Luther: Cae la noche

I loved the first television series of this gritty and challenging police drama. Sadly, now we have reached a nadir for this charismatic and unorthodox character. The story is so ridiculously far-fetched that it reminded me of something Mark Gatiss might have written for "Sherlock" before he watched "No Time To Die" (2021) and thought - nah! It all starts when youngster "Callum" is dragged away from his night-time cleaning job by a mysterious phone call. Next thing we know, "Luther" (Idris Elba) is at a crime scene with no sign of the boy but with a victim in her car that has been missing for ages. Enter the completely un-menacing "Robey" (Andy Serkis) and pretty soon our favourite policeman is incarcerated for a career of systematic rule-bending/breaking and this rather evil monster now proceeds to prove that evil can prevail - and on a fairly spectacular scale. This story is, frankly, preposterous and as the film lumbers along for over two ours I really struggled to remain engaged as it moved from suicide scenarios to far more brutal killings - but what, exactly, is motivating this man is anyone's guess. He appears to have acquired control over a vast network of technology and people to effect his dastardly plan but none of that even vaguely rings plausible. The last twenty minutes are just plain silly and overall, the writing is all rather poor: "They'll kill you John" - "I can live with that!" - not an hint of irony there, neither. This is a pretty shameless attempt to capitalise on a strong character made memorable by a charismatic actor and a series of solid stories. This film has thrown all of those under the snowplough.

A man is controlling people using their most embarrassing secrets against them. He is also torturing and killing people for sport. DCI Luther is put on the case after the disappearance of one of his victims. This makes Luther a target of the sadist and results in Luther being sentenced to a prison term. However, just because he's in jail doesn't mean Luther isn't on the case.

Being a fan of the TV series I was eagerly awaiting this. I wasn't expecting this film to be as good as the series: most films based on series aren't. Moreover, the quality of the series was due to being able to meticulously build a plot, create engagement with the characters and create tension through developments - a film wouldn't have time enough to do that. So I wasn't too disappointed when this didn't live up to the quality of the series.

Instead of the usual Luther psychological tension and tight plot we have an unoriginal "cop has to save a case while on the run from the law" story. Add in some contrivances, some reasonably predictable plot developments, a cartoonish villain complete with about the fakest-looking hair ever and a reliance on style over substance at times and this is definitely not in the same league as the series.

Yet, despite all this, it's quite entertaining. Despite the 130-minute running time the film moves along at a brisk pace and is never dull. Initial plot setup is good, there are some surprises in the plot and the action scenes are great.

Idris Elba is great in the lead role, as expected, and while Dermot Crowley (as Martin Schenk) was irritating in the series, here he is okay. Cynthia Erivo puts in a solid performance as DCI Odette Raine. On the other hand, Andy Serkis (and his fake hair) is irritating as the villain.

Overall, not great but entertaining.

With all the rumours about Idris Elba replacing Daniel Craig as 007, it looks like he decided to take matters into his own hands and make his own anyway.

This is an action packed, high octane, ridiculously contrived and formulaic James Bond rip-off. Our indestructible hero even has a go at blowing up the underground lair of Dr Evil's more evil brother. The plot possibly doesn't quite reflect the job description of a typical DCI in the London police force but nevertheless it's insanely exciting edge of the seat stuff. The plot might not be super-original or indeed that thought provoking but it extremely well made and thoroughly entertaining.

Looking forward to the next one!

First up, I've never watched Luther. Always been on the list but haven't gotten around to it. I am so confused by the bad reviews - because if Luther fans think this is terrible the series must be amazing!

I loved the movie, it's fast paced, it's thrilling and me enthralled. I love a BBC / ITV crime drama so I hoped it would live up to it. I found the cinematography to be next level, the way it is shot really captivates, and the acting is brilliant.

Yes the story is far fetched but it's still a great watch and had me miss my mouth twice eating whilst watching because I was so caught up in the drama.

If you enjoy a British crime thriller/drama there is no reason not to watch this as you'll be sure to find it just has addictive viewing as I did.

Can we have a Line of Duty movie now?!

Not on the level of the Luther series and it does have its absurd moments but don't all police procedurals? Idris Elba is awesome as usual and Cynthia Erivo is a wonderful addition to the cast. I think the casting was inspired, even if the story was borderline absurd. It is a clear set up for additional stories about Luther and I look forward to more Luther films or a continuation of the very good series this film is based on. I don't get the hating on this film. It's not nearly as good as the series but it's better than some people are giving credit for. It's worth the little under 2 hours of your time.