UnowPriceless hyped garbage

FuzzyTagz If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

Brenda The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

Dana An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

JonathanWalford I was looking forward to finally watching this series and settled in to do a marathon weekend, but I didn't get past the first two episodes. There are many fine actors in the cast, so I know its not their problem, which leaves the writing and directing at fault. This was supposed to be a breakthrough show at the time, but I found the story so filled with plot holes and unbelievable plot points that it was laughable. From cops who do illegal things and aren't reprimanded, to unexplained points about the murder, from why they originally thought it was the first suspect they picked up, to where was the first victim was murdered - in the flat? After 3 hours of investment, the payoff wasn't worth it.

filton Prime Suspect has its faults - it has plot holes and many instances of deus-ex-machina-like convenience, it's sometimes clichéd, it's at times melodramatic - but it's utterly gripping, and that's mainly thanks to Helen Mirren, who takes a brilliantly written character, full of complexity, unpredictability, weaknesses yet inner strength, and makes it her masterpiece. She's spellbinding, from Episode 1.1 to 7.2 (I binge-watched the lot during a week's holiday). And some of the secondary performances are equally superb (even if there is the odd bit of over-acting); a special note for the late, great Tom Bell, who shines in the early episodes and re-emerges for 7.1 - a dignified epitaph for a wonderful actor.

Brigid O Sullivan (wisewebwoman) I let about 4-5 years go by before another session with Prime Suspect 1. And every single time it holds up for its plot, its originality, its underlying domestic upheavals and its politics.Helen Mirren is brilliant. Frazzled. Stressed. And with genius lurking in those eyes. Dogged in her pursuit. Making it, way back then, in a completely male universe.I've watched it 4 times now. And it engages me from beginning to end.The supporting cast are outstanding. Watch for very young Ralph Fiennes cutting his acting teeth on a bit part.Always a 10/10 from me.Groundbreaking.

keith-moyes There is little that needs to be added to the other highly appreciative reviews already posted on this site.The first Prime Suspect was a landmark in British TV drama. It had all the virtues of a good mystery thriller but was enriched by a densely-researched exposition of police procedure and closely observed characterisation. The cast and their performances are all outstanding. There had been nothing quite like it on British TV before.I am pleased to see that its merits are widely recognised wherever it has been shown, but I also note that there is a tendency to use it as a stick with which to beat American TV. I would only point out that this gritty approach to the cop genre was actually pioneered in America - particularly with Hill Street Blues. I suspect it was the success of that show that encouraged ATV to go ahead with this gruelling series. Without it, Lynda La Plant may never have been able to get Prime Suspect off the ground.It has one big advantage over similar American shows (before and since). It is a stand-alone serial. Free from the requirement to fill a 22 week season, it could be written by one person and tell a single coherent story over three and a half hours. Even the best US shows eventually suffer from multiple writers and directors trying to maintain a consistent vision that is ultimately not their own. Even a show as good as The Sopranos succumbed to the flattening effect of this conveyor belt approach to drama.This is equally true of Prime Suspect. Subsequent series had their merits and were consistently above average for TV drama, but ultimately they were all just sequels. As so often happens, they tried to replicate the success of the original series by simply ringing a few changes on all the elements that were once such a fresh and original mix.It is we who are to blame. When we see something we like, we greedily demand more and more, so the virtues of the original show soon get overwhelmed and diluted by the increasingly desperate attempts of the film-makers to make something that is seemingly different while being exactly the same.I doubt if there is more than handful of sequels in the whole history of cinema and TV that are truly better than the shows that gave them their inspiration.Prime Suspect Two, Three, Four etc. are not amongst them.