You know, I've only recently started getting into black-and-white noir films, and I must say that I really dug this one. I got it in a boxed set of twenty others mystery/crime/thriller/noir classics, and I was shocked by how entertaining this one was. I know it's also part of a very large movie series, but this is the only entry I've seen from the Bulldog Drummond franchise. But, man-oh, man-, I'd return in a heartbeat. This one was that good!
This one has a nice blend of suspense, thriller, and drama, but even has a nice, little romance on the side, since the film is mostly focused on Bulldog's fiancé being kidnapped by the widow of a man he saw executed (I'm assuming in a previous movie). There's also a TON of humor in this flick, and that made it even more fun to watch.
I got a little confused, however, by so many characters arriving in the finale. Sometimes it's hard for me to follow these older films-especially noir work. But it didn't take away from how enjoyable the film was.
The directing was really solid-and it became excellent, when we had moments like the car chase, towards the end. That was brilliantly shot.
The action is very well-done. But the riddles are what really had me interested. Drummond was so fun to watch solve these things.
That brings me to the acting. The acting was solid from pretty much everyone, no matter how hammy even the villains are supposed to be. I enjoyed all of them. But I was REALLY surprised by how much I loved both the man who played Drummond and the man who played his butler. Their relationship with each other was so sarcastic and witty; it'd be hard to see how someone couldn't have fun watching them go back and forth in a loving way. My boy John Barrymore from the silent classic "Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde" was also here, and I was stoked to see him, even though he's not really in the forefront of the film. But he's not meant to be, so that's okay. I was just happy to see him at all, outside of the old Jekyll flick. The guy is a legend, in my honest opinion.
Overall, I really, REALLY enjoyed "Bulldog Drummond Comes Back", and would like to see the rest of the films, at some point, even though they started way back in the day, with the silent era. I'd recommend this one to anyone who's looking for a fun thriller. It's very enjoyable, even now, in 2019.
This one has a nice blend of suspense, thriller, and drama, but even has a nice, little romance on the side, since the film is mostly focused on Bulldog's fiancé being kidnapped by the widow of a man he saw executed (I'm assuming in a previous movie). There's also a TON of humor in this flick, and that made it even more fun to watch.
I got a little confused, however, by so many characters arriving in the finale. Sometimes it's hard for me to follow these older films-especially noir work. But it didn't take away from how enjoyable the film was.
The directing was really solid-and it became excellent, when we had moments like the car chase, towards the end. That was brilliantly shot.
The action is very well-done. But the riddles are what really had me interested. Drummond was so fun to watch solve these things.
That brings me to the acting. The acting was solid from pretty much everyone, no matter how hammy even the villains are supposed to be. I enjoyed all of them. But I was REALLY surprised by how much I loved both the man who played Drummond and the man who played his butler. Their relationship with each other was so sarcastic and witty; it'd be hard to see how someone couldn't have fun watching them go back and forth in a loving way. My boy John Barrymore from the silent classic "Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde" was also here, and I was stoked to see him, even though he's not really in the forefront of the film. But he's not meant to be, so that's okay. I was just happy to see him at all, outside of the old Jekyll flick. The guy is a legend, in my honest opinion.
Overall, I really, REALLY enjoyed "Bulldog Drummond Comes Back", and would like to see the rest of the films, at some point, even though they started way back in the day, with the silent era. I'd recommend this one to anyone who's looking for a fun thriller. It's very enjoyable, even now, in 2019.