Reviews

I watched this with some trepidation, as the show it is essentially replacing, Merlin, was a little silly for my tastes and the acting skills of several of the cast were not impressive, in my view. I am always delighted for my preconceptions to be proved inaccurate and in this instance, it has proved to be the case (touch wood). The show begins weakly, with minimal background on the lead character and we are thrown in (literally) at the deep end. Having watched the whole episode, I can understand now why this is so. Obviously, the mysteries of Jason's origins are destined to be revealed over the course of the series. The sets are gorgeous, especially the scenes filmed in Morocco. The acting is almost uniformly first rate, with Mark Addy (The Full Monty) and Robert Emms in particular standing out. The excellent Alexander Siddig (Deep Space Nine, Syriana) also appears, but his role in the first episode is small. I am sure that will change in future episodes. He is too good to waste on a minor part. This is good, old fashioned swords and monsters escapism done very well. Anyone looking for deeper meanings or historical accuracy will be sorely aggrieved, but that is very far from the point. This show could be everything that Merlin promised, but ultimately failed to deliver. If the rest of the series is anywhere as much fun, I will be watching Atlantis for a long time to come. Take a look and give it 15 minutes before you give up on it. It really picks up in a big way. Well done, BBC!

Anyone who watches a Johnnie To movie only for the fight scenes is rather missing the point by a few country miles. This is a director with an impeccable dramatic sense, for whom the violence is purely a by-product of the fallibility of his characters. How on Earth can anyone watch a movie in a language they do not understand, without subtitles, and expect to come away with any feeling but disappointment? It would be like watching The Godfather in Croatian. The point with Throwdown, as with most of Johnnie To's movies, is the CHARACTERS! This may not be his all time greatest film (I would still go for All About Ah - Long), but it is still a great piece of drama. I would recommend anyone to check this out, the subtitled version, not the mainland Chinese pirate version, which is all they sell in Pacific mall, and enjoy a very entertaining piece of film making from one of Hong Kong's masters.

It was hard to believe the budget on which this movie was shot, as it puts most of the big budget Hong Kong (not to mention Hollywood) movies to shame in the cinematography stakes. This is the story of the fabled honest cop, who loses his gun during a drunken night at his brother's wedding, and his subsequent efforts to recover it. It is at once surreal, hilarious, paranoiac, and exhilarating... a real rollercoaster of a movie. The acting is superb, the scenery gorgeous, and the direction as tight as a drum. If you have not yet seen this one, do yourself a favour, and seek it out at your nearest Chinatown DVD shop. You won't regret it.