Growing a profitable TV present right into a film is a tough outdated enterprise: go too huge and also you danger leaping the shark; play it protected and it’s barely extra polished enterprise as regular. For probably the most half, Luther: The Fallen Solar – the primary feature-length outing for Idris Elba’s beloved, rule-bending detective – plots a skilful course between the 2. However a Netflix-sized improve, it appears, will be each a present and a curse…
Serving as each a continuation of the present and a standalone journey, The Fallen Solar is surprisingly self-contained, with simply sufficient exposition up-front to make sure that newbies aren’t misplaced and a handful of references to previous circumstances littered all through for followers to choose up on.
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As hinted at by his arrest on the finish of collection 5, The Fallen Solar sees DCI John Luther (Elba) headed for a prolonged stint in a maximum-security jail for “a litany of vigilante activity”. Luther has one unfinished case on his books, although – the disappearance of a younger man named Cameron. With a promise to maintain to Cameron’s mom, it’s not lengthy earlier than Luther breaks himself out of jail to go after David Robey (Andy Serkis), a dangerous tech genius and serial killer who’s preying on folks’s “shame”.
What’s instantly obvious is how good it’s to have Elba again for one more run-out in considered one of his best roles, and the actor clearly relishes being again within the gray overcoat of our favorite, Bowie-loving bent copper, proving he’s the actual ace up the franchise’s sleeve.
With Luther now each hunter and hunted, Elba will get an opportunity to take issues up a notch – a scene that sees the erstwhile detective threatening to tattoo somebody’s eyeball throughout a rushed interrogation, because the legit coppers shut in, exhibits Elba at his twitchy, brutal finest.
He additionally will get to flex his motion muscle tissue greater than ever earlier than on this collection, whether or not it’s in a boisterous prison-riot sequence that has a feral Luther taking over all-comers (staged with a close-up depth by director Jamie Payne so that you simply really feel each punch), or a tense early tube-station knife struggle with Robey.
Talking of the movie’s huge dangerous, Serkis’ oddball villain is likely one of the finest we’ve had up to now – dare we are saying the perfect since Ruth Wilson’s Alice. No, his schemes aren’t probably the most unique (with nods to Hostel, Bond baddies and even Luther’s personal rogues’ gallery), nor are his motives notably effectively defined, however Serkis sells him with absolute conviction. The primary of Luther’s foes to have the ability to correctly go toe-to-toe with our hero each bodily and mentally, Serkis’ Robey oozes hazard and unpredictability, and elevates the stress in each scene he’s in.
The opposite predominant addition to the forged is Cynthia Erivo, bringing star energy and gravitas to the position of DCI Odette Raine, the no-nonsense new boss on the Met’s Severe & Serial Unit who’s on Luther’s tail.
In truth, the one returning character from the present (not that there are a lot of left to return at this level) is retired DSU Martin Schenk (Dermot Crowley), Luther’s pal and former boss. Not solely does the movie give the quick-witted Schenk’s detective prowess an opportunity to shine – one thing arguably missing in more moderen collection – however his banter along with his outdated pal additionally provides some much-needed moments of levity among the many typical bleakness, proving that, in his phrases, “there’s life in the old fucker yet”.
Additionally returning are the nightmarish visions and set-pieces of author/creator Neil Cross, who as soon as once more manages to weave some actual horror into the procedural. Right here, he will get to play out his creative, terrifying eventualities on a a lot grander scale – together with one memorable scene during which Robey causes mayhem in the midst of a packed Piccadilly Circus that instantly counts amongst a number of the franchise’s most stunning moments.
London itself has been an integral a part of the present’s success, and the town has by no means regarded higher than right here. The film’s elevated scope has enabled the filmmakers to dam out some spectacular scenes within the metropolis’s extra iconic, big-ticket areas, in addition to the murkier aspect streets – even when the added shine does take away a number of the present’s signature grit.
Sadly, it’s when the movie leaves London that issues begin to veer off target, shedding a few of what made Luther, effectively, Luther. An overblown third act that transports the motion to the Norwegian tundra (for seemingly no purpose aside from the truth that the funds permits for it) feels jarringly misplaced, nearly going too huge. Certain, the present’s heightened thrills have all the time flirted with the ridiculous, however the far-fetched finale tries so exhausting to impress that it loses its momentum, its stress, and even its credibility. (It additionally does nothing to assist these 007 rumours that Elba is so steadily compelled to bat away.)
A present and a curse, then. However regardless of its flaws, the Luther film experiment nearly works, with its streamlined story proving to be considered one of its strongest belongings — one of many predominant criticisms of later seasons being that the more and more convoluted subplots and recurring characters distracted from the investigations themselves. Followers could be dissatisfied within the lack of callbacks, however The Fallen Solar provides the case – and the villain – room to breathe, which might function an excellent blueprint for additional feature-length adventures if Luther is to return.
Luther: The Fallen Solar is in cinemas now. It involves Netflix on 10 March.
The submit Luther: The Fallen Sun Review – Bigger Isn’t Always Better appeared first on Den of Geek.
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