Customer Reviews

Jack the Ripper (1988) [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.0 Import - Australia ]

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

Chief Insp. Frederick Abberline (Michael Caine) heads up the London Police Force's investigative attempts to stop the activities of notorious serial killer Jack the Ripper, in Victorian London. He's assisted in this quest, by, among others, his partner Sgt. George Godley (Lewis Collins), society psychic Robert James Lees (Ken Bones) and artist ex-girlfriend Emma Prentiss (Jane Seymour).

A CBS/Thames Television co-production, way back in the day when there was no such thing as BBC America, HBO or Masterpiece Theater, this 1988 television miniseries is of unusually high standard: the acting's top-drawer, the production is detailed and lush, and the direction tense and exciting. Weighing in at a hefty 182 minutes, when viewed in DVD format, there's little repetition and next-to-no boring bits: for all the right reasons this is one eighties miniseries that's well-worth hunting down.

Caine and Collins have an excellent chemistry together as partner detectives, and Caine's performance in particular is whole and likeable. Jane Seymour's role isn't huge, nor does it do anything besides providing a backstory for Caine's haunted detective, but she plays it very well. Other cast nods must go to Ken Bones as the snivelling, bohemian Lees, Susan George's effective, endearing cameo as Kate Eddowes, and Ray McAnally as doctor/scientist Sir William Gull.

The production design is straightforward enough - Victorian London isn't a very difficult look to recreate - but there's plenty of attention to detail and lots of beautiful costume design on offer. Director David Wickes (who went on to direct some very successful Jekyll & Hyde and Frankenstein TV movies) does an excellent job of juxtaposing the reserved nature of the visuals with the violence and upheaval of London on the brink of near-anarchy, and there's a real sense of terror in the scenes where Jack the Ripper is at work.

It's not all good news, mind you - Armand Assante's Richard Mansfield is way too campy, Michael Gothard gives a lousy performance as George Lusk and some of the sub-plots get tied up too conveniently - there are a few parts where this otherwise-wonderful drama reminds us that we are indeed watching a TV miniseries.

But thankfully these moments are few and far between, and, for the most part, this "Jack The Ripper" is a highly polished, well-made and finely acted horror/drama. Also, unlike "From Hell", the conclusion is kept from the viewer until the final reels: it might not be the most historically accurate portrayal, but for entertainment value, there's no other rendition of this story that surpasses it.

Highly recommended.

Michael Caine plays Inspector Abberline, in this moody and somewhat realistic 1988 made-for-TV film about the Jack The Ripper murders. Plus, this movie also features Armand Assante and Jane Seymour.
This has never seen the light of day on Region 1 DVD,but it really really should. C'mon, whoever owns this, get this released in the U.S! :)

