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Roy Marsden is the head of the British Special Investigation Service "Sandbaggers" a team of intelligence officers who deal with special assignments. As a huge fan of the mini series Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, and Smiley's People, The Sandbaggers ranks right there with both of those amazing series. In fact, I would call The Sandbaggers as the spiritual co pilot to them. Absolutely serpentine, complex, amazing plots, that leave no doubt as to the dirty world of international espionage. Even for an older series, it amazingly does not sugar coat anything, even going so far as to make it clear that MLK was in a compromising position the night before his assassination (read between the lines) if you didn't know. Murder, skulduggery, lying, cheating, there is no level to which the head of the Sandbaggers will not go to to see that the mission is completed. A towering achievement that was unfortunately cut short with the death of its creator. What could have been!

Can someone please give some of the Kool Aid everyone seems to be drinking? First off, I have never seen the musical. I love the "The Wizard of Oz", and I quite like "Return to Oz" but I don't get the point of the musical and movie. We know exactly who the Wicked Witch was. It was Miss Gulch that lived next to Dorothy, and wanted to take her dog away! Thats the beautiful thing about the Wizard of Oz. All the characters are introduced in the first 10 minutes! They all make sense in the context of the film, and it's up to the viewer to decide whether the trip to Oz was real or just a figment of Dorothy's imagination. Pefect!

This film however, wants to imagine the wicked witch (Now named Elphaba?) as some misunderstood outsider, born of an affair between her mother and an unseen man) Who happens to be born green! And Glinda the good witch as a pleasant, but somewhat obtuse, barbie doll wannabe. I couldn't care less! Sometimes, less is more! I didn't need to know the backstory to the wicked witch. Sometimes people are just bad, thats it! Trying to rewrite the Wizard of Oz as some feminist statement takes the charm out of the whole thing, injecting real life where it has no place. And while I'm on the subject, it seems to me as if the filmmakers wanted to cram as much PC nonsense in as possible. Lots of stereotypically gay characters everywhere blah blah blah.

The pacing? Glacial. NOTHING happens until the last 30 minutes, then guess whAT? IT'S ONLY THE END OF PART 1!! You're telling me you couldn't tell this story in 2 1/2 hours?! What the hell are you doing for that long? I'll tell you, filming long, drawn out song and dance numbers that do nothing but show you that yes, the leads can sing. Great! Can we get to the point?!

The subplot, such as it is, concerns the fact that animals who are intelligent beings in Oz, are being rounded up and put in cages, no longer able to speak. And? Well this upsets Alfalfa, sorry, Elphaba who must seek a meeting with the all powerful Wizard of Oz (Jeff Goldblum) Blah, blah, blah, this leads to a crescendo musical number which, when finished reminds us that this slog will continue for yet another movie! Trust me, one was more than enough!

I remember when this movie came out, and being a huge fan of the original "Vacation" I seem to remember this film getting short thrift, as it was now the 3rd entry in the franchise. After the disappointing "European Vacation" this seemed to be a poor rehash of the classic original. But then something happened. It gained cult status. I don't know when it started, but year by year, it got bigger and bigger, finding a HUGE audience! The funny thing is, watching this movie as a father, it just hits different.

Secondly, this is one of those rare movies where every line is funny. There is not a wasted line in the entire script. The cast is amazing, and the entire film is a love letter to family, Christmas, and fatherhood. This movie just gets better and better with every viewing, you'll be laughing with tears in your eyes as Cousin Eddie shows up, Uncle Louis blows up, and Clark Griswold lights up the entire neighborhood. So many funny lines and scenes, "I've got hemorrhoids" "Squirrel!" "Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah, Kiss my ass" "A great big bulging man!" you could go on and on, but you get the point. One of, if not the best Christmas movie ever made. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!