a satisfactory updating of the fondly-remembered originals.

It is also worth pointing out that it is relatively lowly placed in the smut and bad language stakes.

The first film with an all star cast and a couple up and coming young talents was reasonably good fun, I heard that this sequel was rated terribly by the critics, I was certainly willing to give it a chance anyway. Basically Annabelle Lealla Fritton (Talulah Riley),the Head Girl of St. Trinian's and niece of headmistress Miss Camilla Dagey Fritton (Rupert Everett) has found a valuable ring, and wealthy philanthropist Lord Piers Pomfrey (David Tennant) wants it for some reason. Miss Fritton explains that in 1598 it was stolen by Pomfrey's pirate ancestor by Fritton's ancestor, this ring is part of a hidden treasure, and they will be able to find it as long as they find the other ring double to put them together. The mischievous and unruly girls, including receptionist Beverly (Jodie Whittaker),the eco Celia (Juno Temple),posh totty Chelsea (Tamsin Egerton),rebellious rock star Roxy (Girls Aloud's Sarah Harding),rude girl Bianca (Fresh Meat's Zawe Ashton),emo Zoe (Montserrat Lombard) and the geek Lucy (Ella Smith),are rejoined by former Head Girl now MI7 agent Kelly Jones (Gemma Arterton),and former Education Minister Geoffrey Thwaites (Colin Firth),and Miss Fritton's former lover. Having followed all the clues they do in the end find the treasure, but it is not gold or other riches, it is the truth that William Shakespeare was the pseudonym of a woman, Pomfrey tries to steal this secret, but of course he caught by the police and the evidence is destroyed, and the everyone parties to celebrate. Also starring Toby Jones as Bursar, Celia Imrie as Matron, Katherine Parkinson as Physics Teacher and David Armand as Police Officer. There is not much I want to say about this film really, despite having good names in the cast the acting is worthless, even Everett in drag and Ashton being likeably gobby, the action sequences are ridiculous, the jokes did not make me laugh one bit, and the plot is ridiculous, it was just a crap comedy sequel I don't think the kids or any of the family should bother with. Poor!

Annabelle Fritton (Talulah Riley) is the new Head Girl of St Trinian's. Roxy (Sarah Harding) is the Rock Star new girl that every click wants. Sir Piers Pomfrey (David Tennant) hires Celia (Juno Temple) to steal a ring from the school library for £20,000. The girls find out and Annabelle counter offers £100,000. Pomfrey do not take it well. Her aunt headmistress Camilla Fritton (Rupert Everett) tells the girls that in 1598, her pirate ancestor stole a treasure from Pomfrey's ancestor. The ring is one of two which leads to the treasure. Pomfrey raids the school and steals the ring. Camilla seeks the help of disgraced politician ex-lover Geoffrey Thwaites (Colin Firth). The girls dress as boys to find the other ring. They call former Head Girl Kelly Jones (Gemma Arterton) to steal back their ring from Pomfrey's male chauvinistic secret society AD1.

It's a silly franchise that got even sillier. The problem is that it's more boring and less fun. The new girl is a dud. It turns into a rather boring caper movie. It tries to play up the girl power aspect by creating a cartoonish chauvinist secret society. It only serves to make a powerful message seemingly stupid. This franchise is never going to be Shakespeare but this is much worst. By the time they do a flash mob, all hopes are lost.