bluelionman Reviews

Edge of Darkness (2010)

Okay but not as good as the British Original

[4/10 · 19 October 2022]

Watching this I had a real sense of déjà vu. I recall seeing the very same plot in a British TV mimi-series when I was a teenager many years ago. The characters names, the plot, the facility name - everything exactly the same but of course now you have an A list actor (Mel Gibson) and it's now set in the good ol' US of A rather than England. However I am almost sure the English mini series was better, far more tension as the plot unfolded and twists occurred. I even liked the lead (Bob Peck) more as the troubled detective.

So what is it - why do the US insist on remaking British films and TV series to set them in the US rather than just show the originals over there - it's not as if we speak a foreign language is it?

Why not just make something new - of your own?

But I digress - on it's own this film is probably a 5 rating if you've not seen the original. I am notoriously tight with my stars so 5 is worth watching. 4 is if you have nothing better to do - but trust me seek out the original British TV mini series of the same name staring Bob Peck as Detective Craven from 1985. Yes it's dated but from memory it's better than this film version.

Wolf (2018)

Make Sure To Watch It All - 6 Episodes Then The Theatrical Movie By The Same Name

[6/10 · 17 May 2022]

This is the series that finally got me to subscribe to Netflix for the first time - as I could not find this series elsewhere on line with English subtitles - that I need as I don't speak Turkish. I wanted to see this ever since I see a film online with the same title that seemed good but confusing as it seemed to jump straight into like the middle of a plot and I had no idea what was going on, who the bad guys were and who the good guys were.

Turns out the film is the ending to this TV series - funny thing is Netflix doesn't carry the film and so after I see this series I then had to go find the film again elsewhere to re-watch it. Doing research online the film is like the final two episodes as the series was so popular in Turkey that the producers made the final two episodes into a theatrical film and released it in cinemas there. Really it should be an 8 part TV series online in my oponion as seeing the series without the ending of the film cheats you as it doesn't finish the story and seeing the film without the preceeding TV series you have no idea who's who and not what's really going on behind the scenes and why people are acting as they are against one another though the action is still good.

The plot revolves around the lives of Turkey's Police Special Operations Teams, covering several years of Turkish history beginning in 2014. A really intense show with very good subplots telling a good story about both the sacrifices soldiers and police make for the innocent civillian populus and the threats faced internally by differing polotical factions from the perspective of those same soldiers / police. It shows the real face of war against terrorism both foreign and domestic, along with the high cost paid by those who choose to serve. I get the feeling this is losely based on real events within Turkey, failed coup attemps and what have you.

The Great War of Archimedes (2019)

Not an Action War Film

[4/10 · 20 August 2020]

I'd been searching for this film for ages and what a disappointment. It's not a bad film per se and the acting is great but I was looking for an out and out action war film. That is what the trailer made this appear to be to me, but alas little did I know the trailer I'd seen on Facebook is all the action and battle scenes from the entire film and you get all of that in the first 5 mins. After that it's more a thriller - it rolls back to the pre World War II years and Japans military armaments and ambitions of empire. Two competing military groups within the navies senior ranks are deciding on whether to build the biggest and best battleship in the world to date (first group) or an aircraft carrier (2nd Group led by Yamamoto who feels any future war at sea will be decided by aircraft and thus carriers will be the most important of naval vessels in any future war).

It's all about politics and trying to prove the other side wrong not only on whats best but on the true cost of the rival options. It plays well and is interesting but when I sat down I wanted an action war film and this is most certainly not that!

Hans Kloss: More Than Death at Stake (2012)

Great double period WWII film

[7/10 · 9 March 2014]

Finally after many months of searching found a watchable version with English subtitles. This film was much better than I thought it would be - think this is the first time I have seen a flash back film done well where there is much jumping between 2 time periods - 1945 and 1975. I do like my WWII films especially when there good and this has a great duel story line and is a real thriller that unfolds before your eyes in the two time periods. You sort of can't help but play detective yourself as you watch the film connecting the dots as they unfold in front of you. Great acting and a great script. Just a shame there is like an over dubbing - think it's there translating the German spoken in the film to Polish as it's a Polish film - don't notice this with the Russian in the film - maybe most Poles know Russian? Any way that aside I would recommend this if you like war films especially World War II period ones.