Ready, Steady, Charlie! (2003)

Funny, strange, confrontational and subversive, this is one of the most interesting experiences you'll have at the cinema this year.

Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

If you served in the Swiss Army, you WILL recognize yourself in this movie... and will enjoy watching it. You get the feeling of: "Yeah, that's how it is... oh, yes, I remember that exercise... That guy is just like our CO (or whoever)... oh, yeah, the Grenadier vs. Füsilier antagonism..." and so on.. If you never did serve in the Swiss Army, you probably won't understand half the jokes... and then the movie is just plain boring.This comedy is decidedly Swiss. You have to know the Swiss Army to understand it.I loved it, but I did serve. (I recognized myself most in the character of Korporal Wyss...) Most of my friends who are not Swiss or managed to worm out of military training didn't think it fun... not because it was inaccurate, but because they didn't understand the context.

Now here is the truth about 'Achtung, fertig, Charlie!': I've read other user's comments and I got the feeling they didn't like the movie but I can tell you why: because they are Swiss themselves and they don't like to hear the truth.Now lemme tell ya: It is the truth. Good things first: I'm from Germany. That's why I can tell. I used to work with a bunch of Swiss blokes and the two main topics were Dope and the Mafia. No - not Army pocket knives, nor cheese, banks or Cuckoo-clocks, but Dope and the Mafia. So here we are - the movie shows Switzerland exactly as it is.About the movie itself: you can always argue about the acting, but this was not Shakespeare nor Lessing, but genuine Swiss acting. So we will not be so picky about certain aspects of acting that could have been better. Let's take what this movie was made for: delivering a feeling how it is to be Swiss. And they did - just that! And splendidly!Besides, it is a funny movie, spiced with good jokes for those who listen carefully. And a touching love story, too. Just go and watch it!By the way: you might want to check out "Die Schweizermacher" - 'cause it's worth it!

This film is so bad, you can't imagine. The acting is terrible, even worse than in third class soap operas. An it is a shame that this movie was the most successful in the past 20 years in Switzerland. The interactions between the soldiers didn't make any sense at all. The story could have been taken out from a bravo photo-story, the dialogues were as wooden as Treebeard and the plot holes were bigger than the black hole in the middle of our galaxy. But nowadays it doesn't need much to satisfy the audience. The actors were handsome for example the former Miss Switzerland and the main character was even hung (woah!!) and there certainly was much abuse of drugs. That's real cool man! Particularly for 12 and 13 year old teens. But the media created an atmosphere in witch you was not allowed to reject the film because they manipulated the peer group dynamics by telling implicitly that you are a nerd if you don't go along with the other `sheep' and say.yes that is exactly what it was like when I was in the army/ that's exactly what I'm going to do when I must go to the army.. to every cheesy action that had to do with drugs and coolness. And don't think I like the army. I was there and I hated it but this film is worse than cleaning up the sticky toilet with a teeth brush (which I was forced to do because I offended an lieutenant) It is not necessary for every film to be sophisticated. Sometimes you only want to be entertained for a few hours and forget about problems and I think its not a bad thing. But this kind of films influence teenagers to much by showing them a cool lifestyle which in fact is only stupid and turns them into brainless ignorant and egocentric idiots. But since I now that my opinion isn't very popular I will be quiet now and recommend you to avoid this terrible flick at any costs and for that to save your wits! 2/10(sorry for my bad English)

As Switzerland is a very small country and their strong point is for sure not culture I was very surprised in a positive way of this movie. This movie has a original love story, is never boring and has a lot of sense of humor. Especially when they make fun of the army. In the movie is the swiss army but of course it could be the army of any country. Another positive surprise for me was actress Melanie Winiger. As former Miss Switzerland everybody thought that can't work but she did a very good work and I think somebody should inform Jerry Bruckheimer. Melanie would be great in one of his action movies. The only negative point of this movie is the terrible title but otherwise this movie is really worth to watch.