"The Fourth Protocol" is a solid conspiracy thriller starring Michael Caine as a British MI5 agent, John Preston. Preston catches wind of a false flag plot that a KGB agent is planning to carry out atomic attack on a U.S airbase located on British soil, which would effectively dissolve NATO.

There's not a whole lot to say about this film. If you like conspiracy/spy movies then this'll more than hit the mark. However, it does absolutely nothing to reinvent the genre and aside from a couple of neat set pieces, "The Fourth Protocol" is a fairly benign affair.

The film features an excellent performance from Pierce Brosnan as the KGB agent. He's an absolute cold-hearted bastard in this film and it's great, it's clear to see that this role would latter influence how he approached his early Bond performances.

Again, this is nothing spectacular but it makes for a fun, lazy Sunday afternoon flick.

The Fourth Protocol is a dry and talky spy film, but provides sufficient Cold War tension to not be a drag. It's really well shot for something so perfunctory and that helps. Plotwise it's more haphazard as so much relies on chance. Scenes in Russia where everyone speaks English and has Western mannerisms are particularly strange too. Michael Caine is an odd lead, having none of the energy of a spy like Bond, nor the professionalism of a spy like Smiley. He's like a bland middle-aged British father in spy form, which is hardly a compelling middleground. In a more interesting role is a young Pierce Brosnan as the main villain, despite his character being saddled with some puzzling subplots. The Fourth Protocol may be a strange film in many ways, but ultimately it's actually quite safe and just a decent spy film disguised as something that should be more interesting.

Part cold war revisionism (complete with Michael Caine pretty much playing a middle-aged Harry Palmer), part an exercise in eurocentrism nostalgia. Director John Mackenzie has a nice touch that allows it to never bogs down too much on the excessive overplotting, the film becomes a very serious comedy about two extreme competent man of action trying to finish there missions unaware of the multiple machinations of a large power structure set on try too perpetuate itself despite Perestroika, only one that nevver forgets that tense ticking clock at the center of it. There's lots of good meaty acting particular by Joanna Cassidy. Also Brosnan has rarely been better. Co-written by George Axlrod (his last screen credit).

30th Anniversary of The Fourth Protocol today. Another film that I've never seen (the day is full of them, save one). And this was decent. It's more of a slow burn spy thriller with two good leads in Pierce Brosnan and Michael Caine. The late John Mckenzie directs this in almost a procedural way. And it's got a very mid-80's, height of the Cold War plot involving the Soviet Union and nuclear proliferation agreements. My only complaint against this film is that it's a little too dry and long at nearly 2 hours. This was an adaptation of the 1984 novel of the same name.

"I thought you'd get to that."

Big scale spy thriller with an unfortunate home video release, this film has the unique pinning of Bronson versus Caine with a eye popping supporting cast. It has atomic bombs, Americanized baddies, and plenty of tension to hold your attention.

The Fourth Protocol is a pretty decent espionage thriller which allows Caine to do what he does best (be angry!). The plot is pretty decent and John Mackenzie pieces it together well. It features The Archers and Big Daddy.

The Fourth Protocol is a dry and talky spy film, but provides sufficient Cold War tension to not be a drag. It's really well shot for something so perfunctory and that helps. Plotwise it's more haphazard as so much relies on chance. Scenes in Russia where everyone speaks English and has Western mannerisms are particularly strange too. Michael Caine is an odd lead, having none of the energy of a spy like Bond, nor the professionalism of a spy like Smiley. He's like a bland middle-aged British father in spy form, which is hardly a compelling middleground. In a more interesting role is a young Pierce Brosnan as the main villain, despite his character being saddled with some puzzling subplots. The Fourth Protocol may be a strange film in many ways, but ultimately it's actually quite safe and just a decent spy film disguised as something that should be more interesting.

One of the last great analogue tradecraft movies.
Something I miss in information age spy films is all the props, the ingenious ways to hide or disguise physical objects.

In closing, for some reason since I was a kid I've been madly in love with the scene where Michael Caine fucks up some Nazis (BNP/National Front, same difference) on the tube.

三星半，话说有谁跟我一样以为还会接着演凯恩如何搞定叛国上司吗？

I started watching it but the stream gave out on me after 30 minutes. Which gave me the most suspenseful moment in that half an hour.

"I thought you'd get to that."

Big scale spy thriller with an unfortunate home video release, this film has the unique pinning of Bronson versus Caine with a eye popping supporting cast. It has atomic bombs, Americanized baddies, and plenty of tension to hold your attention.

several scenes stood out for me like the one with Michael Caine on the tube... but if we're going to talk about trimming the fat in cinema, not one scene with Ned Beatty or Matt Frewer should have made the final edit. especially with such a slow-paced movie, none of these subplots were needed whatsoever. it reminded me of the time i rented The Meaning of Life from Blockbuster and someone had spliced in bits from The Crimson Permanent Assurance throughout it.

pierce brosnan