Cubussoli Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

MoPoshy Absolutely brilliant

Portia Hilton Blistering performances.

Scarlet The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

dcurrie623 I'm usually a sucker for these British spy stories so when I saw the good reviews and started watching (tho not expecting another Tinker Tailor) I was expecting to be entertained on at least some level.Oh dear. 'disappointment' would be too kind a word.First of all, not too many minutes in, it becomes apparent that the lead actor has no qualities whatsoever. A blank. Well I take that back, he has boyish good looks which is totally out of place for his character. He might be a good actor, but one would never know it from this series. However the bad (or non) acting is not restricted to him. This aspect is spread pretty evenly throughout the cast who all are vying for top honors in this department with the exception being Brian Cox and a couple of the minor characters.The stupid and uninspired script shows that however talented the writer was on other projects, this kind of story is not up his street. Ridiculous plot development and inane, clichéd dialog does not help the actors who undoubtedly are shown to poor advantage. As someone else pointed out, if the 'tradecraft' of these amateur hour intelligence folks was used in real life (whatever that is), the West would have gone under along time ago. However, the director should not be held blameless when all else is so bad. Aren't directors supposed to make silk purses...On a happier note, the photography of the series is very goodBelieve me, I hate to dump on all these people as I know they tried to make something good. Unfortunately it did not work out.

Prismark10 The Game is a frustrating watch. It kind of wants to be Tinker Tailor but you think hold on, maybe they will subvert the genre a little. After all Toby Whithouse was the show runner for the amazing Being Human.Things start of slowly and blandly. Talking about bland, Tom Hughes might had been cast to remind you of Benedict Cumberbatch but he lacks dynamism to carry the series and George Smiley he is not, neither is he Harry Palmer. I felt it might had been better if the series was shown from the point of view of DC Fenchurch (Shaun Dooley) a policeman who ends up in the secret service and finds that most of them are treacherous rats, in some cases betraying their country for the most banal of reasons.As in Tinker Tailor, the secret service here are looking for a longtime mole and believe that the suspect is deep inside the bowels of MI5. Unlike Tinker Tailor this series places more emphasis on females working for MI5, kind of overlooked in 1960s and 1970s spy thrillers.The series is well shot and borrows the visuals from the recent movie version of Tinker Tailor. There was a nice explosion scene in one of the episodes but that same episode also borrowed a scene from opening of The X Files movie.Instead of subverting the spy thriller genre it sort of became a greatest hits packaged remixed and not that well mixed.

whirligigfrenzy Watched this as a way to relax before going to sleep. Boy, was that a mistake.First thing's first. This show is intense. There were several times where I had to pause the episode, take a breather (knowing that crap was about to hit the proverbial fan), and then play the remaining scene. The music and camera work seamlessly complemented each other providing tension at every turn. There are strange, asymmetric camera angles that were meant to distort your view so that you, the viewer, couldn't get a good look at what was going on.Secondly, this show is more than just about the Cold War "game" between UK vs USSR. It shows the games we play in our social, professional, and public lives and how people cope. It's about intrigue and personal aspirations. Everyone is playing a game with each other.Thirdly, the actors are top notch. So fantastic to see these characters fleshed out and actually have personality.A thing to note: the show is definitely a slow burn. Things don't really "happen" per se as expected until episode 5. Every episode is DEFINITELY intense but when you stop and think about what actually happened during the course of 59 minutes, very little occurs. Each episode seems to focus on a particular aspect for the entire episode. Of course, in the end, everything comes together like a puzzle. So I guess an earlier reviewer was correct in saying that the real game is to make us watch. Because it does. It makes you wonder about what's going to happen next, forces you to think back to earlier episodes for little details and hints about upcoming events, and finally reach the conclusion with the characters at the end of episode 6.Really great watch.

enofile Perhaps this reviewed is skewed since I grew up during the Cold War, but although the filming, acting, and atmosphere are spot on, there are inexplicable discrepancies in the plot that simply make no sense. Bodies are knocked out and left prone with no attempt to interrogate. Wire taps are set and the listeners just far away enough not to prevent the obvious disaster. Comedy is interjected at inappropriate moments and seems ridiculous, rather then funny. Also, the writers have thrown historical accuracy to the wind, and the story takes on a "Twilight Zone," science fiction tone. If I provide exact examples, I will spoil the show for those viewers who simply desire snappy entertainment. Thus, I will show restraint. The Game could have been a TV LeCarre, but alas, it is more pop then intrigue.