Menace

OK movie, not a world beater but entertaining enough. It has it's good moments even though much of the story is quite pedestrian at times. Surprises are, indeed, far and few between. The story in fact follows a well worn tradition of genre that has appeared in the guise of the western as well as vigilante movies of the 1960s and 70s, gangster movies of the 30s 40s and 50s as well as many many other forms.

But, unlike those films, this version of "a man is made to suffer and everything he holds dear is taken from him 'til he can take no more" does not attempt to drag us through the gutter until we ourselves as the audience want revenge of the worst possible kind. Instead it takes us through a much more personal and human experience and actually manages to explore human nature in a much more solid and realistic way than one might expect from such low budget fare.

At the end of the day we do root for the hero, but not because he is a superhuman, martial arts, special weapons trained, green beret, who was just holding back until we as the audience just wanted our own blood lust satisfied gratuitously, but because he is just an ordinary guy faced with a desperate situation.

Because at the end of the day, in truth, he could be any of us. And though "Menace" may be a tad long at times and has it's faults (though none terminal in my opinion), it is well worth seeing if you're in the mood for a good British made for TV crime drama that won't put you to sleep for a change like all their murder 'mysterys' with pseudo Sherlock Holmes types are beginning to do me.

But as I said previously, you've got to be in the mood for this one, because if you are it'll get you in!

The perfect young bank manager with a perfect wife in a perfect little house in the perfect outer suburbs and with a perfect little son, lives his perfect little life. Unfortunately he loses his perfect little dog, and from then on Mark's life becomes very unperfect.

The premise is interesting enough; the telling of it was not. Nippy close-up camera work and fast in-and-out editing did nothing to cover up what really comes out as a very run-of-the-mill TV production without very much in its favour. The principal actors were not up to much and the directing even less, being oh-so-woolly: there was no clear definition of characterization and this leaves one somewhat bemused and in the end uncaring. I think the main culprit lies with the director: one had the predominant feeling that here was a novice director trying to do clever experimental things, but without enough experience to carry it off successfully, such that at frequent intervals the whole lot falls flat on its face.

As for the story-line: it all turns out so predictable as you get through its near three-hour run time (usually in two episodes) that you are not surprised; Eagles/Horowitz did not leave enough room for surprising twists as the plot unfolds; each new development seemed to be too tailored to logical sequencing in a straight line. I hope they can do better next time.

A little under four out of ten.

Menace is one of those dramas which seemed to vanish without a trace, never released commercially, nor repeated to the best of my knowledge.

Mark seems to have everything, looks, a great job, a great lifestyle, as well as a dog he loves. One day his world is turned upside down when his dog is kidnapped, and Mark is drawn into a world of blackmail, robbery and crime.

It's very gritty, very compelling, and contains a strange realism, it's something you can almost imagine happening to the man in the street. If I had one criticism it would be that Menace is overlong, it dips a bit in the middle, but the performances make up for it, Moyer and Delamere in particular.

Please please can this be released commercially, I'm sure many people would love to see it, Moyer when he was just starting out.

7/10.

It was a really decent film!

Not a masterpiece.

But a classic pleasant thriller!

It wasn't boring.

It flowed, even though it was long. There was something artistic about it that i can't define...

It's NOT one of the movies you are gonna regret seeing.

As a matter of fact i think -dispite its defaults-it is almost too good for TV. I accidentally saw it on TV late at night and i made a little research for it. Which means there was something about it!

So my advice is...watch it , you won't regret it

I love it.

It shows a level of artistic direction and emotion that is rare for such a film of it's budget and made-for-TV.

The actors are superb.

I just think this needs more of a chance. It needs better distribution, in my humble opinion.

You wait, in 20 or 30 years this will be looked up to as a classic.

It is wonderful.

Please, I want you to see it.

Just see it - give it the chance it needs!

I think that it is a very good film, and is almost too good for TV.

The color tones, the sets, the story, the drama. All of it intertwining to leave you gasping in awe at it's underrated beauty.

Please! Just watch it whenever you can!

Give it a chance!

You'll thank me later.