Beystiman
It's fun, it's light, [but] it has a hard time when its tries to get heavy.
Hayden Kane
There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes
Philippa
All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.
pkpera
In first minutes main hero, Barney Caine explained why is rude - he was pulled in case at Sunday, while spent his time with his son. Like other detective was happy to do it ... Just first in list of nonsense, bad dialog. Dead body count raises. and barely recognizable Marlon Brando appears. I thought that I seen all his movies, but this one I missed over decades. I guess with reason - probably weakest his movie. And he looks awful, although that's perfect for role.
First 50 minutes were pretty messy. Things gone better with part in Germany, EU. Martha Keller was best part of movie, and I dare to say that some movie with her character as main character would be much more interesting and realistic.
Because all this oil like fuel from coal thing was just forced. Yes, during WWII Germany was forced to solve somehow fuel problem for war machinery. But that was not normal situation, and they did not care about price of that process. Pretty much nonsense that 35-40 years later nobody couldn't discover it again. Or even some better way. But main stupidity is that we need gas for cars from domestic sources. What about electric power ? That was in in those years too. But whole thing would be less bad if Barney listened to what John Gielgud's character said him. He failed in that, in bad script way. Authors of movie failed in making main character likeable, at beginning. What was the point of all it ? To feed conspiracy theorists ?
Ending was a bit of funny. Main villain solved it all from chair, wit couple moves, one phone call and very short negotiation. Greatness of Marlon Brando is that he played even it well.
SnoopyStyle
Near the end of WWII, the Nazis hope to trade a truck load of secret documents for amnesty with the Americans. General Helmut Kladen (Richard Lynch) is tasked to bring the truck to the Americans at the Swiss borders. Years later, LAPD Barney Caine (George C. Scott) is investigating the murder of Tom Neeley. Neeley was the Major who intercepted the Nazi truck. With his last effort, he writes 'Gene' with his blood. Titan Oil chairman Adam Steiffel (Marlon Brando) becomes part of the investigation but he has powerful influences. Caine goes to Germany to investigate an old secret operation codenamed Genesis which he suspects is connected to the case. He uncovers a Nazis formula for making gasoline from coal which oil interests are willing to kill to bury.This thing is slower than molasses. Director John G. Avildsen is very hit and miss. This is definitely a miss. The investigation is a grind. It reminds me of TV police procedurals of that era. George C. Scott is the only driving force in the movie. He is pushing this through only by his will power. Marlon Brando looks old and fat. He's fine as a villain and it's nice to see him. The movie isn't asking much from him.The premise is compelling and would make a good thriller. The movie is just too slow for too long. It desperately needs more action and much better pace. It's good to see two acting icons but I wish they had a better movie to act in. I have to comment on the Nazi strip club. I don't like it not because it's controversial, but because it looks so cheesy. Like the movie, it needed better style to make something more compelling.
eyesour
Spoilers from the off. At least five people get shot dead in this film. Colour me stupid, but although I've seen it three or four times I still can't figure out the motivation. Their shootings seemed arbitrary and unnecessary: who gained? A misleading cocaine-dealing trail had apparently been laid down (by who?) for stolid, stone-faced cop George C Scott, but it had been deliberately framed for him not to fall for it. So what was the point? I can't figure it out. What had Mrs Kate Neeley got to do with it? Who was doing the shootings? Seems as though it was Marthe Keller, according to her body oil --- but hang on, who sent her to LA? Was Steiffel ordering the killings? Or was it the Baader-Meinhof Faction? I've read more than one summary of the plot, but none of them seem able to get it straight.Site plot summary: A detective uncovers a formula that was devised by the Nazis in WWII to make gasoline from synthetic products, thereby eliminating the necessity for oil, and oil companies. A major oil company finds out about it and tries to destroy the formula and anyone who knows about it. Site plot synopsis: There is no plot synopsis. Still, it seems like Steiffel must have been responsible.Perhaps, as one reviewer says, just talking to Lieutenant Scott gets you shot. Was Shagan enrolled in the Raymond Chandler school of thriller-writing? Chandler said that writing thrillers is easy: if you don't know what to make happen next, bring on a man with a gun. Even better: just have somebody shot. "Happy Days are Here Again" is not precisely rock 'n roll, so add a dash of sex and drugs.Listening to the Avildsen (born 1935) and Shagan (born 1927) special feature commentary is enlightening. Add some stimulating one-liners from the script. "We are the Arabs." (Steiffel). "Fiction ruins factual research". (Shagan). "Walls make good neighbours". (Robert Frost --- weird that A & S wouldn't remember that famous quote). "You're in the oil shortage business". "No enemies --- just customers".The puzzles multiply the closer you look. Obermann's next of kin was in his wallet. That's how they got to Keller. Then how come he never had a niece? Why did phony old Gielgud dismiss Fraulein Spangler? Vy vosn't Dr Abraham Esau shot? Vy vosn't he more hairy? Shagan said he had the book in his head. This shows, since the requisite smooth transition to film never happened. Some of the shots, and sets, were visually adequately attractive, but they were static, not cinematic.Finally, if I heard him right, and it sounded as if it was confirmed by either A or S, Marlon mumbled that "Jefferson said that 'Money, not morality, is the principal commerce of civilized nations'." This doesn't make any sense, if you think about it. Also, what Jefferson actually said, in his letter to John Langdon, 1810, was that "Money and not morality is the principle of commerce and commercial nations". Now that does make perfect sense. Perhaps the jumbled mumble was simply Brando's quirky take on his decidedly oddball character.Brando and Scott used to play chess, when Scott was sober. Both giants were a tad tired and over-weight. Neither looked at all comfortable in his ill-fitting clothes. The film is a chess problem without a solution, but it's fairly amusing trying to find one. Could be a Queen's Pawn opener, and a draw. I must check the moves again. That old-fashioned notation is definitely dated, however.Could somebody please produce a good, clear summary/synopsis, so I can get shot of the whole hangover. It's given me a headache. By the way, I've ordered the book, in hopes it may help me clear my head and sort it out.Book arrived. Stap me vitals; and split me windpipe. There's that Jefferson misquote again ! "Money not morality is the principal commerce of civilized nations". Why can't Yanks speak English?
Ralph
Caught this while doing some work at my desk and saw it had George C Scott, a favorite of mine. It had a really bad feel to it on a made for TV movie level, so I kept it in the background so I could get some snippets as this looked really really boring and it's all that was on at the time. Anyway if your political bents swing towards the Greenpeace crowd than you will rate this a 7 to 10, since I'm on the other end of the political spectrum it gets a 2. I love secret Nazi formula thriller stuff, and one that holds as much promise as the "formula" here did along with Scott should have come much better. That said the movies only redeeming qualities was it's similarities of Brando's character to Dick Chaney, and the speech in the end when Scott says "Your the reason why old people have to eat out of garbage cans!". That and a weird scene with strippers on stage in Germany with swastika pasties on, that was kind of interesting, you had to be there. I think both of these actors pulled some stunts during the academy awards and they were the forerunners of todays mostly leftist Hollywood actor crowd, and this movie has a clear political bent to appeal to that audience with dialog like the old people and trash cans. I'm surprised he didn't mention anything about soup lines, but I might have just missed it as this movie was hard to stay focused on and for once I preferred to do some work than follow this boring drivel. 2 of 10 stars, Scott didn't make all that many truly great movies in his career, but I certainly remember the ones he did do, this one wont be remembered as one though.
