At a dinner party they learn that you cannot be charged with theft unless you intend to permanently deprive the owner of their property.

David proposes stealing the crown jewels and sending letters out beforehand, showing they aren't intending to permanently deprive.

David and Michael have had the alarms turned off, due to the danger of "vibration", and use the laser to cut into the cabinets and steal the Crown Jewels.

The police set up a cordon, but Michael uses their concentration on the square to put the jewels in the scales of justice on top of the Old Bailey.

[7] The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "the fun is always good-humoured and the playing never drops into caricature.

In fact a cast which reads like a minor "Who's Who in the Theatre" gets some unusually good opportunities, with James Donald in particular giving a marvellously deadpan obtuseness to the publicity-conscious Colonel of the bomb disposal unit. ...

Michael Crawford as the younger brother is his usual relaxed and nonchalant self, and Oliver Reed has found a useful comic line by imposing a Bogarde-ish smoothness on to his characteristically tough exterior.

Michael Winner keeps it all moving at a suitably lively pace and provides several nice touches of visual wit, but he is not quite able to sustain the change of mood when the joke seems in danger of turning sour.

"[8] Bosley Crowther in The New York Times wrote, "ANOTHER of those wonderfully eccentric British crime comedies, to compare with such whoppers as "The League of Gentlemen, Private's Progress and The Lavender Hill Mob, has popped up in Universal's The Jokers, which came to the Sutton yesterday.

The Dick Clement/lan La Frenais screenplay was virtually director-proof and was entrusted to Michael Winner, who does a decent job of it, making it seem regrettable that he ever veered away from comedy.

"[10] Leslie Halliwell said: "Bright suspense comedy which sums up the swinging London era pretty well and is generally amusing though it finally lacks aplomb.