For our Christmas present to each other, Mrs W and I bought the TV of our dreams - a Panasonic Viera Smart TV with Bose speakers.
To those of you who just think a telly is just a box in the corner of the room on which you watch Coronation Street, let me explain.
For years, while Mrs W has been shopping for 'boring' stuff, my son and I would stand in the likes of Comet or Curry's, ogling tellies with the perfect picture and the booming yet crisp sound.
And now we have one!
This is like going to the pictures (and would be even more so if she'd let me get away with a 50-in screen, instead of the 42-inch one we have).
Anyway, the picture is probably sharper than your average cinema and the sound is deep and lush.
And it has the ability to make average films better than they probably are!
Sounds a little far fetched? Well, let's take Mercenaries as an example.
Its poor reviews would lead anyone to believe it's not very exciting. Yet, last night in our living room I felt like I was ducking bullets like I did when watching Saving Private Ryan.
Shots were pinging all around me and I could well imagine the intensity of being chased through a Serbian wood.
Paris Leonti's film has its heart in those battle scenes. Beyond that it struggles because of a plot which really hasn't been thought through.
Basically, this is meant to be modern-day Serbia and there has been a military coup, led by a military figure who has reappeared after 15 years in hiding.
The first issue I would have is how suddenly and easily the coup takes place. The president only seems to have one bodyguard and a butler. That would make him the least protected world leader on the planet.
The story then moves on to the concept that the US instructs a team of four mercenaries to rescue their ambassador and his wife who have been abducted by the terrorists.
It does this because the American President doesn't feel its own men should not get involved. Really? They don't normally hold back, do they?
Anyway, the soldiers for hire are appointed by the US colonel, played by Billy Zane and set about their task.
At this point I really want to write what happens next but my rule of no spoilers has to remain.
However, suffice to say, their easy achievement of their initial goal doesn't ring true.
The problems with the storyline could have been overcome without too much thought. A third world setting would have been more plausible and more intensity around the difficulty of storming buildings would have added realism.
Neverthless, Mercenaries has its moments and the extended pursuit which makes up the second half of the movie is its real plus point.
As for the acting...no gold stars, although Robert Fucilla, as the Mercenaries' leader does his best with a mundane script.
I should make mention of another one of the other guns for hire, Vas Blackwood.
Yes, Lenny Henry's young sidekick in the 1980s, is now 50 and makes a rare movie appearance and is pretty decent.
Laughs: None
Jumps: One
Vomit: None
Nudity: None
Rating: 5/10
PS Mercenaries is out at cinemas on January 27. Thanks to Katie from Organic Marketing for the preview DVD.
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