Customer Reviews

Midnight in St Petersburg [VHS]

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Harry Palmer has matured into a mellower, more laid-back "secret agent" than the wiseacre we saw in the "Ipcress File." But he's still on top of goings-on in the modern, mafia-dominated Russian underworld. Michael Caine is fun to watch because his approach to this sort of role, and I suspect his offscreen personality, expresses the gentle irony that Len Deighton brings to his spy stories. This film has some routine doings about paintings stolen from the Hermitage museum being swapped for a-bomb material, plus the usual lineup of devious characters trying to one-up everybody. I enjoyed this flick mostly for its atmospheric locations - St. Petersburg or not, they were plenty European - and for the European supporting cast most of whom I'd not seen before. Michael Gambon, the excellent English character actor, is underutilized in a brief, stereotyped role, but Jason Connery comes off well, and there was a fair amount of motoring through city streets in beatup old vehicles unidentifiable to American eyes, which always makes things seem more exotic. This film goes good with popcorn, too.

There are no words to describe how AWFUL (!!!) this "movie" was from beginning to end, but let me try anyway so as to give people a fair chance to avoid it and thus try and prevent their day/evening from being ruined: the film deals with a shipment of plutonium that goes missing in the early post-soviet era. Michael Caine's character heads a private investigating office in Moscow and sets off for Saint Petersburg after his employee informs him of his girlfriend being stalked by thugs...

The plot, the dialogues, and the music are way beyond "below average."

The acting-oh my- the acting is beyond words...

School plays (and pre-school for that matter) have better actors! It is truly sad...

The only positive aspect of the "movie" is the setting/location, which really is Russia; the scenery is great-Saint Petersburg is beautiful!

Everything else, and I mean EVERYTHING else is horrendous!

Rent or buy at your own risk. You have been warned!

I rented this movie because of Michael Caine, of course. I thought he could carry any spy thriller off because he is such a fantastic actor. But I was wrong. Faced with a lame script, terrible co-stars, and a vapid plot, Caine grimaces his way through it as if it were a trip to the dentist's office. Consider yourself warned!

I bought this thinking that M. Caine could do not wrong. I was wrong! The film is terrible. Nothing redeeming... the photography is bad - stilted [looks like home video], the dialogue is trite, the actor walk thru the parts and even St. Petersburg is not covered until the finishing credits... if you last that long.... really bad... save your money and if you want to see a good film of this genre buy The Ipcress File or any other M. Caine film....

"Midnight in St. Petersburg" is supposed to be a smart thriller with working class spy Harry Palmer (Michael Caine) He's older,and supposedly wiser. Jason Connery, Sean's not-so-famous son,appears as Harry's protege. Michael Gambon,a fine character actor,makes an appearance as the hammy Russian villain. He devours his role as if it were a banquet with the cook, the thief, his wife, and her lover.

"Midnight in St. Petersburg" involves the kidnapping of Palmer's trophy girlfriend,who's being held hostage by Gambon's thugs. There's plutonium,masterpieces from the Hermitage... It makes Tolstoy look simple in comparison when it comes to plot. There are some pointless chase scenes. Since this is a "smarter" 007 rip-off,don't expect any fancy weapons,gadgets,or steamy love scenes (well,we are spared Palmer&his girlfriend) It's all very talky and oh so smart. In other words,it's incredibly dull. If you are up to watching this movie,drink down some vodka to numb the pain!

If you liked funeral in Berlin,the ipress file, and bullet to Bejing you will love this movie!

This film has all the things a russian spy flick needs the mafia the military and thugs. Full of action a great wacth.

If you saw funeral in Berlin,the ipress file, and bullet to Bejing you will love this movie!