O Último Templário

This groaner ran in Canada a week earlier than NBC and I don't feel privileged because of it. The production, directing and acting are strictly amateurish. It was produced by Global TV in Canada and it reflects the poor economy and tight budgets likely shadowing the production. Even the "middle-ages" boating flashbacks look like they were filmed in a bathtub. Mira Sorvino's character is unrealistically like a female Indy Jones, jousting from the back of a mounted-policeman's steed, overpowering 3 hoods and performing various other unlikely feats of daring-do. It's devoid of mystery, drama or intrigue and too reminiscent of most dull network movies of the past decade.

The story line isn't so bad, but just about everything else in this TV flick is. Uninspired acting, stereotypical characters and sophomoric writing all wrapped up in a series of trite clichés. You also get mediocre sound and lighting plus capricious editing at no extra charge along with memorable lines like, "I don't know what to believe anymore" and "Mom, you've always told me to follow my dreams".

The main characters, Mira Sorvino and Scott Foley, which you expect to develop some sexual tension never really connect. The dialog between them seem to be mostly flippant one liners and stock "detective speak" plucked from rejected episodes of CSI. You wonder why some of the other characters, like Anthony Lemke are even part of the story. They just seem extraneous.

The promos lured me in and I suffered through the first night, but will skip the finale.

In New York, during the opening of the exposition of the Treasures of the Vatican for the public, four criminals posing as Templar knights break in the museum riding horses and heist the valuable artifacts. The archaeologist Dr. Tess Chaykin (Mira Sorvino) steals the horse of a policeman and chases and captures one thief with Red Cross of Constantine. The FBI Agent Sean Daley (Scott Foley) teams up with Tess that learns that the criminals' prime intention is a decoder mechanical device that can provide the location of the Templar treasure. They travel to Turkey where Tess expects to find the treasure and discover a conspiracy of the Church to keep classified information in secret to protect the Catholic Church.

Yesterday I saw "The Last Templar" on a DVD just released in Brazil and I did not know that this is a mini-series. The DVD has 171 minutes running time; therefore the original series was edited and 69 minutes are missing. The edited film is too long and boring, without the suitable pace of an action movie, but it would be unfair to criticize this aspect since it is not the work of the director but the producer. The romantic corny conclusion is awful. I am a big fan of Mira Sorvino and the shape of this gorgeous actress is amazing and she does not look to be a forty-three year-old woman.

The lame screenplay is dreadful, with ridiculous situation such as: (1) Tess cries to the thief in the heist to return the Constantine Cross that does not belong to him; (2) Tess investigates the case with several murders by herself, holding information that might have helped the official investigation, and is released by FBI; (3) The Catholic agent does not drink coffee in the Lent, but he shags a woman that he has just known; (4) The experienced archaeologist Tess drives reckless on the streets to show off to Sean; (5) A city buried by a volcano has light and only dust inside the building; (6) In a perfect storm with a huge wave, the perfect attitude is to jump overboard. There are many other silly and stupid situations that make the film a comedy, and not a suspenseful adventure. My vote is four.

Title (Brazil): "O Último Templário" ("The Last Templar")

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Especially the part about Turkey because I am Turkish. Bodrum was shot like some town from the 3rd world, without even knowing the fact that every single person in Bodrum can speak English and I have never ever seen Bodrum like in the film! Bodrum is just more like Santorini,or a calmer Ibiza but definitely not whats like in the film! And moreover has even its own international airport,a museum of underwater archeology, and a lovely Castle of The Knights of St.John. Some Americans really like to show Turkey like a 3rd. world country -which is not- and if its like that,how on hell I know English! God this is sooo ridiculous!!! And all of a sudden she starts to speak in Turkish,which is very hard to understand what she says even for herself! It has almost nothing the same with the novel, I can understand that the producers did their best to keep it brief but, anyway,though I am quite keen on the history of Templar's, I was not expecting to watch such a mess! Sorry guys but this is nonsense!