Reviews

I am a Tardi fan. The comics by his hand are unique. I read the books in Dutch. The translator also changed the names of the characters from French to Dutch. In order to help the reader to understand the meaning. F.i. Adele Blanc-Sec is changed to Isabelle Avondrood. No problem. I still reread them. But now the movie. It is well made and entertaining. That one expect from Luc Besson. But there are some flaws, that the reader notices at once. Like another critic already wrote: the story is a mix of two of the novels and some Egyptian story lines. The actress playing Adele is kind of Rachel Weisz in the Mummy or one of Indiana Jones' sidekicks. That is a pity. Because the real Adele is sarcastic, a little bohemian and not really pretty. She dresses almost shabby. The storyline in the books show a France that is not so nice as the movie makes us believe. The policemen are incompetent, have no trouble beating up prisoners, lunatic scientists roam the street or hang out in the catacombs under the city. Homicidal maniacs want Adele dead, the Great War is not depicted as a heroic event, but one that left an nation with numerous deaths and invalids. That is the atmosphere in the books. And that is something I really miss in the movie. But, like I said already: it is good entertainment.

I had this overwhelming feeling I had seen it all before. A flash forward? Not really. Just the same story all over again. Looking at my DVD's I found it right away: Red Dawn, with Patrick Swayze. There the enemy were was the Russians and now it are the Chinese.

Over-acting, unrealistic action: you name it, they have got it.Chatting about relations while you are in enemy territory. Blowing up a bridge will stop the enemy? Get real. Never heard of engineers? 24 hours tops and the whole thing is replaced.

I never read the books but if these are as lame as this movie I shall not endeavor to obtain them.

Australian cinema is responsible for some very good movies, but this is a step back. What a pity.

Over here in the Netherlands this series is behind the decoder. So no Dutch channel airs this show. While zapping I came across it and I got hooked. Of course it is not life in the war zone, but with the general problems: drugs, gunrunning. illegal aliens and all those islands nearby you can do a decent thing. OK, I admit, some episodes are a little obvious and boring but in general it is very watchable. Better than some US series we have over here. The interaction of men and women confined to a ships hull is nicely done and very recognizable. No gunslingers or nautical wonders, but just a group of people doing their daily job on the high seas. Just watched the last episode of season four. Hopefully it ill be continued next season

Of course there was more fun in making a movie about a victory. One has to take into account that 1879 the British army suffered two serious defeats. The Battle of Isandlwana and the defense of the British consulate at Kabul. In the last battle the whole company of Guides was wiped out by Afghan rebels. So in those days the victory at Rourke's Drift was prominent in the news. I guess that is why Rourke's Drift was made into a movie first. Nobody likes defeats and it lasted almost 10 years before movies about the last Stand of the Guides (The Far Pavilions) and the Battle of Isandlwana (ZULU DAWN) were made. As far as I am concerned they did a great job. I have seen the fake rifles and uniforms they used for the extra's and I must admit they did the trick perfectly. They are still on display at the guesthouse were some of the actors stayed.

About the movie: I think it was great. Not only the acting, but also the musical score. It deserves better. Much better. Of course the historians will point out that there are flaws. You cannot please everyone. But for those who take that for granted: it is a good movie and very entertaining

Open mouthed I watched 10 minutes of this movie and then I skipped through it to the end. What an incredible heap of garbage this is. To my horror I discovered that a lot of Dutchmen were part of the crew who created this piece of junk. My sincere apologies to the rest of the world. They should be jailed for life. I have seen B-movies, but this one is really approaching the Z status. Other people have already commented on the flaws. The story, the characters, the acting, etc. All has been said. Do not watch it. It is a complete waste of time and money. It is not even funny. Now I know why a friend gave me the DVD and told me I could keep it. You do not want that garbage in your movie collection.

There is an obvious urge to remake old TV-series. First Battlestar Galactica, V. Andnow The Prisoner. Being of an age that I watched the original series I am kind of spoiled. For me there is only one NR. 6: Patrick McGoohan. And the village, a holiday camp on the Cornish coast is so different from the village in the remake. I guess it has to grow on me. This NR.6 lacks the cool British attitude of Mr. McGoohan, but I must admit John does a good job. Of course I am prejudiced. That goes without saying. And I watched the first episodes rather reluctant, full of memories. But one has to let go of the past and just enjoy the story as it envelopes. I must admit that after four episodes I am hooked. Furtunately the old series is still available on the DVD, so when I get melancholic I watch a few episodes of the original. Just like you are watching two different shows. That is the way to go about it. So: yes, I like it and hopefully it gets even better from here. With a view to remakes: how about Blakes 7?

