Reading all the convention posts! His hair is growing back yay š
Anyway, Robert Carlyle said in a couple of years heāll be playing a hitman thatās tired and wants out of the life? Am I right in that? Because that sounds to me like an older version of David Russell from The Last Enemy and I am so totally here for that!!!
I canāt wait for this. I need fic guys š
I think Anyelle-ing this is kind of a given at this pointā¦
Awesome! If itās a couple of years away there wonāt be any details for a while I guess but we can always take inspiration from previous roles…
Also random but tumblr unfollowed you on itās own. Thanks to you reblogging my post I noticed. You are the first blog I followed *kicks tumblr* donāt do that!
Ohhh i like the way you think! Now THAT would be awesome
YES! There is zero Last Enemy anyelle fic (that I can find) which Iāve always thought is a shame. RC was brilliant in that. Anyway, however I hope his new project airs on something I can get as Iām definitely going to watch! š
Years ago, probably eight years ago, I found 24 for sale on eBay really cheap. I was quite enamored with getting TV boxsets for under Ā£1 so I bought the first six seasons before I ever watched the show. I mean 24 was such a huge thing and it was definitely my genre, I was mystified back then as to why I had never seen it. I figured I would love it!
Fast forward to present day and I have just about managed to force myself to watch most of the first two seasons. I canāt quite bring myself to watch the rest of season two. I think I have 4 episodes left but I just really donāt care. It is unbelievably boring and ridiculous and I seriously hate Bauerās daughter, but I digress Iām talking about the movie. Iām only saying about the TV show because when I put this movie on tonight, I was anticipating it being awful. I literally groaned out loud when it did theĀ āthe following takes place between ā¦ events occur in real time.ā
Oh boy was I wrong. Oh was I wrong.
There was shouting at the TV. I have been known to do that before *cough* but itās not something I do all the time – I have to be driven to it. I knew before I watched that Carl Benton (Robert Carlyleās character) was going to die but I didnāt know how or when. So I was constantly jumping every time he was in danger, and I was practically chewing on my fingers because I was scared for those kids.
The anxiety was real. I think 24 would be much improved if they condensed each season into a movie. Although I donāt know if I would survive watching it. Anyway, leaving aside the incredible suspense how was it? Well there was obviously some setup being done for season seven, and as I donāt watch 24 I really didnāt care about anything except for the kids. So all the stuff in Washington was lost on me. I also found the ending kinda bittersweet because the kids made it – phew – but all those other desperate people were left behind, and all the kids already brainwashed into the army were suffering. So it didnāt exactly feel like much of a victory, especially because Carl was dead.
I hoped to see Carl being a badass because he was ex-special forces. However, his first encounter with bad guys was just the sound of gunshots – we didnāt see anything. The nextĀ āactionā scene for him, was him shooting rather uselessly at a helicopter. After that was his death scene. So unfortunately no cool scenes with him taking out bad guys, that honor was of course left for the hero – Jack Bauer. Couldnāt you have shared the limelight just once Jack? I wanted to see Carl being a hero.
So yeah the lack of Carl being a badass was disappointing. His screentime also wasnāt fantastic but then it wasnāt that bad either, and it was only an 80 minute movie. I think for Robert Carlyle fans I would recommend it (see opening gif for exhibit A) and yeah itās a good suspense movie, so recommended on that basis as well. It was definitely a million times better than I thought it was going to be, it had to overcome a fair bit of negative expectations, so yeah not bad at all.
I made sure I watched this movie when I was home alone as I wasnāt sure how Iād react. I knew that the plot had Shaun as a carer for his friend and Iāve had some personal experience with that. Thankfully though it didnāt really dwell much on that aspect, and there were constant flashbacks which provided welcome relief. Daz saying heādĀ āhad enoughā and witnessing Shaunās compulsive cleaning because he didnāt know what to do with himself, that was difficult viewing. The hospital appointment, not wanting help, that was familiar. Iād say they did their research.
Anyway, Robert Carlyle must be very strong. The actor that played Daz looked to be about the same size as him and RC held him one handed over his shoulder, then he picked up Daniel later (Will Scarlet actor). With the first scene, I would have brought the wheelchair over so there was no carrying required, but perhaps Shaun didnāt think of that.
Ratings are very strange. I mentioned in my review of Face that I was surprised it was an 18. Well this had some full frontal nudity, and the language was loads worse, but it was only a 15. How does that work?
This movie was basically just heartbreaking. The flashbacks to Shaun as a young child, and as a teenager, were bad enough on their own because I wanted somebody to help him. Unfortunately I know our education system and especially all those years ago, there just wasnāt the support. Thereās not really the support now. They donāt like anyone that doesnāt fit in their boxes.
I was so scared and sad for Shaun when he was looking at the pills. Shaun lost everything really didnāt he? He always had a good heart, giving Daz his dinner without a word when they were kids, but he had a bad reputation because of his frustration and anger issues because of it. The hate he had from Katyās parents was so sad. At least for a while he had Katy but then Iām guessing he went to jail for the arson and then he never saw her again.
