BEFORE: Pierce Brosnan carries over from last night's film. All I really want from this film is for it to combine the action of "Taken" with the political intrigue of "The Tailor of Panama" - is that too much to ask? Oh, and I expect an explanation of what the Fourth Protocol is. That should go without saying, but you never know.
THE PLOT: A senior British administrator who is part of the intelligence establishment is reassigned to a customs post. While there he finds odd things showing up, which might well be parts of a small nuclear device.
AFTER: A well-made spy film should have some good "How To" elements, explaining the mechanics of espionage for those of us not in the business. This film starts with a lesson in safecracking from British agent John Preston, played by Michael Caine (last seen in "Blood and Wine"). And then we learn the best way to deal with a government employee who's been leaking NATO secrets to Communists. (more on Commies coming later this week)
Preston has a falling out with his superiors, though, and gets demoted to supervising security at "airports and ports" - which is where he stumbles onto couriers bringing bomb parts into the U.K. So then we get a handy step-by-step guide to assembling a nuclear weapon, which is pretty ill-advised if anyone's playing along at home.
Tonight we've got something of an accent problem - Brosnan plays a Soviet agent, but doesn't sound Russian at all. I suppose you could put forward the theory that he'd been trained for deep cover in the U.K., so he adopted a heavy Irish accent. But another character, a Russian general played by Ned Beatty, doesn't sound Russian either, he sounds like Ned Beatty (go figure!)
Action, check - intrigue, check - but no explanation of what the Fourth Protocol is - so two out of three goals achieved. According to the interwebs, the Fourth Protocol is an agreement between nuclear powers that nuclear bombs will only be delivered by conventional means, like aircraft or missiles, and not smuggled in or delivered by courier. Hmmm....
Also starring Ned Beatty (last seen in "1941"), Joanna Cassidy, Michael Gough (this film features BOTH actors who have played Batman's butler on the big screen, Gough and Caine) plus cameos from TWO Star Wars actors from my wall of fame - Julian Glover (aka General Veers from "The Empire Strikes Back"), and Caroline Blakiston (aka Mon Mothma from "Return of the Jedi"), plus Matt Frewer (aka Max Headroom, last seen in "Watchmen").
RATING: 6 out of 10 Russian nesting dolls
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