North Sea Hijack

Actor Roger Moore is best known for his work as Agent 007 in the James Bond movies but during his stint as James Bond he made a number of other movies of variable quality. One of the best was this 1979 adventure (it was released in 1980 in the US under the title "Ffolkes") in which Moore stars as an eccentric British adventurer with a disdain for women and a fondness for cats. Moore leads a small underwater commando group that does the occasional favor for Lloyds of London. The British government has a problem. Two oil rigs in the North Sea and a Norwegian Cargo Freighter are being held to ransom. A terrorist group has overrun the freighter and has both it and the two rigs fitted with booby trapped bombs. The economic, environmental and human cost if the British refuse the ransom could be astronomical. Unwilling to negotiate with hostages the government decides to contact Lloyds with a view to using their private specialized methods for dealing with problems. This is where Moore's character Ffolkes comes in. With a truly exceptional cast including James Mason, Anthony Perkins and David Hedison "North Sea Hijack" (aka "Ffolkes") is an enjoyable romp that is high on action and good humor. I highly recommend this movie.

This film is the archetype for the Die Hard franchise and their ilk, only the Roger Moore character of ffolkes is about twice as interesting as Bruce Willis ever was. The situations, the way they deal with the terrorists are all completely real (barring a few questionable things - would it really take so long to get together $25 million?).

Anthony Perkins, James Mason, and Roger Moore all turn in outstanding performances. There is a female lead as one of the captives who, though not dressed sexy, is somehow incredibly hot. Moore is particularly entertaining as a curmudgeon of a man who openly dislikes women, loves cats, Scottish booze, and needlepoint. The movie builds steadily, keeping tension throughout while retaining a strong sense of humor.

North Sea Hijack is a fast paced, frequently entertaining thriller about the ingenious hijacking of a major North Sea oil rig. It features a totally off-the-wall performance by Roger Moore as an anti-terrorist expert who has some bizarre habits indeed, such as sewing, raising cats, and drinking whisky at 10a.m. Other memorable characterisations are conveyed by Anthony Perkins (the principal baddie), James Mason (a stiff upper lipped admiral), David Hedison (a stressed out oil rig official) and Faith Brooks (a strong willed lady prime minister).

The core of the action occurs at sea, with Perkins and his menacing bunch hijacking a supply ship and planting mines beneath the oil rig. Moore is brought in to thwart them, and plays a tense psychological games with his adversaries, constantly provoking them and second guessing their actions whilst trying to ascertain the most effective way to attack them aboard their vessel. There are some well delineated scenes, such as an exciting sequence in which a couple of ships crew try to poison their captors but are found out and killed. Another invigorating sequence features Moore having to sneak up on the terrorists whilst clad in a glowing red wet suit (it was the only wet suit available to him on the oil rig).

Moore's character is wonderful. He has an uncharacteristic beard and follows a series of bizarre daily routines to the letter. His savage side, especially towards women (whom he seems to hate more than terrorists) provides some amusement.

This is an under rated gem. It is the kind of film you discover by accident (it doesn't have a particularly high reputation), but by God it really moves and is enormous fun whilst on.

The canteen on the set of North Sea Hijack, there's the principal players sitting around having a drink. James Mason pipes up to say he was nominated for three Oscars, worked with some of the greats. To which Anthony Perkins chimes in, "I was in Psycho!". In strolls Andrew McLaglen, "I used to direct John Wayne movies once", and there's Roger Moore, a smug grin on his face, he doesn't need to say anything, he has got the James Bond franchise to fall back on, North Sea Hijack is merely the chance to have a good time and get paid for it. The others realise this fact and decide the best way to play this is to just run with it, have a good time, and really that is what anyone watching the film should do.

North Sea Hijack is a riot, daft but never boring, but not to be taken seriously. The plot has some guff about Perkins leading a bunch of criminals in an attempt to bags load of cash by threatening to blow up a couple of oil rigs. In comes wealthy and eccentric Roger Moore to lead a crack team of commandos to stop the fiendish plan. Cue a deadline to be met, some shouting, some tongue in cheek dialogue and big finale that isn't very big at all. The action is on the tame side but it's honest, and Moore's Rufus Excalibur ffolkes (yes, with a little f) is as fun a character as he ever played. And if you look closely, you can actually see Perkins turning to Mason and saying, "I was in Psycho you know!". 6.5/10

A gang of criminals hijack a Norwegian supply vessel for two North Sea oil rigs. After attaching limpet mines to both rigs, they demand a huge ransom from the British Government. The insurers - Lloyds of London - call in the eccentric Rufus Excalibur Ffolkes and his highly trained team to bring an end to the situation.

First off, this is not a great film and makes no pretension to be one. It is however quite enjoyable on its level, which is that of a fairly straightforward and formulaic thriller with some dashes of humour. Roger Moore gives a pleasing performance as the woman hating, arrogant and irascible Ffolkes, who is the complete antithesis of his version of Bond. Much of the gentle humour of the film arises from his constant put downs to all around him. Anthony Perkins is the head of the gang, and plays him with typical cold blooded menace. Also James Mason turns in a nice portrayal of an exasperated Admiral.

Director Andrew V.McLaglen keeps things moving along, and the setting is at least a bit different from the usual scenarios. The finale does seem something of a let down after the build up, but it doesn't ruin the film.

I hadn't seen this for a few years, so I enjoyed watching it again last week when it got a screening on TV. I recorded it and watched it a couple of days later while laid low with the 'flu. Its tongue in cheek nature cheered me up, and surely that's the whole point of these types of films.