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Rating:  - Fine if you're Scots
RebusOk but not great. Bit hard to follow the Scots accents, and the DVD doesn't include subtitles.
Rating:  - Enjoyable. An Excellent Adaptation Of The Popular Novels.
Rebus the DVD is a fairly accurate adaptation of Ian Rankin's story and will only disappoint those looking for perfection in the minutiae of the story and John Hannah's portrayal of the slightly off, but intrepid character, DI John Rebus. For even though John Hannah's performance is absolutely splendid, it is the Rebus of the adaptation, and not an exact copy of the character as drawn by Ian Rankin's pen.
In truth, I'm a reader and fan of the novels and it didn't bother me at all. Any bit of license the show's creators took was more than compensated for by keeping the production entirely in the city of Edinburgh, which as every reader knows, is the real antagonist in the Rankin DI Rebus stories.
As a fan of crime fiction televison exported to the US from the UK, I was delighted to find this unknown to me Scottish police mini-series and quite satisfied with the purchase after viewing.
Rating: - Can You Dig It? Only with Difficulty
The Scottish-made television series "Rebus," filmed in that country and starring local boy John Hannah as the title character, made its TV debut in 2000. It's based on the well-known series of the same name by Ian Rankin, who's now the most popular crime writer in the British Isles. And it was released on video in 2006; a box of three DVD's that gives us the first four shows.
It was the first of what has also proven to be a series of TV crime dramas, although further entries in the series star Sonny Stitt, rather than Hannah. The production is set in Edinburgh, as are the books; however, aside from the briefest sidelong glances, we don't see much of that beautiful city beloved of tourists. (Nevertheless, I went there a few years ago, and carved out for myself such a Rebus tour as time allowed; as I too am a rather longtime fan, and have read every one of the books save the last.) There appears to have been plenty of money thrown at the screen; it believably portrays the life of a modern business city, with clogged streets, bridges and roads. Cars, dress, housing and bars all look like the real thing.
John Hannah, most of us know, achieved a lasting high-profile with his powerful funeral scene in 1995's "Four Weddings and a Funeral;" as it happens, I had first noticed him in the Glasgow-set "Taggart" series. He sure is easy on the eyes, and I found him fine in the part; perhaps I'm not as demanding in this regard as a person of the other sex might be. As to what Stitt, reputed to be a very good tv actor might do with it, well, I've no idea.
As the first of the series to be filmed, the makers had their choice of books, and, as you might expect, they filmed four of the most interesting and powerful. The first disk gives us "Black and Blue," and "The Hanging Garden." "Black and Blue" is about a previous serial killer still at large, dubbed "The Prophet," and a copycat killer who's sprung up, dubbed "The Disciple." The novel won many awards, and helped to make Rankin's name: the plot's complex, and moves fast. "The Hanging Garden" is particularly powerful, as Rebus's daughter is hit by a hit-and-run driver and seriously injured. It also gives us a local gang war, a look at the illicit international trade in women, and a subplot about a World War II prison camp sadist who's escaped retribution, and gone comfortably to ground in Edinburgh.
The second disk gives us "Dead Souls,"an exploration of child abuse, and is a story that makes particularly good, resonant use of its setting. The third disk is "Mortal Causes;" it, like the book on which it's based, makes really strong use of the city's little-known corners, and centers, as did the book, on a plea for racial tolerance.
All four episodes are just crammed full of plot; and may be rather difficult for anyone not familiar with the underlying books to follow. They also all neatly, perhaps too neatly, have the detective solve every case within the allotted time: He also did so in the books, but that seemed less troublesome. Biggest problem with this series in my house was the sound track. On the second disk, we sometimes had the volume turned up to near 100, highest it's ever been, and still couldn't hear the entire dialog. Furthermore, this is a recently-made and -released series: why oh why doesn't it have subtitles? Even when the dialog is audible, the actors are speaking, as we agree they should, in that city's strong accent. These American ears would have been totally unable to follow the action, had I not previously read the books. That really shouldn't be so necessary, and I hope the further releases, starring Stitt, are a little more helpful in that regard.
Rating:  - Really annoying ads
So far I can't even work out how to watch this because there are multiple extended advertisements before the menu even comes up. Thumbs down.
Rating:  - Gritty, tough, but realistic
This is based on the first two stories, Black and Blue, and The Hanging Garden. I haven't read the books and haven't seen the other actor in the part, so this is a very direct, first-impression response.
It's GREAT!
Yes, the pace is fast, and perhaps the plot lines are a little tightly woven, but heck, these are crime thrillers set in the real down-and dirty Scottish underworld. Not the crime world of Poirot or Agatha Christie, and not the Scotland of Braveheart - think Trainspotting as a background, but more violent. And the casual brutality is no myth. A street kid in Oban described to me his approach to fighting - "Ah gie's him twa-three guid headers in the mooth, and then as he gings doon Ah pits the boot in."
According to some reviewers, D.I. Rebus is not quite as complex or conflicted as he is in the books, but he's complex and conflicted enough for me.
I can't get over the attitude of some reviewers to the Scottish accents. OK, I understand they can be difficult for Americans, but work a little, replay some bits now and again, you'll get it. It wasn't made for you initially, so dismissive comments like "unintelligible at times" are way off the mark.
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