"I thought Sir Joseph's shootout with the Raisuli's men was pretty damned funny itself."
I didn't, and judging by the plot, the cast, the channel, I expected a serious film. Because you DID find it funny, even that opening scene, which was built with quite a suspense, including the gang slashing people on the streets on their way (funny), of course it would be difficult to understand the complaint, which is, of laughter and a near total disregard only minutes after the man's death by the woman. Not to mention, she is near giddy, even while a rough foreign man is securing a young girl on his horse. I don't know, given the circumstances, I'd be petrified and in a near daze, not laughing at some tyrant as he tries getting on his horse.
So, that is what I mean by "not there and not like that". If they wanted to transition this movie into an adventure/comedy, that is fine. I love Indiana Jones, and one certainly knows that there are some dark points. But that would be like watching the a man's heart being pulled out of his chest and then in the very next scene, not more than one minute later, Short Round pulling an ace out of Indy's sleeve and screaming about him being a cheat in comical fashion...
Obviously both these scenes work in the same movie, in my opinion, but, as the first responder said, the tone was a bit "uneven". It turned me off.
Finally, I've seen you over at FG plenty. My post does have a sarcastic tone to it... don't bother with that. I like your posts. We apparently saw something very different in the first 20 minutes of this movie though.
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Hancock_the_Superb
14 years ago
What, the English gentleman casually getting up from his tea, whipping out a revolver, cutting down half a dozen brigands and muttering "Damn!" in a bored fashion before getting decapitated isn't funny? I guess one could argue it's not in practice, but it's clearly humorous in intent. That scene is laughably over-the-top (in a good way IMO), like the guy goes through this every day. For me, that bit is the first clear indicator of what the audience is in for - something simultaneously awesome and ridiculous.
In regard to the laughter, it seems perfectly appropriate to me. I have the movie's novelization (yeah I'm a loser) and it stresses this is nervous laughter, Eden letting off a mixture of fear, nervousness, incredulity and defiance. Doesn't seem too out of place or inappropriate to me.
Frankly, I don't think there's much serious material in this film. It all seems very tongue-in-cheek and borderline satirical, from the off-handed tone to the constant injections of humor. It touches on serious issues (imperialism etc.) and has a lot of violent action but it's clearly pitched at the level of an escapist adventure film.
Then again I think the scene where the diplomats and military leaders plot the downfall of the Bashaw is absolutely hysterical too. Of course, I choose to interpret that scene as satire and not a blatant endorsement of militarism, which may be personal naivety.
"I will treat these paltry interruptions with the attention they deserve."
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