Sexy Beast

The show grew on me as the episodes and story got flowing. A few things made no sense and the double cross is always on in this saga. IF you haven't seen the movie, you don't need to understand the plot here. The movie is solid setup to the movie characters. It's all classic gangster stuff. If you don't like fights, hot women, shootings, and crazy characters, this isn't the show for you. The violence is there, not gratuitous but it's a daily part of their world. Some amazing acting here. It's really a story about using others for your own needs.

It sets up the movie moments. Tamsin Grieg is brilliant as the controlling sister. Best part of the series is her manipulation. Sarah Greene, meh...just not voluptuous, sexy nor pretty enough to be the porn star. They dress her up but she doesn't have body to pull off the role. Sarah, sure she can act but not believable. It would have been better if she and Eliza Bennet has switched roles. Eliza is solid as the girlfriend lost in the clouds and can't see that Gal's a pretty bad boy. Eliza look more the DeeDee of the movie.

Stephen Moyer is another good ruthless guy who is out to make his move to the top using Gal and Don.

Our anti-hero Gal (James McArdle) just preens throughout...tough to cheer for his success. Way too much smiling and hair. Emun is brilliant as pycho Don. You know where all the capers are heading to set up the movie. It's a solid show to enjoy. I wouldn't even mind a 2nd of this.

I love the original and I thoroughly enjoyed this. Seeing the young characters and picking up on how they became the characters in film is a joy to watch. Every actor is excellent, however it to a while to fully appreciate Gal but it happened. It's funny, brutal and why the negatives I honestly don't know. Take it for what it is, it's not the film doesn't try to be, just enjoy it. The sound track is superb, the cars, Don's sister is amazing. I've seen a lot lot worse, Teddy Bass is on par with Lovejoy himself and you see him how he really is, not just a bit part. Once your a few episodes in you won't be disappointed.

It seems to me that these days any show that needs you to think gets a bad rating.

This show is incredible. Great characters, great acting, great plot, it's very intelligent.

Centre of the show is a calm, cool, intelligent nice guy whose a thief. His best friend is a loose cannon whose controlled by a dominant woman.

You've got ruthless killers on both sides of a feud and you have no idea how things are going to pan out. Does our central character get pulled into the feud or, with his intelligence, avoid the conflict.

It's only three episodes in but I just can't wait for the next one.

Anybody calling this show average or worse lacks intelligence in my opinion.

I'm really enjoying this series. It's interesting enough for me to wish I could see it all in one go.

The storyline is good and Tamsin Greig is a revelation, playing a totally different character to her usual type.

Deedee is at the heart and soul of this prequel and lights up the screen whenever she appears.

Teddy played by Stephen Moyer is a real nasty piece of work, but believable.

One particular scene with him in at a nightclub was horrific and I personally don't think that it was necessary. The character is menacing enough and I think that was overkill.

On the whole the series is so good I'm now in the process of watching the original movie the series is based on.

You can't really compare the two. Ray Winstone and Ben Kingsley are 2 huge character actors and nobody could be as good as they were.

However I would definitely recommend this series.

Not quite sure why all the negative reviews, this is really quite fun. The main characters are well cast and do provide a good prequel to the Winston and Kingsley double act from the movie.

What this misses to get great marks is that it's not really a prequel in terms of characters. As regards storyline it fits nicely into the movie but the characterisation of, or should I say relationship between Don and Gal does not really set up the movie.

Ben Kingsley was amazing in his menace as a gangster in the original, a real oozing menace in everything he did. Don here gets the mannerisms and does have a good suggestion of menace in the future. Likewise Gal really does match well with Ray Winstone. However together the two don't match in the same way - it's hard to see how Gal can become so scared of Don in the film when here he seems to be on a par with him. Can't quite see the arc that goes from best friends to one being absolutely scared stiff of the other.

All that being said this is really good fun.