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Amazon.co.uk Review
Frederick Forsyth (The Day of the Jackal) wrote the novel and screenplay of The Fourth Protocol, a story about a plot to stage an enormous nuclear accident in England, a catastrophe so large that its source can never be identified but will lead to assumptions that America is behind it. Michael Caine plays an ageing intelligence agent who picks up clues that the ingredients for such an apocalypse are being smuggled piece-by-piece into the UK--but he cannot seem to get his superiors to care. Caine is outstanding in a role that seems tailor-made for him and Pierce Brosnan is very good as the Russian agent working undercover in England to affect the planned tragedy. The film perfectly captures a spreading suspicion and resentment toward superpower adventurism, even though such sentiments are in fact being exploited by the bad guys. Caine, as always, suggests a man walking a narrow line through a gauntlet of moral compromises. --Tom Keogh, Amazon.com
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
24 of 28 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Taut, suspenseful Cold War thriller,
By Darren Harrison "DVD collector and reviewer" (Washington D.C.) - See all my reviews (VINE VOICE) (REAL NAME)
This review is from: The Fourth Protocol [DVD] (DVD)
In the 1960s Michael Caine appeared in a series of spy movies as Len Deighton's fictional cold war hero Harry Palmer. Then in 1986 Caine appeared again in much the same mold except in this instance, since it was based on a book by Frederick Forsyth, his character had a different name, even though in image and style he was very much a Palmer clone. Forsyth has had a number of his works adapted into movies. In the 1970s we had such classics as THE ODESSA FILE and DAY OF THE JACKAL and even Christopher Walken fresh off his Oscar for THE DEER HUNTER appeared in 1980s DOGS OF WAR based on another bestseller. This mid-1980s entry is perhaps a little grittier in tone and more frightening in scope then the other movies mentioned and is ultimately fascinating as much for the picture it paints of the machinations of the intelligence community as for the intrigue played out on screen. One needs to understand the political context in which this sly political thriller was written to appreciate it. Today we are consumed with tackling terrorism but back in the 1980s the big threat was the Soviet Union and its nuclear arsenal. Indeed there were regular protests outside the American airbase of Greenham Common when people expressed their displeasure at the presence of cruise missiles. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of this movie for today's audience is the appearance of a pre-007 Pierce Brosnan as a Russian spy. Having been forced to decline the role of James Bond in 1986 Brosnan instead appeared in this movie as one of the key villains of the piece - and what a nasty piece of work he is. Cold and emotionaless Brosnan's character obeys his orders without question and one wishes that he had played 007 more like this. In fact the plot of this movie bears more than a passing resemblance to the plot of the earlier 007 movie OCTOPUSSY though it is handled in a much more serious and plausible manner here. As with that 1983 James Bond movie, here the KGB plans to explode a nuclear weapon close to an American airbase with the blame going to the United States. With the KGB smuggling in a weapon piece-by-piece the movie follows the plot of the book quite closely with British intelligence trying to track down the Russian agent after it intercepts materials used in the construction of an atomic weapon. Playing the part of a Russian scientist assigned to put all the pieces together is the beautiful Joanna Cassidy. Her scenes with Brosnan allow the future 007 star to portray a truly ruthless killer for once. The pace of the movie may prove to be a little too pedestrian for those who are used to the action thrillers of today. It is a more measured and (dare I say it) more intelligent approach to the thriller genre but it manages to ratchet up the suspense quite effectively and is well worth a look-see.
14 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
HIGHLY ENTERTAINING,
By A Customer
This review is from: The Fourth Protocol [DVD] (DVD)
This film features Michael caine as a sort of aged Harry Palmer (the character he played in 'The Ipcress File')Who is still involved with the usual devious schemes against the Russians during the cold war. Yes, the usual faces pop up as the KGB Generals but unlike all the other cold war thrillers we find Pierce Brosnan as the KGB spy sent to England for a spot of extreme sabotage. This is a part which he plays well even though he pouts far more than any incarnation as James Bond, (In this film you would think that every time he walks into a room he is looking for the nearest mirror). He does however show us a ruthless side killing anyone he is ordered to from using a knife to the bootlid of his car!But like I said, Caine's part is the same kind of character from 'The Ipcress File', just as cheeky with a great deal of humour (his insubordination ammounts to the same as a two fingered salute) and his colleague shows the most exciting way to get out of a traffic jam. The only drawback is the gooey relationship Caine has with his son,fortunatley this is not a big part of the story and is featured very little. The out of character use of the 'F' word at the end by Caine is a bit pointless and shows that Caine did get rattled even though one of the good points of the film is the composure he keeps against all the amounting odds. A totally miscast Ned Beatty is a little confusing, Is he another defector or is he really supposed to be a true all Russian Communist? Having said that the overall impression of this film is one which is highly entertaining, a well made thriller which pits Caine not only against the Russians but also against his disbelieving superiors.(Which is in no way frustrating from the viewers point of view or for that matter Caine's character as he just ignores orders)
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A cautionary tale ...,
This review is from: The Fourth Protocol (Special Edition) [DVD] (DVD)
A lot more action orientated than the Frederick Forsyth novel that it was based on and Michael Caine's character is, equally, far more of an action hero. Whilst it may have been deemed necessary to beef up the action to make a more exciting film, it loses some on the book's logic, depth and flow.
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