snafu22q

A very good comedic drama from Britain. Entertaining scripts delivered by a talented cast all around, and including one of my favorite actors for many years, Mark Addy.

While having the rich and powerful be the heavy is nothing new, it does seem to be presented in a somewhat novel way by Mr. Horowitz and his writers. Although government corruption always seems to lurk in the corners, the rich and powerful are, in fact, afraid being discovered by the government.

The only flaw that is apparent to me is the (by now) standard 'bright new people being pushed down' by their more experienced counterparts. Also, the situations the two lead characters find themselves in are always impossible to get out of, yet to no one's surprise, they do. It's been done over and over on both US and British TV. As I am no screenwriter, perhaps it's necessary, as there are only so many alternatives. Nevertheless, the predictability of the situations mentioned are the only downside to the series.

I AM surprised this didn't last longer than one season, as the quality of the acting and writing certainly deserved it, and there were several hints in the final episode that seemed to indicate the writers thought there would be more. A shame there wasn't.

By component: PLOT LINE: Not particularly original but solid nevertheless.

ACTING: Passable. Not great, but not too bad considering the genre and the talent pool I would expect available for a new director.

WRITING: In one word, poor. I mean, it's not supposed to be Shakespeare, but there's just not much put into the script-seems the fact that it's an action movie relieved the writers of any effort to make the dialogue any better. An additional comment regarding post-production, as I watched the dubbed movie while also reading the subtitles. I have to say, either the people that did the subtitles or the people that did the voice-overs looked upon the words of the script as nothing more than a suggestion. Their translation of the script frequently did not match each other and, in fact, varied by a LOT, and often (and no, I do not expect translations into English to match word for word). I'm pretty sure it was the dubbing group that absolutely butchered the writer's words, changing the writing from poor to abysmal.

ACTION: Without the wonderful action scenes, car chases, explosions, and everything else, this movie would have been rated a 4, maybe 5 by me, but the stunt work, especially the work with the cars was just outstanding. A great way to spend 90 minutes without thinking too hard-pretty damn entertaining despite its shortcomings.

(Critiques for "Lost Bullet & Lost Bullet 2" are identical - same strong points, same weaknesses.)

While all of the components of a good episode (competent acting, script, direction, etc) are present, the conclusion was apparent halfway through the show-not due to anything in particular, but simply because that's the way an Alfred Hitchcock production *would* end. Maybe a decade earlier the ending would have been a surprise, but by 1965, it's simply what would be expected.

I'm not quite sure why this isn't rated higher. Though the acting is quite good, the real treasure here are the stories. They take you through the investigations bit by bit, not revealing too much, just like a good novel (of which there are a plethora by the author, Peter Robinson). Frequently there is a twist at the end, always a plus. The characters interact quite well, and as you get to know them, there are even the bits of the subtle humor the English are known for. The visuals are wonderful, showing the charming English countryside and the grittiness of the cities. Perhaps the director would be better served by revealing more of the history of the characters. Having not read any of the numerous novels in the series (though I plan to), I'm unsure what additional material is omitted in the TV versions. It's a shame IMDb features such a scathing review in such prominence (honestly, I couldn't disagree more with the reviewer's complaints - they seem petty). I think this is a very good addition for Masterpiece Theater, always known for quality productions. I sincerely hope the producers will make more.

Excellent documentary about the real reasons marijuana was criminalized in the United States. If you want to see how & why the lies were told (and why they continue), I strongly suggest viewing this.

The only down side to the effort is that it occasionally departs from being a look at the facts to a total loss of objectivity and a pro-pot raving. While I agree with that opinion, it hurts the film's credibility in the end. On the plus side, there is a wealth of information and plenty of ammunition for debating with those who would impose their intolerance on the populace.

performances ok, but storyline sucks...predictable, not particularly funny despite the talent level of the cast - after the movie was about half over, I couldn't wait for it to end.

you can do better.