Postmortem

Albert Pyun's directing seems to be improving with age. This is a perfectly respectable thriller, a movie that you would hesitate to call "inept" in any way - unless of course you're a personal enemy of Pyun's. However, it's also a bit too long and sluggish, and not as exciting as it should be. It jumps to life only occasionally (mainly in the chase scenes). Charlie Sheen is not very convincing as a boozing, worn-out, depressed yet brilliant writer/ex-detective; he's both too young and too clean-cut for such a role. (*1/2)

Well at last Albert Pyun has delivered a decent film. Although this one isn't the best film of all time, it is a marked improvement on his other works like 'Crazy Six' and 'Mean Guns' as well as the dire 'Omega Doom'. Charlie Sheen certainly helps the cause which cant be said for the other actors in the cast. Why have it in Scotland? Well I dont know, maybe its because its cheaper to make or maybe because Sheen likes the Scottish Pubs.

If you don't expect too much from a serial killer thriller, this movie is nice entertainment. Directed by Albert Pyun, better known for trashy made science fiction/action/martial arts movies, it introduces a disillusioned and alcohol-addicted U.S. cop (played by ex-star Charlie Sheen) to a series of brutal girl murders in the Scottish countryside. The film is nothing special, just a cop losing his mind, being suspected of being the murderer, and finally tracking down the real killer and saving the last victim from its fate. The setting is outstanding, with the dark architecture of Scottish cities and the sinister atmosphere of Hammer-Horror-like countryside. Sit back and be thrilled for 105 minutes of nice serial killer entertainment!

A very non-convincing performance by Sheen. Does he think that mumbling his lines will have audience approval - in the worn-out manner of the drawling James Dean? I watched this video and constantly had to rewind and replay and listen again to what Sheen was saying; quite comical really when you consider that the other actors had broad Scottish accents. Poor sound and poor lighting also contributed to a frustrating movie. 4 out of 10. Strong performance from the Scottish Police inspector.

Director Albert Pyun had a long career in dtv b-movies. Reading his bio you see words like "award winning" and a bunch of flowery praise being heaped upon the man. All the "big names" he worked with. The reality is most of the movies he did are cheap & quite bad, but for years the consensus was you had to watch 'Mean Guns' or 'Postmortem' to see the best from him. So here I am.

I guess when the bar is set so low ... when your previous efforts have been so poor there's nowhere to go but up. This is a fairly average hunt for a serial killer flick. The only thing it does to distinguish itself from its genre peers is being set in Scotland. Oh plus and a throwback to Charlie Sheen before his problems blew up in a very public manner playing a guy who's a wreck. Hindsight being 20/20 and such.

McGregor (Sheen) is a divorced American ex-cop, profiler and author laying low in Scotland after seeing too much death. He soaks his days away in booze, advil, cigarettes and takeout food. He's been living there six months and he's estranged from his son. When a dead body turns up outside his house he goes from suspect to helping the local police as the bodies continue to pile up.

There's nothing wrong with 'Postmortem' on a deep level, but it's also lacking in real suspense or solid thrills. Going through the usual story motions in low budget fashion. Ivana Milicevic (Casino Royale) and Pyun regular Michael Halsey play police Inspectors.