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Film: The Sea Wolf
Release date: 11th April 2011
Certificate: 15
Running time: 178 mins
Director: Mike Barker
Starring: Sebastian Koch, Tim Roth, Neve Campbell, Stephen Campbell Moore, Andrew Jackson
Genre: Action/Adventure/Drama/Romance
Studio: Showbox
Format: DVD
Country: Canada/Germany
This is an English-language release.
Inspired by the Jack London novel, The Sea Wolf has already been adapted for the screen twelve times, starring such prestigious names as John Garfield, Barry Sullivan, Christopher Reeve and, lest we forget, Charles Bronson. With Mike Barker (Best Laid Plans, Butterfly On A Wheel) at the helm and an impressive cast including Tim Roth and Neve Campbell, will this two-part mini-series prove to be lucky at the thirteenth attempt?
Wolf Larsen (Sebastian Koch), the ruthless captain of the notorious seal hunting vessel Sea Wolf, takes onboard pompous castaway Humphrey Van Wyden (Stephen Campbell Moore), a literary critic who hasn’t done a hard day’s work in his life.
Instead of abandoning him at the next harbour, Wolf puts him to work, ruling over him with an intractable iron fist. To Wolf's surprise, the graft transforms Van Wyden into a hardened adversary – almost every bit as formidable as Wolf himself.
But the arrival of Wolf’s brother and arch-rival, Death (Tim Roth), and the rescue of another castaway, Maud (a sweetly innocent Neve Campbell), the beautiful daughter of a rival ship owner, creates friction aplenty - our male adversaries giving the seals a day off to fight over love, life, and pretty much everything else…
Though this swashbuckling epic seldom strays from entertaining, its impressive pacing diverting enough to ensure there’s no time to ponder a lack of backstory or characterization, The Sea Wolf struggles to stay afloat because apart from Van Wyden and Maud, the rest of the cast are about as likeable as fish fingers. Stephen Campbell Moore continues his impressive rise by trying his best as our main protagonist, but not even Rick Stein could cook up enough empathy for a man who can’t even defend his career choice convincingly, let alone a damsel in distress.
Similar to The Call Of The Wild, Jack London’s previous bestseller, The Sea Wolf tells the story of a soft, well-educated protagonist, from a wealthy background, forced to toughen up by exposure to cruelty and brutality. The screenplay by Nigel Williams (with over thirty years’ experience writing for television) differs from the original text, beginning with an ‘accident’ that sees Van Wyden set adrift at sea. In the novel, the ferry he is travelling on collides with another ship and sinks – a case of keeping the budget in check after blowing most of it on high profile actors.
Whereas Van Wyden’s transformation from weakling to warrior is slightly unconvincing (his personality swims with and then against the tide so often it’s nauseating), Wolf Larsen’s brutal and cynical persona frustratingly barely changes throughout the three hours on offer here, despite attempts to convince us he’s actually highly intelligent and intellectual. Maybe it wouldn’t hurt him to read some Ben Elton every once in a while. Instead, he displays characteristics of a sociopath, as he murders and abuses people without hesitation, seeing no value in life. His only weakness is his brother Death (an even grumpier Tim Roth), because his brother is simpleminded, a cripple, and so is able to enjoy life unburdened.
One of the key events in both the film and the book is an attempted mutiny against Wolf Larsen by several members of the crew. Those that suffered mostly in the opening half of the film have enough reasons to justify such an attack, and other members of the ship’s compliments are willing to put the final boot in, but without allowing any of the characters a back-story of any kind, all you’ll really be left wondering is why on earth they decided to board the ship in the first place.
Worse still, Larsen, demonstrating his inhuman endurance, strength, and conviction by squashing potatoes in his bare hands (honestly), manages to escape relatively unharmed, and the next day the crew are back doing what they do best – oddly obeying Larsen’s bullying orders as if nothing ever happened, hindering a film that belies its lengthy running time with some decent swashbuckling and impressive visual effects.
The second part of the tale is easily the better of the two, when Larsen’s ship, the Ghost, picks up another castaway (the novel has them pick up more than the lovely Campbell), hinting at a past relationship between herself and Van Wyden. Straying from the original text once again, their past is rarely touched upon, the relationship never openly discussed and barely hinted at, which annoys, especially as Wolf Larsen also feels something for her (not that we need any more conflict).
