wimpur

I am a Tardi fan. The comics by his hand are unique. I read the books in Dutch. The translator also changed the names of the characters from French to Dutch. In order to help the reader to understand the meaning. F.i. Adele Blanc-Sec is changed to Isabelle Avondrood. No problem. I still reread them. But now the movie. It is well made and entertaining. That one expect from Luc Besson. But there are some flaws, that the reader notices at once. Like another critic already wrote: the story is a mix of two of the novels and some Egyptian story lines. The actress playing Adele is kind of Rachel Weisz in the Mummy or one of Indiana Jones' sidekicks. That is a pity. Because the real Adele is sarcastic, a little bohemian and not really pretty. She dresses almost shabby. The storyline in the books show a France that is not so nice as the movie makes us believe. The policemen are incompetent, have no trouble beating up prisoners, lunatic scientists roam the street or hang out in the catacombs under the city. Homicidal maniacs want Adele dead, the Great War is not depicted as a heroic event, but one that left an nation with numerous deaths and invalids. That is the atmosphere in the books. And that is something I really miss in the movie. But, like I said already: it is good entertainment.

I had this overwhelming feeling I had seen it all before. A flash forward? Not really. Just the same story all over again. Looking at my DVD's I found it right away: Red Dawn, with Patrick Swayze. There the enemy were was the Russians and now it are the Chinese.

Over-acting, unrealistic action: you name it, they have got it.Chatting about relations while you are in enemy territory. Blowing up a bridge will stop the enemy? Get real. Never heard of engineers? 24 hours tops and the whole thing is replaced.

I never read the books but if these are as lame as this movie I shall not endeavor to obtain them.

Australian cinema is responsible for some very good movies, but this is a step back. What a pity.

Over here in the Netherlands this series is behind the decoder. So no Dutch channel airs this show. While zapping I came across it and I got hooked. Of course it is not life in the war zone, but with the general problems: drugs, gunrunning. illegal aliens and all those islands nearby you can do a decent thing. OK, I admit, some episodes are a little obvious and boring but in general it is very watchable. Better than some US series we have over here. The interaction of men and women confined to a ships hull is nicely done and very recognizable. No gunslingers or nautical wonders, but just a group of people doing their daily job on the high seas. Just watched the last episode of season four. Hopefully it ill be continued next season