rchalloner

Badly written, poorly directed, with so many pot holes, ridiculous situations and character flaws, this series is an insult to the Intelligence community, not to mention viewers with brains. Annie Walker is supposed to be a top level CIA operative and yet she goes into the field in high heels, often Laboutin's; she trails people in a bright red Volkswagon which can be seen for miles; fails to notice the most obvious dangers and traps and has a permanent look of anxiety and guilt on her face that shouts "suspicious person.' If that were not enough Annie Walker is reckless, insubordinate and undisciplined, character flaws that would rule anyone out of a career in Intelligence work. In the real world Annie Walker would not last five minutes and yet we are supposed to believe that she is a super spy. It's ludicrous. To be fair, she is not the only character in the series who behaves erratically and stupidly and allows themselves to be compromised - which is why I mention the bad writing. Then there are the irritating aspects of certain characters, such as Auggie Anderson, who spends more time sleeping with a variety of women than doing tech work for the Agency and whines a lot about his relationships; and Calder Michaels a senior member of the Agency behaves like an impetuous child and with reckless disregard for protocols. Yes, I know this is meant to be entertainment and it is entertaining and exciting in parts; it is however possible to make a series about the Intelligence community and be intelligent as well as entertaining and exciting. It's a pity that those involved in this show didn't realise that.

There is a lot to admire about this series including the actors's performances, the photography, the scenery and more. It is let down however by the screenplay and the lack of proper editing which drags the storyline out with a lot of unnecessary scenes that get in the way of the unfolding drama. Frankly there were a number of scenes which were long and boring, including those of David endlessly singing and Saul's madness which added nothing to the story. They appear to be there as padding and not much else, in an attempt to keep the viewer waiting for the important bits. Unfortunately the ploy fails and it becomes annoying. It's a shame as tighter direction and editing would have made the series far more exciting and engaging. A missed opportunity to tell a great Biblical story in the way it deserves.

As a lifelong fan of Laurel and Hardy I hesitated about watching this movie, but now that I have, I am amazed. I am not really a fan of Steve Coogan, but he gives an incredible performance as Stan and John C. Reilly is just as good as Ollie. It was like seeing the Boys come back to life as they got all the mannerisms, the voices and the magic of Laurel and Hardy spot on. In this depiction of their last tour in post-war Britain the comedic genius of Stan and Ollie is clear to see, shining through along with the love and friendship they had for one another, despite the occasional falling out. It's a film full of charm that will make you laugh and move you to tears in turn. A fine tribute to the greatest comedy duo in history.