After The Sunset (DVD)

...So a couple of years after his last outing as the worlds most famous spy I spotted Brosnan make his return along side Woddy Harrelson in the latest comedy from Brett Ratner. Id enjoyed Ratner’s previous films and that’s what finally convinced me to give the girl at Blockbusters my money and rent it.

Max (Pierce Brosnan) is the best diamond thief around; of course he does have a little help from a good woman as well. So having been ...
...FBI agents to steal the worlds most valuable diamond from FBI agent Stan Lloyd (Woddy Harrelson). He would have got away with it if he’d been a bit quicker and not let Lloyd shot him. That meant there was evidence Max was on the scene and rather than risk losing him in the next raid Lola (Salma Hayek) decides it’s time for them to retire their Island paradise.

Having remained undetected on their Island it’s a shock when FBI agent Lloyd ... more

Having stepped down as James Bond I wondered what Pierce Brosnan would turn his hand to next. It would be hard to follow up the 007 series but I was quite sure he would reappear sooner or later in something. So a couple of years after his last outing as the worlds most famous spy I spotted Brosnan make his return along side Woddy Harrelson in the latest comedy from Brett Ratner. Id enjoyed Ratner’s previous films and that’s what finally convinced me to give the girl at Blockbusters my money and rent it.

Max (Pierce Brosnan) is the best diamond thief around; of course he does have a little help from a good woman as well. So having been moments away from capture Max manages to evade the enclosing FBI agents to steal the worlds most valuable diamond from FBI agent Stan Lloyd (Woddy Harrelson). He would have got away with it if he’d been a bit quicker and not let Lloyd shot him. That meant there was evidence Max was on the scene and rather than risk losing him in the next raid Lola (Salma Hayek) decides it’s time for them to retire their Island paradise.

Having remained undetected on their Island it’s a shock when FBI agent Lloyd turns up out of the blue, around the same time as a cruise liner with the world’s most expensive diamond on board. Max is totally unaware of the diamond until Stan points it out and leaves Max with a choice to make. He’s tempted to steal the diamond but knows he runs the risk of getting caught or worse, losing Lola for good. So what decision will Max make, can he outwit Lloyd or is it best to just leave this one alone??

Having seen a string of dreadful films just recently on DVD I was a little worried this might be another one to add to that list. I was pleasantly surprised to find that I really enjoyed it. It’s not that it’s a great film or that the story is that great but it is enjoyable from the first minute to the last. At around an hour and a half long that makes it almost the perfect film. The plot is quite simple to follow and the story as a whole drifts along effortlessly, keeping you entertained with jokes in the right places.

It’s nice to see another side to Brosnan’s acting ability. He seems to pull off an effortlessly cool performance. It makes a character your not sure whether to like or hate seem like a loveable rogue. I was also very impressed with Woddy Harrelson. He struck up a bond with Brosnan that really worked to make the film more enjoyable. I’ve always thought Woddy was a good actor but this shows a slightly different side to his abilities. Although neither really stood out as amazing, and certainly won’t win any big awards, they certainly made the film.

The relationship between Brosnan and Hayek really works quite well. There is enough chemistry between them to make them a believable couple. I also thought that Hayek fitted the role perfectly and showed a bit of her ability as an actress. All the performances in the film are enjoyable and although it’s no Oscar contender it does make for excellent Friday night viewing.

For director Brett Ratner it seems to have been the perfect way to fill in between his Rush Hour series. With the imminent return of Chan and Carter it seemed that Ratner decided to do something a little different in the interim. I’d say he’s done it well. The film is well directed and looks good, with the scuba diving scene’s in particular being done in a good way. He’s taken the script of up and coming writer Paul Zbyszewski and made a very enjoyable film. The music fits it perfectly and the casting choices have paid off for Ratner and has quite possibly made him another hit film.

This is the perfect example of a film that appeals more to the DVD and video audience than the cinema audiences. It’s one of those films you wouldn’t go out of your way to see at the cinema but is perfect for rental or picking up in Tesco’s with your shopping. It isn’t an exceptional film but it will make you laugh and keep you entertained for the entire hour and a half. If I had any doubt about Pierce’s career post Bond they have been expelled with this movie, he can actually do comedy.

Amazon.co.uk: £14.99
 

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