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Fall of Eagles, a review by Antares

Fall of Eagles





Year: 1974
Film Studio: Koch Entertainment Distribution, BBC Television
Genre: Drama, Mini-Series, Television
Length: 650 Min.

Review
       In the late summer of 1914, the noted English diplomat Sir Edward Grey was quoted as saying; . The event of which he spoke was the declaration of war amongst the major powers of Europe, precipitating the First World War. What was meant by this statement was that the ruling houses of the major monarchal powers would not survive the onslaught of both modern warfare and modern political reforms that were about to sweep over a war torn and decimated Europe. The Hapsburgs, Hohenzollerns and the Romanovs had ruled their individual nations autocratically for centuries, but with the entangling alliances that were formed after the Franco-Prussian war of 1870, each would be drawn into the escalating conflict that would bring about an end to their respective dynasties. It is upon these entangling alliances that the BBC mini-series Fall of Eagles is based. Starting with the inter-connecting marriages between most of the ruling houses of Europe and the offspring of Queen Victoria of England, roughly 75 years of monarchal mischief, mayhem and malevolence are showcased in 13 episodes, ending with the abdications of the aforementioned rulers prior to the signing of the Treaty of Versailles in 1918.
   
       I had viewed a few of the latter episodes of this mini-series on the Bravo network back in the late nineties, and had been drawn into the drama of these doomed despots and eagerly awaited a release on DVD. Now after viewing the series as a whole, I must admit that while it is entertaining, it also comes across as more of a soap opera than an in-depth treatise on the events which brought about the beginning of the war. Much time and many episodes are spent on trivial palace melodrama and political intrigue amongst all of the ruling houses. This leaves the mini-series a little bit flat on excitement and makes one wonder why the story needed to spread out over thirteen episodes.

       Another point of contention for me was the fact that many of the main characters suddenly disappear and their fate and destinies are brushed over quite insignificantly. Which leads me to wonder if this is the complete story in this DVD package? I could have sworn that one of the episodes that I watched on Bravo, dealt with the execution of the Romanov family during the Russian Revolution of 1917. My memory tells me that there was a scene of the family being herded into a small room and a few of the Bolsheviks walk in and suddenly open fire upon them. I could bring wrong and my memory could be failing me, but I also vaguely remember more interaction between the Kaiser and his two main generals, Otto von Bismarck and Erich Ludendorff, concerning the disposition of the war.

       All in all, if you were a fan of the two brilliant BBC productions Upstairs, Downstairs or I, ClaudiusReview Criterion

(From Fall of Eagles (1974) on June 16th, 2010)

The Other Guys , a review by Dragonfire

The Other Guys

I've liked some of Will Ferrell's movies, though I do think he goes a bit overboard and wild at times.  I was interested in seeing The Other Guys after I first saw the previews. 

In New York City, there are two high profile, somewhat famous cops, who are known for going to any lengths to make an arrest.  The press and public idolize them, as does detective Allen.  He is content to do paperwork at his desk.  His partner, Terry, is anxious to work on a big case and is frequently annoyed by Allen.  When the opportunity arrives for Allen and Terry to work a big case, things don't go well.

My Thoughts

I really enjoyed the movie and I'm thinking I'll be adding it to my movie collection once it is released.  The plot is interesting and entertaining.  Many elements have been done before - cops who don't get along well working together on a big case - but there are also a few elements that are more original.  There is a bit of predictability to what happens even with the few surprises.  With one thing that happened, I was really shocked.  That thing is really funny too.  There is a lot of humor to the movie and most of it works really well.  Some of what is done to add humor is a bit silly, but that works with what is going on.  Allen and Terry both say and do funny things, though Allen is a bit more subdued than Terry.  There are a few gross jokes and a few suggestive jokes.  The movie ends up with a decent amount of action for a comedy.  There are chases and fights and several explosions.  The action scenes are done well and balanced well with the comedy.  The violence isn't too extreme, though it might bother some people. 

Relationships do turn up without receiving a lot of attention or distracting from the main plot.  Allen is married, though his relationship with his wife is a bit different.  Terry has issues with a former girlfriend that he is still interested in.  The characters really aren't developed that much, though Terry and Allen end up being really entertaining.  Will Ferrell is more restrained overall.  Mark Wahlberg does really well with his part and with comedy.  Samuel L. Jackson and Dwayne Johnson are in a few scenes as the two celebrity cops.  They were really outrageous, but I would have liked to have seen a bit more of them.  Michael Keaton does well as Terry and Allen's Captain who has a second job at Bed, Bath, and Beyond.

I really enjoyed this movie and think it is one of the funnier movies I've seen in a while.  It is definitely worth seeing, especially for fans of the cast.



I did get a review posted on Epinions if anyone wants to take a look.

The Other Guys


(From The Other Guys on September 3rd, 2010)

Tom's Buffy and Angel Marathon, a review by Tom

04. Beauty and the Beasts (1998-10-20)
Writer: Marti Noxon (Writer)
Director: James Whitmore Jr.
Cast: Sarah Michelle Gellar (Buffy Summers), Nicholas Brendon (Xander Harris), Alyson Hannigan (Willow Rosenberg), Charisma Carpenter (Cordelia Chase), David Boreanaz (Angel), Seth Green (Oz), Anthony Stewart Head (Giles), Fab Filippo (Scott Hope), John Patrick White (Pete), Danielle Weeks (Debbie), Phill Lewis (Mr. Platt), Eliza Dushku (Faith)

An episode I never really cared for. I was never a fan of third season's Angel storyline. Good thing they have spun him off to another series. I think he is more interesting away from Buffy.

Rating:

(From Tom's Buffy and Angel Marathon on February 25th, 2009)