Mind games

MINDHORN (15) THE Mighty Boosh star Julian Barratt reckons he’s grown into the role of tubby former TV star Richard Thorncroft whilst waiting for a decade to get the movie made.

Still, I reckon he would have been better striking while the iron was hot.

Thorncroft could have been brilliant on Boosh, but it feels like he’s been spread a little too thinly in a 90-minute feature.

The premise is clever if a little familiar. Thorncroft was once the arrogant star of a cheesy early 80s British TV show about an Isle of Man detective who could “see the truth” through his bionic eye.

After losing his last paying gig, an advert for orthopaedic socks, to rival island detective John Nettles, Thorncroft sees a chance to get himself back into the limelight.

A deranged Manx murderer (Russell Tovey) is convinced Mindhorn is real and insists he will talk only to the bionic sleuth.

So Thorncroft heads back to crack the case and hopefully rekindle an old flame. Unfortunately, his ex-girlfriend and co-star Patricia Deville (Essie Davis) is now married to Thorncroft’s former stunt double Clive Parnevik (Simon Farnaby).

Another frustration is the success of Windjammer, a successful spin-off series built around a minor character played by Steve Coogan.

And at times, Thorncroft feels a little too similar to Norfolk’s most famous DJ. He’s another buffoon with a raging ego and an uncanny ability to always say the wrong thing. Flashbacks to his heyday, and footage of him doing a George Best on Wogan give Barratt plenty of scope to show off his comic timing.

He also delivers some expert slapstick and spars hilariously with Farnaby. But those laughs begin to dry up in the second half.

Too often, Barratt’s comic talent is smothered by the plot.

Thorncroft deserves another shot at fame, although the small screen might be a better fit.