Chris Morris is not a man who shrinks from controversy. He's also one of the funniest and most talented comic minds current working in Britain. After his brilliant work on The Day Today, Brass Eye and Jam and his peculiar yet oddly compelling short film My Wrongs 8245-8249 and 117, Morris makes his feature debut with Four Lions, which for those who have yet to smaple its pleasures is...well, I'll let the PR people do the talking:

Chris Morris' Four Lions is a funny, thrilling comedy that illuminates modern jihadism through the prism of farce. It understands jihadists as human beings. And it understands human beings as innately ridiculous. What This Is Spinal Tap did for heavy metal and Dr Strangelove the Cold War, Four Lions does for the modern face of terrorism.

In a British city, four men have a secret plan. Omar (Riz Ahmed) is disillusioned about the treatment of Muslims around the world and is determined to become a soldier. This is the most exciting idea Waj (Kayvan Novak) has ever heard. Better still it's a no brainer because Omar does his thinking for him. Opposed to Omar and everyone else on earth is the white Islamic convert Barry (Nigel Lindsay). He'd realise he joined the cell to channel his nihilism - If he had half the self knowledge of a duck. Faisal (Adeel Akhtar) is the odd man out. He can make a bomb – but he can't blow himself up just now coz his sick dad has "started eating newspaper". Instead he's training crows to fly bombs through windows. This is what Omar has to deal with. They must strike a decisive blow on their own turf but can any of them strike a match without punching himself in the face?

Four Lions plunges us beyond seeing these young men as unfathomably alien. It undermines the folly of just wishing them away or, even worse, alienating the entire culture from which they emerge. The film is neither pro nor anti religious. The jokes fly out of the characters' conflicts, excesses and mistakes. Crackling with wit and tension, Four Lions is the essential response to our failure to engage with reality and a high toast to the idea that laughter is better than killing.

Well that just about covers it. Four Lions will be released on UK DVD (£19.99) and Blu-ray (£22.99) by Optimum Home Entertainment on 30th August 2010. The following extras have been listed:

• Lost Boys documentary;
• Bradford Film Festival Premier featurette;
• Mo Ali Interview;
• Deleted Scenes.