There are few surprises or bursts of originality here, especially when Van Wyden and Maud decide they can repair the ship after becoming stranded on an island, whilst Larsen, suffering from yet another headache, is rendered blind, yet still manages to hunt them down. His tedious headaches further cripple the plot, with no hint of an explanation as to what they may be caused by – instead we’re just left to swallow the feeble plot device, one that will ultimately lead to the unsatisfying finale. There is, however, a strong desire to entertain, and it does manage to do so, despite every character somehow managing to grumble and groan throughout.
The action is plentiful, the setting is opulent and the whole journey moves at an old-fashioned, ship-steady pace aided by a satisfying score. Yet The Sea Wolf is ransacked by miserable characters that lack empathy and two pantomime villains that eventually lack menace. DW
Film: The Diplomat
Release date: 14th March 2011
Certificate: 15
Running time: 180 mins
Director: Peter Andrikidis
Starring: Dougray Scott, Rachael Blake, Jeremy Lindsay Taylor, Richard Roxburgh, Claire Forlani
Genre: Action/Crime/Drama/Mystery/Thriller
Studio: Showbox
Format: DVD
Country: Australia/UK
This is an English-language release.
The Diplomat is a two part Australian-British TV series. Stars of Mission Impossible 2, Dougray Scott and Richard Roxburgh, both feature alongside one another in a show that attempts to offer a new spin on the international action-thriller genre, dealing with themes such as counterterrorism in a style somewhat reminiscent of 24.
Dougray stars as Ian Porter, a British diplomat who is arrested by Scotland Yard on charges of smuggling drugs out of Tajikistan for Russian mobsters. Unbeknown to Scotland Yard, Porter is an MI6 detective, working deep undercover. With Porter in custody and Detective Chief Inspector Julie Hales (Rachael Blake) pushing him for answers, MI6 worry for the security of an operation that has been years in the making - an operation that appears to go far beyond the realms of drug smuggling.
In exchange for immunity, Porter agrees to enter a witness protection program, along with his ex-wife, Pippa (Claire Forlani). As Detective Hales continues to push for answers, Porter finds himself caught between MI6 and a Russian Mafioso, both concerned as to Porter's loyalty. As the truth slowly becomes evident, Porter finds his life turned upside down.
Enemies on all sides and with no room for mistakes, Porter must navigate the suspicion and deceit of both MI6 and the Russians, in order to prevent potential catastrophe and follow, what he believes to be, his destiny…
Despite its three hour running time, The Diplomat offers a rather intricate and, arguably, clever plot. Caught between two very different worlds, Porter's isolation, along with a rapidly evolving plot, make The Diplomat a thoroughly gripping watch. With an abundance of plot twists, the series is anything but boring. But, despite all of this, The Diplomat feels a little too familiar. Even with its seemingly clever plot, it never seems to achieve much beyond the occasional cheap thrill, and it only requires a brief look beneath the surface to discover why this is the case.
First and foremost, The Diplomat's script features a wide range of dull and predictable characters. The depiction of MI6 as the authoritative figure, which engages in some rather immoral acts in the name of self-preservation, feels a little over used. Especially when this is used to contrast the bumbling actions of an incompetent Scotland Yard who seem, for the most part, incapable of grasping the nature of the situation. This contrast of an intelligent, yet devious, MI6 and a narrow minded Scotland Yard (who cause nothing but problems for Porter), feels terribly lazy and predictable. The depiction of the Russian mob as ruthless, and occasionally idiotic, criminals only adds to the abundance of uninspired characters.
That said, not all of the show's characters are completely two dimensional. For example, the actions of Pippa, Porter's wife, often allude to hidden motives, which are never fully explored. It would also be fair to point out that Inspector Hales certainly deviates from her knuckle-headed colleges at Scotland Yard. Her character evolves somewhat during the course of the series, eventually aiding Porter in his efforts to bring down the Russian Mafioso he had been attempting to topple whilst working for MI6.
Most important is the chief protagonist, Porter, whose character is somewhat of a disappointment. Many of Porter's motives are mystifying, to say the least. In a rather odd move, the death of Porter's son (who drowned in a swimming pool, years earlier) is linked to his decision to help MI6 topple a Russian Mafioso. Somehow, it is this absurd plot line that holds the entire show together. Why Porter is prepared to sacrifice his life, and the lives of those around him, for a cause that bears no relation to the death of his son is truly mystifying.