First off, I did see Johnny Depp's "From Hell" (2002). While I did like that version, it concentrated more on horror than history. This version with Michael Caine is more historical. Obviously, no one will ever know the full truth behind Jack the Ripper. However, if the theories in Michael Caine's movie are true, they certainly explain many things. (Why Jack was never identified, why Jack was never caught in the act, why Jack did what he did, etc.) This movie is about 4 hours long, but it is NEVER BORING. Even with only 5 murders for a 4 hour movie, the suspense rarely drops. Interestingly, as in history, there are 5 murders. Yet, the blood and effects are really controlled. (Some directors seem to know that blood in itself is not a scary thing. Rather, the story that surrounds the murders is the more important element. Even more so, excess blood only makes things look unrealistic if not laughable.) Comic relief and misleads are well placed. Another thing I can say about this movie is that we get to know the misleads a bit, and at times even feel sorry for them. Interestingly, this movie cleverly avoids the simple formula of good guy versus bad guy. Scotland Yard and the local police are both trying to stop Jack the Ripper. But do they work together well? Certainly not often! I can't say too much without ruining the story. However, I can say in 4 hours or so, not one moment of the movie is wasted time. Perhaps some of you will feel that Jack the Ripper is the star of this movie. Alright. Maybe he is. But of Michael Caine as the Scotland Yard Inspector trying to put an end to Jack the Ripper's reign of terror, Caine's performance is nothing short of PHENOMENAL. Unlike the fake Hollywood heroes, Michael Caine as Inspector Fred Abberline portrays a realistic hero. He has faults. (He is an alcoholic.) He goes through frustration and rages. At times, he makes jokes. While attentive to his duties, he also has to deal with his ego. (He wants to beat the local cops to Jack the Ripper.) He makes mistakes. (He is brutal with innocent parties at times.) He goes through personal disappointments. (A shattered relationship.) But like a true Charles Dickens hero, he rises above his faults, eventually puts certain grudges behind him, and rises to the occasion of facing Jack the Ripper himself! This movie can make one wonder if Michael Caine deserves a place in history almost on the same level as Sir Laurence Olivier. Hopefully, this movie will be available on dvd and vhs soon. If you like Michael Caine in this, you may also wish to check him out as Alfred in the recent "Batman Begins." "Noises Off" shows a great comical side of Michael Caine. He was also an impressive Scrooge in "The Muppets' Christmas Carol." I'll conclude by saying that Johnny Depp's portrayal of Inspector Fred Abberline in "From Hell" is certainly worth looking at. But Michael Caine's movie is probably the more historically accurate.

I won't waste space duplicating what the others have already said, but I will just say I have seen probably all the ripper movies including The Lodger, The Man Upstairs, Jack The Ripper from the 40's or so, and this one. This is by far the best Ripper movie ever made. Michael Caine does a great job. It is a great thriller focusing on the acts of Jack and also the details of how the police are trying to find him. Has a great ending too, really makes you wonder. Glad to find it available on DVD.

While I am a little miffed that this is part of Warner's overpriced Archive Collection it is nice the great mini-series from a little over two decades ago is finally available! A slam-bang tale from start to finish, chilling with all kinds of potential suspects and a really remarkable sets to make you believe you are back in Whitechapel in street fog and danger. Great performances by Michael Caine, Jane Seymour, Armand Assante, Lewis Collins and Edward Judd. Not to be missed.

I happened to catch this awesome film one morning on TBS. I work nights, and wound up staying up half the day to finish watching it. It was too good to turn off. This is definitely one of Michael Caine's best films, and the best "Ripper" film I've ever seen. "From Hell" included. The only problem with this classic thriller: it's a British-made film, and almost impossible to find. I do not yet have my own copy. I am hoping for a DVD release here in America.

This is an extremely entertaining and a very good dramastisation of the Whitechapel murders. It may not be a classic, but with its strong cast and excellent period detail, it is a thrilling story and will keep you entertained through out the movie. Inspector Abberline and Sergeant Godley were real-life people, as were others in the flim, so I did enjoy the short follow up after the end of the movie. This one I will enjoy watching again.

The 1988 TV miniseries "Jack the Ripper" purports to be a factual account of the notorious serial killings in late 19th century East London. But it is, in fact, yet another piece of Ripper fiction loosely based on royal conspiracy theories that have been thoroughly debunked by Ripper experts. First shown in the Fall of '88, the centennial anniversary of the killings, the 3-hour, 2-part miniseries is nevertheless an entertaining and suspenseful Victorian whodunit that will hold your attention throughout. With nice production values for a miniseries, a fine score by John Cameron, and a rare TV performance by Michael Caine, who plays Inspector Abberline, the film tells the story of the crimes and the ensuing investigation with great intrigue and flair, complete with bloody letters, clairvoyance, play-within-a-play, and the usual parade of suspects. The end result is never boring, and may hold up for repeated viewings (I have watched it several times). Just don't believe anything in it, even as the narrator declares at the end, "We believe our story to be true." Simply enjoy it for what it is - an engaging police procedural and period drama. Ripper followers will probably delight in seeing the many historical figures depicted in the film: from Abberline, Charles Warren, William Gull, to would-be suspects like John Pizer, Jacob Isenschmid, and Richard Mansfield. We also see some of the victims that have been so immortalized by these crimes; only three have speaking parts - Liz Stride, Kate Eddowes, and Mary Kelly - who are all depicted rather unflatteringly here, as opposed to being sympathetically portrayed in the 2001 film "From Hell", another royal-themed Ripper yarn. All murders occur off-screen, but there are a few gory bits that were trimmed in some TV reruns.