When he got out he had to live with the fact that Daz was paralyzed, because he left him to run from the cops (from a crime heād committed). Thankfully Daniel arrived and made him think twice about the pills, but Daz was Shaunās purpose. I suppose now looking after Daniel is his purpose but still itās not good. What happens when Daniel moves out and hopefully makes something of his life? The ending was quite unsatisfying in terms of hope, there really wasnāt any.
This movie was just miserable really. Iām not sure whether to recommend it or not because Robert Carlyle does give a fantastic performance, but itās miserable viewing. I know not all movies are meant to entertain, some are meant to provoke thought etc. but there wasnāt much of a light side to this. It was just sad.
I got this for 30p off Amazon Marketplace (the postage was 4x as much) and in all honesty Iām glad I didnāt pay any more. You know itās funny, when I read the synopsis I thought I knew what this movie was about, but clearly Iād misread it, or the synopsis was wrong because not at all what I was expecting.
First off Ray (RCās character) doesnāt really have his accent. Which considering I couldnāt really make out anything they were saying half the time, made me wonder part way through if watching it with the sound off would improve things. It was over halfway through before I understood the plot.
This was rated an 18 and Iām thinking itās due a re-rating. Perhaps back in 1997 it was an 18 but by todayās standards it was incredibly tame. There was a reasonable amount of swearing but Iāve seen more violence/blood on an episode of CSI. From the back of the DVD the warning was forĀ āstrong violenceā so yeah that was the funniest thing about it.
I know Iām not usually this sarcastic about the movies. I strive to say something positive but Iām struggling a little bit. I suppose it did improve once theĀ āactionā such as it was started in the second half. Basically, not recommended in any fashion whatsoever which is a shame because it had Ray Winstone in it as well. He looked incredibly young which I guess makes sense. Anyway, if youāve seen gifs from it, then youāve seen the best part.
You know I donāt think I would be this harsh if it was a different genre. This, with armed robbers and shooting, is my bread and butter. Itās my kind of movie so I guess I feel a bit more equipped to judge it, than I have about some of RCās other credits. With those I saidĀ ānot my cup of tea but your mileage may varyā because I do try and be fair.
Iām going to rent Summer off Amazon Video next. That isnāt my genre so Iāll probably be more polite about it š
In my on going quest to work my way through Robert Carlyleās filmography, I just watched this movie. It was alright, a semi-decent fantasy movie. It kinda follows the usual script of young kid is the āchosen oneā, makes a stupid mistake, his mentor dies in front of his eyes, he embraces his destiny etc. Quite formulaic really.
Still the special effects werenāt bad, the setting/backstory was interesting enough. I think the movie was intended to start up a franchise, but then according to wiki the movie bombed so obviously that didnāt happen. There are quite a few unanswered questions like why did Eragonās mother abandon him? What happened to his cousin? Also the ending was a clear set up for another movie. Theyād won a battle but the war was just beginning.
Right, so how about Durza? Well, his appearance was very Rumple-esque. Honestly he was kinda like Rumple-lite to be honest. I have questions about him too, I mean for someone with Durzaās power, why was he afraid of and serving the King? I know the King obviously had magic because of his dragon but Durza had some pretty mad skills. To be honest Iām glad there werenāt more movies because *spoiler alert* Durza gets killed off, which was a waste of a good villain. He really wasnāt in this movie enough.
So basically watching it for Robert Carlyle is a bit of a waste. Heās really not in it that much, and his performance is like I said Rumple-lite. Watching it as a fantasy movie, itās ok but nothing to write home about. It was enjoyable enough, and itās certainly more my kind of thing than some other RC projects Iāve seen. I didnāt finish this one and think āwhat did I just watch?ā which is always a good thing.
Actually thinking about it, the movie was better than Iām giving it credit for. I love the fantasy genre but I can find their movies a bit boring. I watched Snow White and the Huntsman the other day and I paused it and literally groaned because I couldnāt believe I was only halfway through, it felt interminable. I didnāt do that with this one, it passed and the ending happened and I wasnāt really checking the clock.
I guess Iām kinda luke-warm on it. It was alright, nothing more and nothing less.
Ok I know Iāve made a couple of posts about this already while I was watching it. This wasnāt a movie, this was a mini-series, so it was over five hours long. You know how I said yesterday I was going to have a battle between reason (aka going to bed at a decent hour) and self-control? Well my lack of self-control won out and I watched the remaining two episodes last night.
Under the cut for the length because I really liked it, and the more I like something, the more I have tendency to go on about it.
I watched To End All Wars earlier. Iām not really sure what to say about it, except unless biopics are a genre you like, then I wouldnāt recommend it at all.
Anyway, to cheer myself up I watched another two episodes of The Last Enemy. Iām debating whether to watch another before bed, but then I would only have one episode left, so really I need to watch both but that would make it close to midnight. The battle is on – reason vs self-control.
