The Fourth Protocol
cheap videos, movies for sale
|
 |
Features
• PAL
In Theaters : 28 August, 1987 |
| [ + Zoom ] [ Buy Now ] |
Video : This item is currently not available. |
|
The Fourth Protocol Customer Reviews
|
|
|
|
♥♥♥♥♥ |
DVD available in Region 2 of suspenseful thriller
|
In the 1960s Michael Caine appeared in a series of spy movies as Len Deighton's fictional cold war hero Harry Palmer. Then in 1986 Caine appeared again in much the same mold except in this instance, since it was based on a book by Frederick Forsyth, his character had a different name, even though in image and style he was very much a Palmer clone.
Forsyth has had a number of his works adapted into movies. In the 1970s we had such classics as THE ODESSA FILE and DAY OF THE JACKAL and even Christopher Walken fresh off his Oscar for THE DEER HUNTER appeared in 1980s DOGS OF WAR based on another bestseller. This mid-1980s entry is perhaps a little grittier in tone and more frightening in scope then the other movies mentioned and is ultimately fascinating as much for the picture it paints of the machinations of the intelligence community as for the intrigue played out on screen.
One needs to understand the political context in which this sly political thriller was written to appreciate it.
Today we are consumed with tackling terrorism but back in the 1980s the big threat was the Soviet Union and its nuclear arsenal. Indeed there were regular protests outside the American airbase of Greenham Common when people expressed their displeasure at the presence of cruise missiles.
Perhaps the most interesting aspect of this movie for today's audience is the appearance of a pre-007 Pierce Brosnan as a Russian spy. Having been forced to decline the role of James Bond in 1986 Brosnan instead appeared in this movie as one of the key villains of the piece - and what a nasty piece of work he is. Cold and emotionaless Brosnan's character obeys his orders without question and one wishes that he had played 007 more like this. In fact the plot of this movie bears more than a passing resemblance to the plot of the earlier 007 movie OCTOPUSSY though it is handled in a much more serious and plausible manner here.
As with that 1983 James Bond movie, here the KGB plans to explode a nuclear weapon close to an American airbase with the blame going to the United States. With the KGB smuggling in a weapon piece-by-piece the movie follows the plot of the book quite closely with British intelligence trying to track down the Russian agent after it intercepts materials used in the construction of an atomic weapon.
Playing the part of a Russian scientist assigned to put all the pieces together is the beautiful Joanna Cassidy. Her scenes with Brosnan allow the future 007 star to portray a truly ruthless killer for once.
The pace of the movie may prove to be a little too pedestrian for those who are used to the action thrillers of today. It is a more measured and (dare I say it) more intelligent approach to the thriller genre but it manages to ratchet up the suspense quite effectively and is well worth a look-see.
For DVD collectors with region-free players there is a DVD of this movie available in Region 2 (Europe) that also features a rather interesting making-of-featurette. |
|
The Fourth Protocol movies, videos.