Ffolkes (1979)
"North Sea Hijack" (original title)

When terrorists take over two oil rigs and threaten to explode them if their demands are not met, a unique commando unit is sent in to stop them.

Director:

Andrew V. McLaglen

Writers:

Jack Davies (screenplay), Jack Davies (novel)

Stars:

Roger Moore, James Mason, Anthony Perkins

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Roger Moore	...	Rufus Excalibur ffolkes
James Mason	...	Admiral Sir Francis Brindsen
Anthony Perkins	...	Lou Kramer
Michael Parks	...	Harold Shulman
David Hedison	...	King
Jack Watson	...	Capt. Olafsen
George Baker	...	Fletcher
Jeremy Clyde	...	Tipping
David Wood	...	Terry Herring
Faith Brook	...	Prime Minister
Lea Brodie	...	Sanna
Anthony Pullen Shaw	...	Robert F. Ackerman
Philip O'Brien	...	Art Webb
John Westbrook	...	Dawnay
Jennifer Hilary	...	Sarah

Storyline

A terrorist (Anthony Perkins) holds an offshore drilling rig and production platform for ransom in the North Sea. Ffolkes (Roger Moore) a wealthy mysogynistic eccentric, volunteers to send his crack team of soldiers in to stop the terrorists. With few other options available, the British Government reluctantly accepts his help.

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Plot Keywords:

terrorist | north sea | oil | commando | oil rig | 

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Taglines:

Terrorists of the High Seas . . . With a push of a button they threaten to blow up the biggest oil rig in the world. Only one man can stop them. [USA DVD]

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Thriller

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

1979 (UK)

Also Known As:

Assault Force

Filming Locations:

Pinewood Studios, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cinema Seven Productions Ltd., Universal Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Reportedly, this movie casting of Roger Moore was to cast him against type from his typecasting as a suave debonair playboy type as seen in the James Bond movies, and The Saint and The Persuaders! TV series. Traits of Moore's ffolkes character in this movie which are anti-thetical to his Bond persona include a misogynistic dislike of women due to a failed marriage and having several sisters as opposed to being a ladies man; being moody, cranky and cantankerous as opposed to witty and charming; he often wears a beanie and his dress is like that of an academic as opposed to a man-about-town; he is hairy and bearded as opposed to being neat, suave and clean-shaven; he is eccentric as opposed to being conventional; and he has a soft dimension as displayed by both his pet obsession with his pussy cats (suggesting that ffolkes is a closeted ailurophiliac) and having an effeminate needlework hobby. However, one common trait to both types of his persona is the machismo and skill to defeat the villains and enemies.

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Goofs

When ffolkes arrives at the railway station, it cuts to a British Rail high density suburban-type Diesel Multiple Unit arriving at the station. It then cuts back to ffolkes walking towards the train, and the train is now a cross-country type train with side corridor and compartments.

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Quotes

ffolkes: Jennifer? ffolkes here. You can tell the Lord Privy Seal the operation had been completed. As planned, naturally.

User Reviews

Very good seventies thriller!

Just like "Moonraker" (1979), James Bond actor Roger Moore seemed to watch out for a new role opposite to his cool gentlemen-like 007 fame. So it's no wonder, that his role as Rufus Excalibur Ffolkes is miles away from 007, but it's still Moore. After a bunch of high-tech terrorists has taken over three oil rigs and threaten to blow them up if the British government won't pay a few million pounds, it is Moore's turn to save the western world. Leading a squad of professional anti-terrorist submarine fighters, they are planning to storm the rigs, running out of time and fighting against thunderstorms and the cleverness of the gangsters.

The cast is superb, with Anthony Perkins as gang leader, playing some kind of crossover between Norman Bates and the Bond villains. Supporting roles are played by James Mason and David Hedison, who played Bond's American CIA sidekick Felix Leiter two times. The plot is influenced by the rise of modern terrorism and the energy crisis in the seventies, but also by the Bond films and the fashionable disaster movies of its time.

The best about the film is Roger Moore's Ffolks - a cat-loving, alcohol-drinking, women-hating, bearded Englishmen without a sense of humor and gentleness. The pacing is alright, and the story keeps the film thrilling until is too-fast ending. And while James Bond is rewarded with the most beautiful girl after having saved the world, Ffolkes receives a completely different gift at the end of the film... All in all, "North Sea Hijack" is the perfect action thriller for a stormy and rainy autumn evening in front of your TV set.