Reviews

I'm not sure why this film is called All Quiet on the Western Front as it bears little relation to the book. Key scenes which gave the book and 1930 film their power and psychological depth were omitted. The story told in this film is chaotic. Maybe that was deliberate, but anyone watching who didn't know anything about the First World War wouldn't learn much from this - or much about the impact on soldiers. Paul was a more complex character in the book and earlier film. This film became an almost unbroken, unrelenting series of explosions and people dying, over 2.5 hours. As little attempt was made to enable us to get to know the characters, the impact of what happened to them was diminished. Most of the time I had no idea who was who, apart from Paul and Katz. The story of the horrors of war and impact on soldiers has been told much better in the original 1930 film, and other films such as Paths of Glory. A wasted opportunity - and a waste of time watching it, hoping it was going to get better. It didn't.

Outstanding crime drama which has held my interest across all four series. Nicola Walker, Sanjeev Bhaskar and all the regular cast have created believable characters and the guest actors in each series have maintained the high standard of acting. If you're looking for a crime series to watch I recommend this one. It's up there with Line of Duty and The Bridge - all different but all equally well acted with interesting storylines. Don't miss it!