Hababam Taburu (1975)

A mischievous crew of sailors make a habit of pranking their crotchety old captain, but one day their tricks work a little too well, and send their vessel far off course into the North African coast. They land on the shores of small nation Umumba, where they're immediately pressganged into military service by the local government, engaged in their current war of the week. Now the group must figure out how to escape back to the high seas, and to home, without getting killed. And can they win a war or two along the way?...

Hababam Taburu is a seaside/military comedy, not to be confused with Turkish school classic Hababam Sınıfı. By the same author, and the first of which also came out in 1975. Not sure which came first, though I'd be inclined to say Sınıfı since that's the more professional high quality film, whereas Taburu is a more basic product.

The story here is as basic as can be. Really it's just an excuse for comedy setpieces and shenanigans. As long as you go in aware of this you shouldn't have a problem. It's not like the movie ever pretends to be anything else. It also verges on softcore porn in places. I was pretty surprised by how far some bits went! Don't get me wrong, it's hardly on the same level as Porky's, but still, it exceeds the expectations you have for pictures like this!

What little chatter I've seen online about Taburu are mixed, with some taking a dislike to the film for its base simplicity, while others liking it for that same reason, seeing it as charming escapist fluff. I can see both sides, but in this day and age you can't go wrong with a decent routine comedy, even as a simple time-killer.

The comedy here is fairly standard stuff. Nothing you won't see coming, but is passable at worst, and funny at best. There's some good physical comedy here, and amusing situations. There was one moment with the guys trying to sneakily watch a porno, before being busted by Hulusi Kentmen, who shoos them all out and proceeds to...twirl his moustache if you get my drift. There are also a couple of grosser moments (mostly involving the big guy's belly, and a scene that could've been right out of Alien!).

The bellydancing scene, featuring the guys in female disguises, is as silly as you can imagine, but you almost forget this with how into their song the movie gets. And I also noticed a similar joke from other Turkish comedy Şaban Oğlu Şaban. I did think it odd that Taburu would pinch a joke (albeit a fairly commonplace one already), yet be otherwise completely different. Well as it turns out, it predates all three of Kemal Sunal's military comedies!

The main characters in Taburu are fairly basic archetypes. No-one really shines in their own distinct way, but none are meant to. They're just here to entertain. Their long suffering captain bears the brunt of much of their pranks, and while I wouldn't say they're the most likeable per se, they never come across as malicious. The supporting cast are much the same, though some stand out more, such as the sultry nurse. Despite her sunkissed North African surroundings, she dresses as a stereotypical nurse, albeit with a much smaller skirt size, and little concept of buttons. And is surprisingly reciprocal to advances from whoever happens to giving.

The climax is fun. An invasion of the other side has come, and the gang must try their best to hold it off. And they do so with some clever thinking and strategy. The kind that could only come to a bunch of tricky goofballs like these.

Then we have a fun ending, with some rewards, a sweet-ish interaction between captain and crew, and one last prank. Just a shame there's not more fun music to play us out, instead just cutting abruptly to The End.

The cast here is made up of secondary players as far as the Yeşilçam era was concerned, barring stalwart Hulusi Kentmen. He's his typical amusing grumpy self. The others give decent performances for what they are. Nothing amazing, and some might find their mugging a little annoying, but they're not egregiously bad, and this isn't meant to be high art or anything. Figen Han is drop dead sexy as the nurse, and could take my pulse anytime!

Hababam Taburu is a visually pleasing film. The crew have a nice color balance to them, especially when contrasted with the boat, and the blue sky and ocean. Bit of a shame then when they're drafted and stuck in identical military uniforms. The location work is good, convincing as North Africa despite a presumable more Anatolian filming area. Then there's the illustrated opening credits, which have a fun art style, complementing the movie's goofy tone and literary origins well!

The score here is a hoot! We've got a fun main theme, and tracks feeling right out of a jazzy(?) 60s production like Casino Royale, and some more 70s period tunes, that reminded me of A Summer Place.

Hababam Taburu may not be a patch on the more famous film to bear half that name, but it's still a pretty fun Turkish comedy. It's got some fun actors, decent humour, and is a good time killer for those who like Oriental hijinks...