Ian McFadyen Movies
Much as Steven Spielberg followed 1993's special-effects blockbuster Jurassic Park with a far more downbeat and personal project later the same year, Schindler's List, in 2005 after tearing up the box office with War of the Worlds the director closed out the year with a powerful and thoughtful drama about the human costs of international terrorism. The 1972 Olympics in Munich, Germany, were supposed to be a peaceful gathering of outstanding athletes from around the world, but on September 5, the games took a sinister turn when eight masked Palestinian terrorists invaded the Olympic village, killing two Israeli athletes and abducting nine others. The kidnappers demanded safe passage out of Germany in addition to the release of Arab prisoners in Israeli and German prisons, but when they arrived at the Munich airport they were met by German police and military forces, and in the melee that followed, all nine hostages were killed. In the wake of the killings, the Israeli government gave Mossad, the nation's intelligence agency, a special assignment -- to track down and eliminate the Palestinians responsible for the death of the Israeli athletes. A young and idealistic Mossad agent (Eric Bana) is assigned to the four-man unit created to wipe out the Olympic terrorists, but while he believes in serving his country, as their bloody work goes on he begins to buckle under the weight of his work and wonders if he can morally justify his nation's acts of revenge. Munich also stars Geoffrey Rush, Daniel Craig, Mathieu Kassovitz, and Ciarán Hinds. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Eric Bana, Daniel Craig, (more)
Directed by Jonathan Frakes and based on the '60s British television series of the same name, Thunderbirds chronicles the intergalactic exploits of the Tracy family. Set in 2010, the world looks toward the mysterious Tracy Island when mere international security is not enough; the remote South Pacific island not only houses former astronaut and lifelong entrepreneur Jeff Tracy (Bill Paxton) and his five sons, but also serves as headquarters for the top-secret International Rescue organization. The unthinkable happens, however, when an insidious criminal mastermind known only as "The Hood" (Ben Kingsley) manages to get past the island's innumerable security measures and attempts to take over International Rescue. His goal: stealing the organization's five most advanced rescue vehicles, each of which was designed to accomplish a specific task, and using them for his own agenda. With Jeff and his four eldest sons deployed on a mission, there's only one person with any hope of stopping the takeover -- Jeff's youngest son, Alan (Brady Corbet), who vows to save his family and keep the Thunderbirds alive. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bill Paxton, Anthony Edwards, (more)
When a father discovers that he has inadvertently come into possession of plans for a massive biological attack, the race is on to save his family -- and perhaps all of humanity -- in this breathless thriller featuring Casper Van Dien (Starship Troopers). No sooner does Gerry Anderson (Van Dien) realize that the plans have entered his workplace than his daughter mistakenly makes off with the documents believing that they are nothing more than coloring paper. With desperate government agents and murderous terrorists hot on his trail, Anderson must now do the unthinkable if he has any hope of saving his family and getting the plans into the hands of the proper authorities. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Casper Van Dien
The true story of a major breakthrough in intelligence technology created during World War II provides the backdrop for this blend of mystery, romance, and espionage, based on the novel by Robert Harris. Tom Jericho (Dougray Scott) is a gifted mathematician who is working with the British government on the development and maintenance of the Enigma machine, an electronic device that allows Allied intelligence agents to decode scrambled messages sent by Germany military officers. But the emotionally fragile Jericho is buckling under both the pressure of his work and the collapse of his relationship with Claire Romilly (Saffron Burrows), a co-worker with whom he's fallen deeply in love. After suffering a minor breakdown, Jericho is sent on a leave of absence, but when he returns to work, a crisis awaits: it seems the Germans have instituted a new code that the Enigma is not yet able to crack, and Jericho is needed to help unravel Axis communiqués before an important convoy of troops and materiel sets sail. It is also suspected that a German undercover agent has infiltrated the Enigma project, and Wigram (Jeremy Northam) is determined to ferret them out. In the midst of all this, Jericho receives troubling news that Claire has gone missing -- and that a file of German messages waiting to be decoded was found at her home. As Jericho works against the clock to crack the new German code, he forms an initially uneasy alliance with Hester Wallace (Kate Winslet), Claire's roommate and a fellow member of the Enigma project, as they try to discover Claire's whereabouts. Enigma was co-produced by Mick Jagger, who has a keen interest in the history of the real-life Enigma project, and even owns one of the original Enigma decoding machines. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dougray Scott, Kate Winslet, (more)
- 1993
The Australian The Feds was not so much a TV series as an anthology of TV movies which happened to star the same people on each occasion (together with a collection of glittering guest stars). Based on actual case histories from the files of the Australian Federal Police, the program covered the "beat" from Australia to Hong Kong and back again. Many of the stories focused on the families of the cops, who though not always in imminent danger were usually affected adversely by the case at hand. Produced by Crawford Television, the 15 90-minute installments of The Feds were broadcast irregularly by the Seven Network from 1993 to 1995. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1988
- R
You don't become a playwright, at least a successful one, without having more than your share of sensitivities. In fact, a goodly proportion of the artists in present-day L.A. are too sensitive for their own good, which causes no end of problems. For Tom, an Australian-born playwright who has "made good" in la-la-land, his success has resulted in serious strains in his relationship with his wife and daughter back in Melbourne, and with himself -- strains which he eases with a succession of mood-altering pills. When a fresh young actress in one of his productions falls for him, he is so emotionally battered that he finds her attentions confusing and unsettling. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Waters, Penelope Stewart, (more)
