Luther: The Fallen Sun Review Netflix Film Makes A Good Case For Idris Elba As The Next Batman
Luther , the BBC crime drama starring Idris Elba as an outlaw detective, soon became embroiled in cinematic ambitions. What started as a fairly boring cop series in crime-ridden London just got funnier as time went on. In the fifth installment, Luthor has to deal with a clown-masked killer who shoots people full of spikes. Luther: The Fallen Sun , Netflix's long overdue revival, seems a perfectly logical sequel. The budget has increased significantly. Andy Serkis and Cynthia Eriva have come from Hollywood for help. It's fun, but these types of thrillers usually end ridiculously.
Hollow Sun isn't exactly a Bond test for Elba, who again this week had to dispel rumors that he's the new 007, but he makes a strong case for being the next Batman. It's the new London in the perpetual rain, with Soho even scarier than real life. There's no sign that any media professionals are coming out for Joe & The Juice anytime soon. He made several episodes of the series for director Jimmy Payne, this is cinema with a capital letter. This is something no one would have dreamed of with Luthor when it debuted in 2010.
While the main antagonist of the original show, Ruth Wilson's assassin Alice Morgan, may have been Luthor's Joker, here we have David Robbie (Serkis) in Riddler style. Siegfried and Roy are evil technological geniuses with blonde hair who kill in a way that any Se7 assassin would probably be proud of. See the crime scene by looking through the window with a smiling digital mask. Oh, and he loves innocently singing with the Supremes in his car, because that's what assholes do.
Robbie's motivations generally revolve around the concept of shame. He uses an army of hackers to spy on people through their webcams and Alexa, then reveals their dirtiest secrets before blackmailing them. He was angry at the perceived hypocrisy, in which brutality and violence reigned in some places but not others. You'd think that Luther creator Neil Cross, who penned the film's screenplay, would have responded to Luther's gruff and chaotic approach to giving attention to this story. Is there really any energy left to fire up the judges who see themselves as judge, jury, and executioner? But really, the answer to that question could spell the end of Luthor forever, so Burning Sun awkwardly avoids the ramifications of its premise.
However, it all seems so ridiculous that we don't have to question Luthor's place in our world if we don't want to. The main draw here, as usual, is Elba. It always sticks out to people who have lost everything and get mad when they find out they are still expected to continue playing like they used to. The real trick is to love and support even the most abusive of them. Season five concludes with Luther's arrest for various lawless tactics. This film, unsurprisingly, features a dramatic prison break. Elba punched his way through the wave of exhausted prisoners as someone swatted away a fly. Dermot Crowley's Martin Schenck and Erive's returning counterintelligence agent Odette Raine strike a much-needed balance as no-nonsense types with a deep respect for Luthor's designs.
In the heart of Falling Sun, there is no real revelation for either the protagonist or the audience. It's what you'd expect from Luther on the big screen, from our hero tramping through arctic conditions to a climactic journey into the mountains wearing nothing but a shirt, tie and tweed coat. I would expect nothing less from him.
Director: Jimmy Payne. Cast: Idris Elba, Cynthia Eriva, Andy Serkis, Dermot Crowley, Jess Loden. 15, 123 minutes.
Luther: The Fallen Sun opens in select theaters on February 24 and on Netflix on March 10.