I have been a Stargate addict since Kurt Russel walked through the first gate. It still puzzles me why SGA was discontinued. Anybody knows? After watching the all available episodes of SGU I have to confess that it is still, boring and chaotic I shall not go into details. Other have done that already. I am so terribly disappointed. The characters do not interest me in the least. When you are so deep in trouble, the last thing on your mind is marital problems? A CO who cannot control his crew, a 'genius' with a hidden agenda. Almost ten episodes before he is kicked off the ship. Come on, they do not deserve to come back. I guess it has become a trend to put a lot of 'psychological' blah blah in SciFi series. I hope no Dutch channel will purchase the series. A complete waste of time and money. Let the whole crew bugger off into the far end of the universe and never be heard of again. May I suggest a remake of the Thunderbirds?

I really had problems to watch till the end of the first episode ( and it was a double as well). It is not what I expected. Not in the least. The characters do not convince me one second. Supposed to be so very smart (that is why they are chosen I guess) they really bungled through the pilot and when they find the culprit they start blabbing their heads of instead of acting. In order to work my way to they end I have to admit I used the FF button a few times. It is pretty much the same setting as Fringe. A few smart types and the nutty professor. The warehouse idea has already been used in the Indiana Jones movies and in The Librarian. And I do not even start this series with Doctor Who and Torchwood. That would be so embarrassing. I rather not go into that. There are better, much better series to watch.

While watching the episodes of Fringe I noticed that the storyline was working towards the rift in time and space. Maybe it is just me, but I suddenly figured Rose Tyler appearing in present day Earth. But she uses the rift in time and space in Cardiff. The way Fringe worked it way towards that same subject gave me the idea that the authors maybe just took a small peek at the Torchwood series, the spin-off of Doctor Who. Parallel universes are at abundance in those BBC-series. But with regard what I have watched until now I have to admit that I liked it. The acting and the stories grow on you. This show has real potential and I am looking forward for the 2nd series.

I am very glad I did not invest any money in the purchase of a DVD of this movie. I guess the author stole parts of other SciFi movies and TV series and did absolutely nothing with it. Fragments of Independence Day, Invasion Earth, Alien and some more popped up in terrible scenes. For one moment I thought people were running around among bedsheets (dyed in shades of red).T he storyline was a drama and the rays of the guns were copied from the 1953 version of the War of the Worlds. I shall not bother to go further into the acting, the storyline, the directing,etc. It was all equally worthless. After ten minutes I started zapping through the movie and it saved me a lot of aggravation. I do not know what they paid the crew and actors but considering the product it was way too much.

I still went to the cinema and tried to work my way through the best to all the other Alien and Predator movies. Mind you:I am a big fan of the Alien movies, but this is great...

In my private library Bernard Cornwell's novels are the most read. And the Sharpe novels do show some wear and tear. As it is with the movies. As soon as my partners hears the song "Over the Hills..." she knows it is time to visit her friend. I am so glad they succeeded in merging the first three books into one movies and make it believable that everything takes place after Waterloo. There is of course one setback: I do so miss Obediah Hakeswill. But Sergeant Bickerstaff is a worthy replacement. And that while Bickerstaff is such a nice guy in the novel. But Dodd is there as evil as he is in Sharpe's Fortress. A great movie and a worthy successor to series. Am I the only one who misses the rest of the gang? Micheal Mears (Rifleman Cooper), John Tams (Daniel Hagman)and Jason Salkey (Rifleman Harris. A pity but not all of us have the luck of the Irish.

I waited for the DVD. My wife does not like war movies. It happens not often but I have to admit that, considering this movie, she is absolutely right. It is like watching a Playstation game. Really. The historic inconsistency is terrible, the story is silly, the action is hysteric. I know the basis of this all is a comic book. But I would expect at least some reality. Frankly it reminds me of the old German propaganda movies like Hilterjungen Quex and Triumph des Willens. Die Stukas is also a nice one. I really was waiting for the Spartans bursting out in singing "Die Fahnen hoch". I waisted € 20.-- on a very silly movie.