In the wake of a new European peace treaty, a bomb explodes in central London and Dalton and Chaudhry investigate on behalf of UNIT.
In the wake of a new European peace treaty, a bomb explodes in central London and Dalton and Chaudhry investigate on behalf of UNIT.
UNIT: THE LONGEST NIGHT
I mentioned in my previous review that the otherwise-sublime “Snake Head” seemed out of place in the UNIT series, and Joseph Lidster’s “The Longest Night” confirms this — it’s a bombastic, seat-of-your-pants action thriller with more explosions and violence than you can shake a stick at. It’s also very well-made: Edward Salt’s direction is a particular high point, as the action sequences are gripping and never confusing, and David Darlington’s sound design continues to be some of his best. It also has the courage of its own convictions: Lidster’s script never shies away from the difficult moments, nor does it give its characters easy outs from impossible situations. There’s an argument to be made that “The Longest Night” doesn’t accomplish anything by killing its characters — the death of Hoffman (Robert Curbishley) in particular seems like an overblown tribute to a character we don’t even know — but there’s no question that consequences in the UNIT world are very real and very dangerous.
The problem with “The Longest Night,” as with many movies and TV shows of its kind, lies with its politics. The ICIS baddies — specifically Kirby (Johnson Willis) — are one-note raving maniacs, almost across the board, taking nationalistic politics to ludicrous extremes. Opposition to Britain’s entry into a European super-state is one thing, but Kirby appears opposed to everything from immigration to women in the army. Yes, people opposed to “political correctness gone mad” are usually rationalizing their own racism — and people do say idiotic things like the “lesbian in a wheelchair” line — but organizing a national terror campaign? No wonder they needed a hypnosis device.
In short, “The Longest Night” is excellent “turn your brain off” drama. Problem is, “turn your brain off” drama isn’t very good. I wasn’t offended by the one-note preachiness — just annoyed — but if you’re offended you’ll likely score this much lower.
6/10