Furthermore, there are other aspects of the show's plot that feel a little lazy. Several characters, including Charles Van Koors (Richard Roxburgh), make uncharacteristic decisions during the course of the show, which only prove to undermine the credibility of the plot.
However, despite its many flaws, The Diplomat remains surprisingly entertaining. The reasons for this are a little harder to pin down, but it may well be the fact that the show disguises its unoriginal plot with some fairly unfamiliar locations. With much of the action taking place in Australia, a plot which would otherwise be boring and predictable is transformed into somewhat of a unique experience.
Whilst The Diplomat may feature an intricate plot, it is littered with flaws. Similarly, its characters aren't developed enough to warrant any real merit. Although, the show is surprisingly entertaining and oddly engaging given its predictable plot. Even if the film cannot be credited with any major achievements, it is a decent international action-thriller which offers more than its fair share of thrills, even if many of them fail to stand up to critique. ME
Film: Newsmakers
Release date: 3rd May 2010
Certificate: 18
Running time: 105 mins
Director: Anders Banke
Starring: Andrey Merzlikin, Yevgeni Tsyganov, Mariya Mashkova, Sergey Garmash
Genre: Action
Studio: Showbox
Format: DVD & Blu-ray
Country: Russia
A remake of Hong Kong crime thriller Breaking News, Newsmakers changes location and opts for the gritty streets of Moscow. Not much was expected from the inexperienced director Anders Banke, although with such a good central plot, there was undeniable potential.
The film begins with a brutal gunfight in broad daylight between a group of robbers and the police. Unfortunately for the government, the press are on hand and film the inefficient and incompetent police attempting to take the crooks on. Camera footage of the fight is spilled on to every news channel, and to add to the humiliation, a police sergeant is seen crying and pleading for his life.
As far as the government are concerned, and with grenades exploding in the streets, “this is war.” Captain Verbitshaya, the PR Director, proposes a plan to harness the media and use it repair the image of the police. Verbitshaya (Mariya Mashkova) explains that each officer will have a camera on his helmet filming the siege on the robbers (because their location has been conveniently stumbled across), and it will be edited to promote the governments handling of the situation. Despite the controversial idea of turning a police operation in to a reality television show, there seems to be no debate of the idea, and Verbitshaya is given centre stage to control proceedings.
The apartment block where the robbers are hiding is the central location in the film and we spend most of the 102 minutes watching events unfold here and in the surrounding area. The robbers hold up with a family of three (one incompetent dad and two children), with whom they eat lunch - probably the film’s standout scene, with great comic timing (the father tells his children to thank the robbers for the skill in which they made the food and decides to open a twenty year old bottle of Armenian brandy because he feels he is now finally host to ‘proper’ company).
Aside from the police outside, a special police team led by Smirnov (Andrey Merzlikin) is seeking to catch the robbers the 'Die Hard way'…
Newsmakers is about the power of the media and the controlling influence it has on the lives of fellow Muscovites. If harnessed correctly, it is a means of maintaining the social order. But when it exposes the shoddy police force at the beginning of the film, it holds the state up for criticism and this cannot be tolerated. The film shows that media is never independent and always has an agenda. In a multimillion-pound industry, the appeal of influencing the event as well as controlling the coverage of it is increasingly appealing. It has a very James Bond Tomorrow Never Dies feel to it.
Newsmakers show how easily we can be manipulated, and in the context of Soviet history this is especially important. There is even a wall emblazoned with the Soviet ‘CCCP’ to remind us of this. Statements, unfortunately, are made with a heavy hand, with little for the audience to work out for themselves.
The film also fails by not developing ideas properly, or opting for the obvious. This is partly due to the massive amount of time dedicated to the various shootouts, with bullets fired in their thousands. But it was well worth expanding the dialogue in certain parts, especially between the robbers and children, as this provided a great platform for exploring the differences between the ‘good’ and the ‘bad’. When, at the end, Verbitshaya has her face (rather than her hands) covered in blood, it places the responsibility of the bloody final shootout on the media in a blatant and rather undignified way.
