Softwing
Most undeservingly overhyped movie of all time??
Usamah Harvey
The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.
Nayan Gough
A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.
Matylda Swan
It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties.
wfrost
British secret agents are commanded to recover a cache of stolen explosives and kill the terrorists using them in London. Young men are told to become terrorists by a muslim cleric whose arguments against the British establishment are convincing. This film is dangerous because these arguments are never refuted and the Secret Service is seen as both amateurish (Ewan) and encouraging terrorism (Charlotte). It conceivably might be used as a training device to turn Muslim men into terrorists.
Wulfstan10
This is a nicely paced action/thriller movie about a hunt to stop some terrorists that has nice points but ultimately is not entirely convincing and leaves certain things unexplained or overly convenient.The overall story is well-used but developed with some nice twists and unique details. It has some nice characterisations and Sean Bean's central character is particularly nicely shown to be complex - violent and easily swayed to kill "Arabs" or the like or those he sees as likely terrorists, with a somewhat jaded and prejudice attitude but developed nicely with explanations into this while also showing his own developing realisation that he may be a bit too blindly prejudiced and easily led in that direction. The central terrorist similarly is nicely fleshed out as a complex person, idealistic and honorable but torn apart and confused by these very feelings and the events of his life, while the complexities, cynicism, and in some cases hypocrisy of some of the terrorist leaders is also nicely shown. It also does a good job of showing a couple of the other terrorists as unsure of themselves, fearful, and doubtful.There is good cinematography and some nice editing and many well-developed scenes. The bombing of a café is one example that is nicely done.The weakest point in the film for me is that there are too many plot leaps that the viewer must make, gaps that are simply not dealt with or which are unexplained, making things at certain times seem either confusing or unbelievably convenient. Ultimately, I am left with the impression that the film needed to be, or was supposed to be, longer but that certain explanatory scenes were omitted. A crucial portion taking place at a hotel is a key example of how it all happens without any explanation or prior information given the viewer, as to why some characters are there or why they are doing what they are doing at that time. The same is true of the roles of some of the characters, such as Sean Bean's partner, who is not developed or portrayed sufficiently despite some nice details about him popping up.
daggersineyes
Seemed good for the first punchy 30 mins then it wandered off into some other unrelated flashback from a few years back with new characters I didn't care about, then fluttered back to today where something happened with some other characters but I wasn't really sure where it fit in or why it happened. By this time I was no longer sure who was who. Then we went back to the past and some other story line then - whoosh - back to the present and the main character suddenly acting like a maniac. I was starting to feel giddy. I don't know what I can tell you. It was slow, confusing, lacked suspense or mystery and really just got more and more boring when it shouldn't have been. I think the idea was OK but it was poorly executed and the director treated viewers like idiots. Why do film- makers think a "meaningful" movie has to be boring and plod along while they bang the point into your brain over and over with all the subtlety of a cartoon sledge-hammer wielded by Baby Hughey. You can make great entertaining commercially viable movies and still make a point, honest! And why do some viewers think a movie has to be boring to be a "good meaningful movie" so they give it a high rating because it had "a point". Sorry, having "a point" is nowhere near enough. THis is yet another movie where I lost interest in all the characters & their meandering story/s half way through and stopped watching. The whole premise was somewhat naive, obvious and immature but could have been made into a much more powerful and creative statement.
Johan Dondokambey
The story begins intriguingly by going straight into an action sequence. It then flips back and forth between Sean Bean's character and the man who becomes the 'bride' later on. This kind of approach is a redo to some of the nineties era movie which sees less surprises but greater anticipation as the viewers think they have seen all elements for the story to unfold. But in the end, the story is still able to present quite nice twists, although they're quite predictable just as they're going to appear. The action is not really a high class execution here. But this movie depends more on ruthlessness on the part of Sean bean's character. He is indeed the right choice this his role here due to he can still retain the ruthless character I once saw in Patriot Games.