Disappointing

Rating: 4/10 (30 April 2006)

I had been told by lots of people how great this film was, and with a story by Kipling, directed by Houston, starring Caine and Connery all the components of a great film seemed to be in place. Something didn't add up though, this film fails to be the sum of all its parts. The film is over long and failed to fully grip me. It may be that I missed something or that Iam a philistine but to me it felt stilted and dated. Michael Caine described this as "the only film I've done that will last after I'm gone" but it is far out shone by his other works, such as the Italian Job, Get Carter, etc. In fact it is Caine that is the most guilty of overacting of the whole cast.