This Warner Archive DVD is, of course, uncut. Its picture quality is excellent, sharper, cleaner, and showing more details than the UK Region-2 DVD edition by Anchor Bay/Freemantle, the only other edition available for this film that I know. The Dolby Digital mono sound is also sharper and clearer. The film is presented in the original TV broadcast aspect ratio of 1.33:1, which shows much more picture at the top and bottom than the widescreen Region-2 DVD. The two 90-minute episodes are put onto two single-layered all-region NTSC DVD-R discs, without any subtitles, closed captioning, nor any bonus features. When I opened my brand-new case, I noticed minor scuff marks on the dye side of one of the discs, indicating the apparent lack of care that results from the low-budgetness of this line of products. The playback was fine, however. And the few Warner Archive DVDs that I have seen do have good to great video and audio transfers, so I usually buy them with confidence.

It had been 22 years since I first saw this TV mini-series back in 1988. And although I'd forgotten all but a few scenes, and especially the ending, which is a good thing as it was like watching it with fresh eyes, it makes me wonder what ever happened to the entertaining and sometimes great TV mini-series of the 70's, & 80's!
Current TV seems to be sadly lacking in this area!

This was really quite good, and Michael Caine is in top form along with a host of English actors in supporting roles! The women here, I'm afraid to say where pretty much used as canon fodder for the Ripper, so there isn't much character development happening with them, except for Jane Seymour whom has the Lion's share of the women's scenes.

The production values and sets both interior & exterior really convey the time period of London, 1888! One gets a board sense of Old London as huge streets scenes and huge offices are included, painting a bigger canvas!

Stated in the prologue; 100 years ago in 1888 Jack the Ripper started on his crime spree of murdering prostitutes in the White Chapel area on London!
And of course the mini-series itself was made in 1988 capitalizing on the Century factor of the horrid events! I won't give away anything more, but you're in for a treat at 3 plus hours running time & well worth the price of admission!

The made to order DVD-R from the "Warner Bros. Archive Collections" is in full screen and looked very good on a 52" screen, even with the black bars, left & right I still had a very BIG PICTURE!
This was the original format it was filmed in, as made for TV movies & all TV series were filmed for the full screen TV's until widescreens came out!

Color is very good, and I saw no artifacts that could be a distraction!
It played well on a standard DVD player without any problem, so I guess that even though it is a DVD-R Duplication and not a production run on Replication machines, used for most commercial releases, that doesn't seem to factor into the play-back or quality.

It is a little bit disappointing that both Warner's & Universal have decided to "make on demand" DVD-R's instead of wide commercial releases of their historic titles, but I assume the sales figures don't justify the cost. I then have to use caution at these prices, but Jack the Ripper was well worth it & I think I'll watch it all over again for a second time before it hits the shelf!

Bon chance.

Watched it the other night for the first time in about 10 years and it was just as good as I remembered. Michael Caine is excellent as Abberline as he works his way through a large list of suspects and red herrings to come to a somewhat plausible, if not original conclusion. Based on the performances and atmosphere, I still think this remains as good a Ripper movie as they've ever done. "From Hell" was more flashy, and was still good, but this is your classic "whodunit" involving Jack the Ripper.

The made to order DVDs were also excellent and it a very good way to get more obscure movies into the hands of fans who have waited indefinitely to see them released mass market.