Rebus (TV Series) Black and Blue (2000) User Reviews

disappointing !!

[rjg-7 · 8/10 · 6 December 2000]

For many like me who have enjoyed Ian Rankin's novels on John Rebus, John Hannah's efforts will come as a disappointment. As with so many films and TV dramas, they never seem to quite capture the best of the book.

Hannah is a fine actor, but frankly doesn't look or have the feel for the character as portrayed in the novels. (A younger James Cosmo would have been perfect).That said it was a well made production, and it was nice to see Edinburgh portrayed for once as not the picture postcard city so often seen on the screen - but with its more realistic darker side.

Casting

[BumbleBoo · 8/10 · 30 October 2001]

Being a great fan of the John Rebus series I was interested to see the TV production but sadly John Hannah just does not add up to the part. I have admired his previous work but the fault lies with casting -he is simply too young! His accent should also be Edinburgh and not to close to the Glaswegian one that comes across, he is from East Kilbride after all but the character is from Fife so why not a Fife accent? OK this is all academic especially when lines are mumbled and one can hardly understand what is being said, I pity anyone south of the border (Scottish) and those overseas! Apart form these points I have really enjoyed the series, I just wish that the Directors would read the books a little more closely and fine tune the characters.

Black and Blue

[Prismark10 · 6/10 · 6 December 2020]

John Hannah does not come across as a world weary veteran detective. I did not think even Ian Rankin viewed Rebus as someone who looked like Hannah.

The film starts off with a man forcibly tied up in a chair and thrown out of an upstairs window. Made to look like a suicide.

Rebus investigates and thinks that the dead man had links with the Edinburgh and Aberdeen drugs gangs.

That is not all. Rebus is soon on the roof of a prison. A prisoner holds a hostage and pleads his innocence as the serial killer dubbed The Preacher before throwing himself off the roof.

The Preacher has attracted a copycat some years on. He is labelled The Disciple who kills prostitutes. However Rebus is pulled off that case. There is some concerned that the conviction of the original Preacher might now be disputed. The conduct of Rebus's superiors raises concerns.

Then there is a mystery journalist who has returned to the country. He is knowledgeable of the bible and is investigating the new spate of killings. He handily breaks into computer systems and blags information on the phone.

There are a lot of disparate plot strands which handily tie up. The first television adaptation of a Rebus story takes its inspiration from Taggart. It too had complicated stories which usually straightened itself out by the end.

The Hannah adaptations also have a voiceover but I did not think that added much. It might have added a noirish touch.

This was an interesting first episode but it did lack a distinct style. It felt maybe a little too generic and even forced. I have mentioned similarities to Taggart. When the mystery journalist rings around and obtains a password and other confidential information. It also reminded me off Brian Cox's interpretation of Hannibal Lecktor in Manhunter.

And then it hit me. Thunk.

[briginsh · 10/10 · 16 January 2006]

Very enjoyable adaptation of the Ian Rankin novels, this is the first out of 4 of the superior 2000/2001 miniseries of adaptations. The two Stuart Hepburn scripted outings (Black and Blue and Dead Souls) are slightly superior; Mortal Causes is very good and Hanging Garden slightly less satisfying. John Hannah, although a bit young for the part (according to author Rankin, Hannah is a "lovely guy, lovely guy: young, good looking - all the things that Rebus isn't!"), does a great job (see http://www.bbc.co.uk/norfolk/your/extra/ian_rankin_interview6.shtml for the full quote). Far superior to the 2006 miniseries, which lack Hannah, substituting capable journeyman Ken Stott (bad), and are far less well-scripted (fatal).

Disappointing; possible spoilers

[krytenk · 3/10 · 25 September 2003]

I've been a fan of the Rebus books for a long time, and was excited to finally get hold of a copy of the DVD. Unfortunately, John Hannah is far too young to play Rebus. Combine that with the butchering of the story - renaming the central villain, the rooftop scene at the jail, the lack of explanation as to who Rebus is, and you've got a very disappointing adaptation.

John Rebus is a very complex character. The books build his character nicely, so you really feel you get to know him. This doesn't. This throws you into the story with no real explanations as to what's happening, or why. There's no explanation of the relationships between the characters.

It's a shame. Done properly, the Rebus books would adapt really well to TV. Unfortunately, this misses out by a long way.

Mediocre

[Thorsten-Krings · 5/10 · 8 March 2007]

Black and Blue is possibly the weakest of the Rebus novels. That is mainly the case because the original murder series is never really investigated and the focus is on the copycat murder which also remains superficial. The novels finishes with too many lose ends. So it was not the best choice for the first adaptation. John Hannah is a convincing Rebus, just the way I imagined him. Rebus' moods, his drinking problems and depressions are really very well depicted and perfectly acted by Hannah and there certainly is a violent and dark streak to him. The story however is fairly weak. We learn nothing about the motives of either murderer- they just do it. That makes the film fairly superficial. It's not that both murderers are flat characters, we just never learn anything about them. It has to be said though that the ending is neater than in the book. All in all, it's a sequence of events that just happen. It's dark but not particularly exciting. Siobhan Clarke becomes a minor character and the chemistry between them is not visible. To some extent that is due to Rebus' prostitute friend who is actually not in the book.