Hamilton

This is an impressing Action-Movie from Sweden. Although I think "Den demokratiske Terroristen" is the best Hamilton-Film, "Hamilton" is a very entertaining and action-packed Movie full of suspense. Peter Stormare is nearly as good as Stellan Skarsgård and Mark Hamill does a good job fighting his "Luke Skywalker"-image and makes a really good villain you´ll love to hate. The book are in fact better because of the many details given about the different secret services and political conspirations, but - hey - this should be an action movie. Despite that, the beginning of "Hamilton" with the nightmarish execution-scene in the russian Tundra from "Ingen mans land" is one of the most intense filmparts ever made. It´s worth watching it.

This film just doesn't work. No two ways about it. I saw it for the first time back in '98 when it was released and I didn't like it. I just bought it on sale a couple of days ago, 'cause I thought "whatta hell, I'll give it a try". I don't regret for the money I put out for Hamilton, but the fact remained the same.. this movie is pointless, dull and uninteresting.

Stormare is usually a delight, but that's when he's making films in the US. Back home he doesn't do the trick. Sure the movie is well made (if you forget the odd stock footage here'n'there), but in the end the only thing that REALLY lifts Hamilton above one star garbage, is Hamill's turn as the bad guy Hawkins. He seriously has fun with the character and is also responsible for the only two good moments in the movie.. "Swedish intelligence, huh? Now there's a contradiction in terms" and when he allows Hamilton to have a word or two with his wife over the phone towards the end of the flick. And that's really pretty much it.

** / *****

I read what another one of my fellow users had written about Hamilton. he apparently thought that it was an, and I quote, "amaricanized piece of garbage". This is completely wrong. It is an excellent action movie and as for the fact that Peter Stormare is playing the leading role, I can tell u that he is the best hamilton ever. Stellan Skarsgård was the last one to play hamilton and he was much worse than Peter Stormare. It's definately a 8/10.

Well... I'm glad I first saw the series... and sad that I gave up to my curiosity when I saw this cassette. This is not BAD. I've seen so much worse, made with bigger money even, but if I had seen this first I may not have wanted to see the series. All that was better in the film was the song "And then the tears came" which I do not remember from the series at all. OK, you can't push 3 hours of material into 2 hours-film. But: Why in the devil did they have to use WORSE takes of same scenes in the film? That is something I simply can't understand. But still Peter Stormare is good, Lena Olin is good, Yevgeni Lasarev is good. And Mats Långbacka was actually better than I remembered from the series. For you who blame Peter Stormare being one-faced, just for your information - there's much more to him in the series so try to catch that if you can. There's more to EVERYTHING in the series...

A fun quote: Chivartsev: "And this is Commander Hamilton from Swedish Intelligence." Hawkins: "Swedish INTELLIGENCE? There's a controversy in terms..."

Sorry to say, this film did not fulfill my expectations at all. Peter stormare may be believable playing single dimension psychotic killers such as in Fargo, but when it comes to a character like Hamilton, his single expression face is far far from enough.

The action in the film was rather ok until the story leads us to north africa and the film suddenly wants to be an american hollywood action flick. Why not make swedish action the way we know best? And by the way... who wrote Mark Hamill´s lines anyway?...

Oh, and finally... if the story gets too boring you can always play the game of "spot the obvious product placement"... Yeeech...