The film I am about to review is a special favourite of mine not because it is a brilliant film but because part of it is filmed in Hradcany which is the heart of the castle quarter in Prague, it stars Johnny Depp and it is a film loosely based on the story of Jack the Ripper. Is this rendition as gripping as it's predecessor was compelling? Let's take a look.....

But like Dracula, perhaps no one could imagine the story returning to the screens for the umpteenth time with anything approaching success. And like Dracula, hadn't Jack the Ripper been done to death? So why do a remake?

The theme of hardship lies at the heart of one of the establishing scenes in the movie. The women awake after a fitful night's sleep tied together on a bench, which is the only uncomfortable option for those unable to afford a bed. The landlord arrives in the morning to untie the rope and return them to the streets where they must earn money for food and shelter for the coming night. It is a harsh, unrelenting circle of survival. The lives of these women are gruesome and dark. Their day to day existence is always under threat from pimps, violent johns, street criminals, disease and addictions.

Abberline has been beaten up by life. He lost his wife and child and relies on self-medication to get through the day. Indeed the Inspector, promoted out of Whitechapel after years of service, once again finds himself assigned to the seedy district to lead the Ripper investigation. Aiding him in his troubled investigation is Sergeant Peter Godley, played by Robbie Coltrane, who first found fame as a comedian before landing his most famous role as television's forensic psychologist, Cracker. Godley is a loyal friend who takes a strong hand in caring for Abberline when influenced from his substance habits. Godley is a straightforward Scottish cop who draws conclusions from concrete evidence such as a blood stained knife and eye witness accounts. He is intrigued by Abberline's intuition and unorthodox methods. It's contrary to Godley's nature, but he accepts Abberline's visions as genuine and he feels compelled to act on them. Godley is the only person in the world that Abberline listens to and respects. Godley keeps him alive, watches over him and is his closest friend.

With Gull's guidance, Abberline is able to deduce that the killings were part of a menacing conspiracy involving the Order of the Freemasons, who in turn were acting on behalf of the monarchy itself.

It certainly is an intersting one. From watching the film the idea of the Crown being linked to the Jack the Ripper murders seems to be less far fetched. I think that whether the British monarchy was literally involved in the Ripper murders doesn't diminish the power of the accusation levelled at the ruling class. That the authorities refused to even consider the possibility that the suspect might be wealthy speaks volumes about the Victorian era. Society's ills were viewed exclusively as the fault of the poor and lower class.

I have always admired Ian Holm and thought he was very good as the physician to the toffs. I have always thought there is something a bit daunting about him - I liked him in this.

Even if this isn't a top notch film, Jack the Ripper is the perfect nemesis for a movie. The fact that he was never apprehended. It is the mystery of his identity, his daring to commit heinous murders in public places, and his ability to slip back into the night that has intrigued people for more than a century.

Rating UK 18