Organnall
Too much about the plot just didn't add up, the writing was bad, some of the scenes were cringey and awkward,
Curapedi
I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.
Lidia Draper
Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.
Tweekums
Thomas Craven is a Boston detective who's only child, his daughter Emma, is gunned down and dies in his arms in the opening minutes. He, along with everybody else, naturally assumes that he was the real target but the more he learns about his daughter's life the more obvious it becomes that she was involved with some very dangerous people. She worked at Northmoor, an independent defence research and development company which she discovered was involved in some very illegal activities. Three people she helped access the facility turned up dead and irradiated and it turns out she too is radioactive. As Craven looks into her life he learns that those who knew her are very scared, and rightly soÂ… whatever Emma discovered Northmoor will go to any length to keep secret.This film is a solid enough thriller with plenty of action and a decent storyÂ… the problem is that anybody who watched the original BBC miniseries is sure to find this weak by comparison; not surprising given that six hours of material have been cut down to two. On the plus side all of the significant characters have changed significantly so I didn't find myself comparing them too much. The main cast are pretty good; Mel Gibson is believable as Craven and Ray Winstone impresses as Jedbugh, a somewhat menacing fixer whose loyalties are far from obvious. As the story approaches its conclusion there aren't too many surprises; the ending is effective without being anything too special. Overall I'd say this is worth watching if you are a fan of Mel Gibson or fancy watching a decent thriller that will pass a couple of hoursÂ… however if you want a superior version with more interesting characters and a deeper story then watched the original mini-series.
Leofwine_draca
Mel Gibson makes a welcome return to the big screen with this, a remake of an acclaimed BBC miniseries from the 1980s which has the same director in Martin Campbell. I hadn't seen the original version, but I saw that William Monahan was present as screenwriter and after enjoying his previous remake (THE DEPARTED) I thought I'd probably like this one. I was wrong. I didn't just like this – I loved it! This film contains everything I love about thrillers: a conspiracy reaching to the highest levels, sinister guys in black suits and 4x4s with tinted windows always in the background, a lone hero looking for justice, and a few blistering action sequences thrown in for good measure.The story of a father seeking justice for his murdered daughter is nothing new, but the intelligent and literate script breathes life into the tired premise and makes it seem fresh once more. Despite the presence of some brief, decent action (a fight that recalls the one in QUANTUM OF SOLACE and a car stunt that recalls the one in CASINO ROYALE) this is more of a thinking man's thriller as our hero tries to make sense of jigsaw clues and a conspiracy blackout.Gibson has long been one of my favourite presences in Hollywood. His films, whether as director or actor, always seem to have heart and I hope his new Viking movie ends up getting made. He's on top form here as the grieving father, accessing some really dark areas and at the same time providing some touching moments when he sees his daughter before him. The supporting cast is also fine, with stand-out turns from Danny Huston as the slimy suited bad guy and Ray Winstone as an ambivalent figure, the kind who "stops you connecting A to B".The best presence of all is that of Martin Campbell, who directs a film that's extremely polished and well made, with every scene crafted so that it's just right. The climax is inevitable but well handled and it's nice to see the bad guys getting their just deserts in such a well-filmed way. Definitely one of the year's best, this.
punishmentpark
Largely a fairly suspenseful, yet subdued conspiracy thriller, with some 'fun' trips like the delusions of Craven (Gibson) and quite often a fierce injection of action; yes, it was sort of fresh.Nearing the end, the big question arose how Campbell was going to work all this out into a satisfying finale. Well, didn't I just expect it: Craven gets cheated, imprisoned, breaks out with great ease and goes 'Payback' (1999) on all of them asses. The last part of that I expected to be more subtle, but it didn't disappoint anyway. And then, Jedburgh (Winstone) even takes things up a notch; the idea in itself is terrific, but, altogether, this is still not an exceptional film. I had a fun enough, though.A big 6 out of 10. And I'm still (all the more) very curious about the original series (1985) by the same director!
Dr Random
If the plan was to make a violent revenge film, then this is just about OK, if you like that kind of thing.Otherwise, this is a terrible, terrible waste of the original plot. Gone is the mystery, the slightly bizarre new age mysticism and all of the subtlety. Instead we have Mad Mel, a variety of guns, lots of fake blood, and a sub-Bond film villain.No, you couldn't compress the original into 2 hours, but if you weren't trying to capture at least some of the atmosphere of the original, what was the point in "remaking" it? Do not waste your money, and more importantly, do not waste two hours.Instead, save some time up and watch the original (again, if you've already seen it).