Dynamic

Rating: 10/10 (13 August 2010)

Crisp, elegant, and tightly-plotted, with no loose ends. The titular protagonist of this thriller is a heavyweight business tycoon, a Korean veteran war-hero, disabled but not crippled, with a charming daughter and a devoted second wife, famous for his charitable enterprises. He has an alias, who might be known as the Sherlock Holmes of Los Angeles, an amateur gentleman sleuth with the professional well-honed acumen of someone with a naturally keen intellect. This is no dud, but a man of intrepid action, ably supported by the Alley Irregulars, a couple of great-hearted associates who help him solve the mysteries at the centre of the epic, and who bravely face up to a gang of demented blackmailers and foul extortionists. There are many twists and turns and surprises along the way. What was the significance of the phantom kidnapping? How did the Hollywood big-shot producer get involved? Why did the Police Chief put his hat on before throwing a right hook? Why was the central piece de resistance of the tastefully furnished, state-of-the-art apartment micturated upon? At the end, you know there was something down there.
The acting throughout this gripping tale is stellar, the dialogue is courteous and refined, but unfailingly witty. There are a number of dream sequences, reminiscent of Salvador Dali, possibly owing something to Alfred Hitchcock in one of his more surreal moods. Two animals, a marmot and a Pomeranian, play significant roles as the enigma unravels. Several forensic crime investigators are called in. There is also a sagacious narrator, acting as a sort of Greek chorus, lucidly explaining the intricacies of the background to the interplay of the characters.
Make sure you see this masterpiece before you die. It's right up there with Chainsaw-a-Go-Go, and Bimbo Cheerleaders from Outer Space.
Nought out of four found this review useful? I love this movie, and have watched it countless times! Get a life.