The acting is average, although this can be attributed to the amateur dialogue the actors are forced to work with. The best performances come from Mariya Mashkova, who puts in a determined effort, and Andrey Merzlikin, who plays the rugged and unconventional cop quite well. But with lines like “he’s a criminal…I’ll eat him,” it is difficult to take the characters too seriously.
The one saving grace of the film is the subtle comedy. When the panicked father places a whole chicken in a frying pan, or when the police snipers stop for a filmed lunch, it raises a smile. There is also a comic scene when Smirnov and his team of Special Forces are fired upon by ‘Crackpot’, a spaced out inhabitant of the apartment block who believes demons are after him. But the message here is more political than comic, so these positives are ultimately only a bonus.
On the whole a confused film, but for fans of gunfights, Newsmakers does offer some exciting and fast paced shoot out scenes. Tones of potential, but unfortunately does not quite pack the punch it set out to.
Film: Fatal Move
Release date: 31st August 2009
Certificate: 18
Running time: 112 mins
Director: Dennis Law
Starring: Sammo Hung, Simon Yam, Jacky Wu Jing, Danny Lee
Genre: Crime/Thriller/Drama
Studio: Cine-Asia/Showbox
Format: DVD
Country: Hong Kong
Penned and directed by a man whose previous working credits include producer of the riveting Tria flick Election, a literal ‘kick ass’ lead, and a synopsis that includes the words violence and gang warfare, this was all set up to deliver on its title.
The story, which, to be honest, should have been copyrighted by now goes: Lin Ho Lung, played by the legendary Sammo Hung (Project A, Eastern Condors) is the head of Hong Kong’s most powerful Triad society. Danny Lee (The Killer, City On Fire) reprises his regular role as an honest police officer, who is trying to find a way to put the family in jail for good. One night, Lin Ho Tung, and an associate of Lung’s family, Simon Yam (Full Contact, Election), attend a big drug deal. Predictably, it all goes pear-shaped.
After that promising opening, the rest of the movie descends into badly put together fight scenes, even worse torture sequences, betrayal on both sides of the law, and the most unnecessary amount of violence committed to screen in a long time…
With a cast that consists of actors from classics including The Killer, Mad Detective, Exiled, Dragons Forever, it’s baffling how this ended up such a turkey, where you have no care for any of the characters.
Taking another Danny Lee film as an example, The Killer, without the narrative flowing perfectly, the action would not work - you feel engaged with Chow Yun Fat’s character by the way director John Woo chooses to craft each scene. In the final church battle, without the drive of Fat trying to escape his violent world, and take Sally Yeh to undergo eye treatment, the movie’s narrative wouldn’t go anywhere. The ending here is simply puzzling, with Sammo Hung and Wu Jing fighting for the trailer not the storyline – there is no reason for this event to happen.
Taking one scene, which sums up the problem: two random girls, the audience has never seen before, are sun-bathing on a beach. One of the girls suddenly feels the need to urinate. Whilst doing her ‘business’, without reason or indication, she begins to feel a rush of uncertainty about the space she is currently squatting in. Lo-and-behold, the girl finds the dead body of a Hong Kong Triad. Indicative of the movie as a whole, there’s no reason for such a convoluted interjection.
This movie was initially banned in some countries, due to its excessive bloody violence throughout. Jackie Chan’s The Shinjuku Incident suffered the same indignation. The difference is The Shinjuku Incident’s violence is pretty shocking - Fatal Move’s violence is only shockingly bad. Its inclusion only intended to cover the lack of depth.
That brings us to the most annoying element of Fatal Move - the constant use of black CGI blood, which ruins any chance of shock value. The moment the practical effects are on screen in deep red, it’s replaced with blatantly obvious computer-generated black blood. This movie follows the trend of modern stinkers such as Blood: The Last Vampire and Ninja Assassin, where this tool is used excessively. The reason Ichi The Killer, Martyrs and Battle Royale are so disturbing is down to the crucial use of practical effects.
It’s depressing to see such talent on screen, yet being subjected to an endurance test. Sammo Hung just walks around the screen with nothing to do – well, besides badly impersonating Bruno Ganz’s performance as Hitler in Downfall. The make-up department should also hang their heads in shame – giving Sammo the look of an aging, obese pensioner. More shockingly, the film makes no use of his talent in the fight sequences.
The DVD Cover reads “One Wrong Move, And You’re Dead.” The word wrong is outlined in red - take the hint. TJP
