Spooks: The Greater Good – Review
The MI5 could do with some updating and rebranding in cinema. Thanks to a certain 007 agent, we have a very specific, traditionalist view on the Secret Service that is by no means a reflection on reality. However, in Spooks: The Greater Good – the first feature length film to derive from the popular television series – realism becomes something of a side-note itself, making for a production that is sadly unlikely to be the start of a new franchise in British cinema, which it so had the potential to be.
During a supposedly routine handover, the world’s most feared terrorist Qasim (Elyes Gabel) escapes from the clutches of the MI5, bringing shame on the Intelligence Chief Harry Pearce (Peter Firth), resulting in his eventual departure. But that doesn’t stop him continuing his mission to recapture Qasim, albeit unofficially, and restore some pride in the organisation he feels so entwined with – while saving a fair few million lives in the process – in following the villain’s threats of blowing up populated areas of London. However, Pearce knows he can’t do this alone, and so requires the help of the rogue agent Will Holloway (Kit Harington) to find their target before it’s too late.
With occasional writers of the series Jonathan Brackley and Sam Vincent penning the screenplay – alongside director Bharat Nalluri, who helmed six episodes himself – there’s undoubtedly a deep understanding of this world, which should appeal to the established fans. But perhaps that’s part of the issue, and a new, fresh outlook could have been beneficial, breathing new life into this franchise and tackling this project purely as a piece of cinema, which this feels very far away from. It’s just too televisual, and while the stakes are higher in regards to the narrative, this has failed to enlarge in scope to justify its big screen release. Fans will need to be given more to warrant paying to see this; it’s no longer merely a case of stumbling across the show at home on the telly.
On a more positive note, and in spite of the persistent double-crossing amongst characters, which makes for a disorientating experience and cheapening the impact of the surprises, the antagonist is strong as a calm, collected and intelligent individual – traits that are far more alarming, in some ways, than volatile, eccentric villains, as we struggle to get behind the facade and get to what they’re truly plotting. To make the villain a terrorist, based on a real-life, ongoing war, is effective too – tapping into a pertinent fear amongst the public (haven’t we all been terrified of the thought that London could be a potential target for the terrorists?) and using it as a narrative device – but this isn’t much in the way of escapism, mind.
Spooks: The Greater Good is all too generic, and while presented as a standalone feature with several new cast members on board, knowing the show will certainly help inform, if not define your experience. What it’s unlikely to do, however, is to make that experience a particularly enjoyable one, regardless of whether you’ve seen the show or not.
2.0/5