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I believe it would be the other way around due to SP's far later filming.
Well, either way that is a weird coincidence. I'm so glad Moore is showing up though. Is he playing the old Saint, or another Templar?
If they are making a new film then the actor and character had better be bloody English,unlike last time in that cockfest of a film.
(Although the soundtrack was brilliant,which makes it even more annoying.)
Sam Heughan, an actor who not only looks like Roger to a shocking degree, but also has all the tools in both drama and wit that make him the perfect person to continue the great man's legacy in a revamped series.
So is the best James Bond ever, matey. ;)
In all seriousness, Sam can slip in and out of his native accent to do a more English sounding one quite easily:
Haven't seen much, but I've seen Sam in other things. Funnily enough he did a Christmas movie with Roger, who he shared many scenes with, and the likeness and mannerisms shared between them was amazing to see. It was around that time that I thought Sam would be perfect for a modern Templar, not just in looks but in his range as an actor.
Not that I know of, but man he's the spitting image and he has the goods. They'd be daft to turn him down.
That said I will most certainly watch this new Saintly installment and buy he dvd/bluray upon release.
Simon Templar got a new past, something the writer Leslie Charteris steered clear from in order to keep some mystery alive, the movie shows him to be burglar/criminal which is was in the original books. He stole from the wicked and gave to the needy minus a percentage for himself of course.
I understood that this movie had some re shoots hence the Saint wearing a beard as this was during Rayners filming of Reigned. The movie in itself is a hoot and a half love the globetrotting, decent action-scenes, not a big fan of the origin story (I suppose the Templar heritage comes in handy these days, the other two Saints Ogilvy & Moore do their part even if Roger's too short in my humble experience, perhaps Dutton also would have pooped up along a possible series that will never happen). The Sainty Theme is too subtle and the Stickman in the titles is really missed.
A really nice but short lived return of Simon Templar. I do hope we get the next installment where he belongs in the thirties.
So, after twenty years of absence from the screen, a hero who was once world-renowned culture whom everybody knew has set a foot on the threshold of comeback.
THE SAINT
Created by Leslie Charteris
The%2BSaint%2B2017%2Bwith%2BAdam%2BRayner.jpg
Starring Adam Rayner as the charming, sophisticated and ambiguous Simon Templar, also known as 'The Saint', alongside the lovely Eliza Dushku enlisting in the role of the attractive, cunning and resourceful Patricia Holm, Templar's trusted associate, who has been missing from every single film or TV adaptation since The Saint Meets The Tiger (1943), this little piece was given life as a backdoor pilot for a potential TV Series reviving Charteris' work. Of course, after having failed to attract the interest of any broadcasting network since production on it wrapped in 2013, it was retooled as a TV film and experienced additional shooting that occurred in November 2015, eventually coming out online only a few days ago.
I was extremely excited even before the first second on the playback rolled in, being a fan of the character and initially the 1960s series with the late great Sir Roger Moore, who himself originally produced the recent effort and as such made a cameo appearance in it, this TV Film provided me both with satisfaction, and to speak rather fairly, minor gripes and bit of disappointments. Not that they are a lot nor they are effective, but they do get around to clicking on the wrong spot every now and then.
This once, as opposed to the twenty-year-prior effort of a film adaptation with Val Kilmer as The Saint, Simon Templar is given an entire new origin, putting him in the bloodline of a surviving family directly descended from the Knights Templar. The previous incarnation left The Saint's name anonymous, something he adopted due to his fascination with the Templars whereas in the piece he is firmly called Simon Templar. Then again, origins will always vary since Leslie Charteris, in his novels and short stories, never spoke about Templar's background, early life, and whatever may be in relation to his past. All we knew is that he was a crusader for justice and a problem solver.
I've got to admit, I loved how things have played out, but as with everything, the piece isn't without its faults. Apart from some of the known faces, acting performances from newcomers and unknowns were rather crude and somewhat cringeworthy. Not to mention, there are series of bad accents on behalf of the British trying to be Americans which is clear as day they're not delivering a very good job at it. Templar being an acrobat with athletic agility of a flexible cat burglar didn't sit well with me at all, as well. But, then, that thing came to my attention years ago when the trailer debuted online. That thing should have been left to Patricia Holm. While I can't put my finger exactly on it, there's something about the concept being too modern for The Saint that's not complimenting the image of the intellectual property, hence sticking to the spirit of the old Colonial era British iconicism would have been the right thing to do as done with the Roger Moore series. Not saying it shouldn't keep in touch with the modern times, but also not to forget what works and what doesn't in the matter of the IP. Portrayals matter. And I'm not talking about the persons but the universe/atmosphere as well.
I won't be spoiling further in containment of its story, but I will state again that it feels great again to have a hero related to Knights Templar who's being portrayed in a positive manner rather than what the likes of Assassin's Creed for example have been doing, villanizing and antagonizing the Crusaders and glorifying the Assassins, who, in this piece, now evolved into a large and deep dark organization known as The Brotherhood (similar to that of The Alliance from Alias, and those who know, will understand what I'm referring to). Adam Rayner has a rather distinctive image that reminds me of old portraits from comic strips that had a masculine hero given a distinguished strong look with sophistication. But, I'd rather he loses the beard and the stubble (pet peeve of mine) if he chooses to continue playing the character in the future.
In the end, I'll say this. It is recommended... If you know how to avoid some minor bad acting and bad accents.
Welcome back, Simon. Even if it's short lived.
I got annoyed with yet another Saint thread, a lazy solution and I really liked your review.
And thank you. I liked yours too. Your thoughts are similar to mine.
You know, in addition to my debriefing, there are some cliches I found a bit cringeworthy, like that Batman Begins type background for Templar. Trained by his nemesis, who in turn murders his family, then he gets caught up with him and doesn't kill him. They could have done better than that.
You know, though, that it's a bit absurd that they're neglecting the characters from the original novels? Like, Simon Templar facing his own Blofeld... And that would be Rayt Marius from The Last Hero and his associate, Prince Rudolf. If they wanted to tie Templar to an old enemy, it would have been convenient to reinvent his nemesis.
That was my interpretation at the end
Minor spoilers....
The 2017 release does not credit Simon West as the director. The director is listed as Ernie Barbarash. I'm guessing there were creative difficulties and West's name was removed.
It doesn't feel particularly British in tone. It's aimed at an American and international audience. The original 1960s show felt distinctly British. Probably due to the vast international location work all at... Elstree. :P
The Saint doesn't work by himself - he has a team. This makes the Saint less of a loner type.
The backstory is straight out of a certain comic book character. A tad unoriginal and cliché. It seems every character these days need an emotional backstory to motivate their actions.
The Saint with a beard? Not a great look - it's made reference in the story - sort of an in-joke. For some inexplicable reason the beard makes more than one appearance in the storyline.
Ian Ogilvy has changed a lot. You wouldn't believe he used to play the Saint!
Roger Moore has a tiny role. You almost expect him to be stroking a white cat. No sign of a volcano base!
There's a lot of close quarter fist fights with requisite shaky cam, and one cool action scene with a helicopter.
The plot is very modern and involves computers, digitally wired bank accounts, and other techo-stuff with phones. I remember when phones were actually used to talk to people. Ah, memories.
Overall I enjoyed it. Did it feel like the Saint? Not much, but it was a fun, fast moving story and the lead actor, Adam Rayner, does throw in a bit of charm and 'Englishman abroad' decorum.
I'd give The Saint 7 out of 10. Leslie Charteris would probably dislike it, though. He'd hate the beard.