Honestly 10/10 would recommend this. I think this is probably my third favorite Robert Carlyle project that Iāve seen so far. Stargate Universe is #1 and Once Upon a Time is obviously #2. I love Lachlan a lot, but California Solo was a slice of life film. It was one of the better ones Iāve seen but itās really not my thing. The Last Enemy is very much my genre, and Iām really liking it. I have two episodes left so if the conclusion sucks, then I might change my mind but so far so good.
I would prepare yourselves though, because Iām fairly certain the second I get time (haha, excuse me while I laugh at myself) Iām going to wind up writing some anyelle for this. David Russell, thus far at least, is my kind of character. He is a super spy – intelligent, dangerous, he has people everywhere. Iām fairly certain heās lying about his motives (I love it when heās cryptic and sneaky). Thereās also his whole aesthetic, very inspiring.
Oh and in case anyone was worried. Yeah he does get lines in episode two š
1) We really do have the most talented writers in this fandom donāt we? I know thatās more of a statement than a question, but Iāve read a fair bit of Macelle fic. Itās not my preferred anyelle but it seems to be quite popular. Father MacAvoy wasnāt exactly fleshed out very much as a character, so if The Tournament is all the source material there is then, just wow, Iām impressed.
2) Has anybody actually done an anyelle with The Tournament as a basis? When I was watching I was thinking replace Lai Lai Zhen with Belle (I know Belle as an assassin is a huge stretch). Itās just the interaction between MacAvoy and Lai Lai made me think that would work quite well. They sort of were protecting one another, fighting together, technically MacAvoy killed for her. Now, I know to quote SpeedĀ ārelationships formed under intense circumstances rarely work outā but at the end rather than going back to his regular miserable life, MacAvoy could head off into the sunset with Belle who would get all patched up and job done.
Anyway I thought the premise was interesting. Itās like a grown-up Hunger Games. Iām quite sure peopleās heads donāt actually explode like that but it was a spectacle. I think half of their budget must have gone on fake blood practically, it was kinda unnecessary. Also I really want to know, who got the 10 million dollar prize money? Technically Lai Lai was the surviving assassin but with Joshua doing that fake out, and then the manager guy dying, would they have still paid out?
Now I am actually a fan of action movies. This one is pretty mindless, and pretty stupid in places, but it wasnāt bad. The Anton character that cheated, which is how MacAvoy got drawn into the game, he did some fairly awesome acrobatics. Actually full props to the stunt team, they did know how to fake fight very well. Iām almost sorry that guy died. He was the only one clever enough, or daring enough to take out the tracker. Good for him!
So in terms of being an actual movie, then yeah not bad. I have to be honest itās something I might have watched anyway, and not just for Robert Carlyle. As much as I love Lachlan, I canāt say the same about something like California Solo. In terms of watching just for Robert Carlyle? It was alright but like I said I really didnāt connect with MacAvoy. I am beyond impressed with all the incredible Macelle writers. To be honest I might be tempted to recommend just sticking with reading the Macelle and donāt bother with the movie. The writers really bring a depth to MacAvoy which the movie just doesnāt.
Update – just because I find this utterly hilarious.
You know how I was laughing earlier because Robert Carlyle had been on screen 3x and not said a word? Well Iāve watched the whole extended first episode of The Last Enemy now. He was on screen 9-10x and did not have a single line.
I mean mastery of acting doing silent scenes, and this is a good look for him, but seriously what a waste of his accent. I hope he has lines in episode two! Plus watching him skulk around is fun, but I want to know more about his character and have be involved in the plot. A couple of other characters talked about him, so we got his name and a tiny bit of info but it sounded so interesting, I want more.
Damn you Robert Carlyle. *goes to find out what the heck this is so I can watch too*
Thereās an extended version?!?!?! AHHH MUST FIND!
Well on the DVD episode one was listed as āextendedā at 85 minutes. All the other episodes are 60 minutes. Iāve never seen it anywhere but the DVD so I have no idea if itās always that length or not.
I hate watching thrillers. I had this urge to stay up all night binge watching the whole thing just to find out how it ended. I restrained myself but I put this on to watch first because there was more of it so Iām supposed to space it out. Yeah I donāt think thatās going to happen. Although I really donāt like the main character which might help with my patience. On the other hand I made it through 5 seasons of Alias with a loathing of Sydney and Vaughn so perhaps not.
I donāt quite believe this. He was on screen again and didnāt say a word! Thatās just funny the second time. Edit: and a third time! So funny.
Though to be honest Iām far more horrified about the – presumably main character – making out (with the implication of more) with his brothers widow. That is wrong, oh so very wrong. Itās the day of the funeral for crying out loud and theyāve never met before. I mean I get grief affects people in different ways and generally I try not to judge, but it just came across so wrong.
Anyway Iām not planning on live blogging this. I just had to get that out. Sorry.
