Extremely Dangerous

Sean Bean stars in "Extremely Dangerous," a TV movie from England.

I watch a TON of British series and films, and I'm also a little hard of hearing, so it's a drag when there is no closed captioning. Someone here wanted the film dubbed in "American English" -- the British slang doesn't bother me, but sometimes you just can't get what they're saying. This was a somewhat complicated plot, so it made it hard.

Bean plays Neil Byrne, who was convicted of the brutal slaying of his wife and daughter. On a train with the police, a la The Fugitive, he escapes, changes his appearance, steals, and does whatever he can to elude the corrupt police who, working with organized crime, set him up. In fact, eventually he actually drops in and visits some of them. They don't dare kill him because they still need him as a scapegoat.

This is pretty good but a little long for what it is. A real standout is Nitin Ganatra, who runs the taxi office where Neil starts working. Sean Bean, as always, is handsome and does a good job, particularly in the heavy, dramatic moments where his talent was really needed. Entertaining.

Of course, I picked it up because Sean Bean is in it, but I really enjoyed this movie (believe it was a TV mini-series). You have to pay close attention to follow all the twists and turns, but it pays off. I appreciate movies which require a brain while watching. Too much entertainment appeals to the mindless, blow 'em up and slop in some soap opera lines. But here the story moved along steadily, kept me on the edge of my seat a few times...and held my interest the whole time. I watched it a couple times to catch more details. I especially like movies that give up more 'ahhh' bits each time you watch them. No dropped bits, characters who disappear or dangling 'what's that about?' parts. I'll be adding this one to my own library. Sean Bean eye candy and good story telling! Every character was well casted and acted. The best kinda movie - when you can find them! Nanette

Extremely Dangerous is a Fugitive-type thriller starring Sean Bean (Patriot Games, Goldeneye). Bean plays a former secret service agent, convicted for the brutal murder of his wife and child, who escapes police custody and goes on the run in the Greater Manchester area. Byrne then goes undercover and takes down an organized crime syndicate and the corrupt authorities that set him up.

I like Bean because he can do almost everything from big-budget blockbusters to Shakespearean stage work and parochial TV. Fans will like this one, but it is difficult to recommend that casual viewers to go out of their way to see this. Extremely Dangerous is well-over a decade old now and will not blow you away with its modest budget. There are lots of scenes needed tighter editing, and the whole thing seems to a drag a bit over four episodes. The northern accents may also be a problem for non-Brits.

Saying that, there's a lot to really enjoy about Extremely Dangerous. The plot is strong and pretty plausible, the score was memorable, and the action was free of shaky-cam (since this only really came into fashion after 1999). Sean Bean's character moves through situations like a pro and does some really cool things: jumps from a intercity train as it slows on a bend; pickpockets a man in a clothes shop; steals a car from a long-stay car park; infiltrates lots of guarded buildings; beats up lots of thugs; and gets to point a gun at his ex-boss.

Good plot with good characters. However I feel it is dragged out over too many episodes with nothing really happening. Basically watch the first and the last episodes and you've got a good TV Movie. The first episode sets the scene. Is Sean Bean a murderer, a gangster or a secret agent? Did he kill his family? None of these questions are answered until the very last episode, where everything unfolds in a tense and action packed way.

Some very good characters. My favourite has to be the Pakistani taxi company owner.

I believe that "Extremely Dangerous" was a movie out of the ordinary. All the twist and turns, all the questions you ask along the way! Is he or is he not guilty?

You just have to see this movie!