Burke and Hare (2010) User Reviews

Has its hit and miss moments, but mostly entertaining

[TheLittleSongbird · 7/10 · 1 March 2011]

Burke and Hare is not a masterpiece by any stretch of the imagination, but it is not a bad film either or completely deserving of all the panning it got. It is far from talented director John Landis's best film not like Blues Brothers or An American Werewolf in London, but it is not his worst either as is the case with Blues Brothers 2000 and Beverly Hills Cop III.

Does Burke and Hare completely work? No it doesn't. Is it entertaining? On the most part yes, even with the hits and misses. The film to me was never laugh-out-loud hilarious excepting two or three scenes(Jessica Hynes's eureka moment inventing funeral parlours being one), most of the time it was still amusing. In my view, the sight gags were better than the script. The sight gags range from nicely understated such as the pot shots at Wordsworth, Lister and Greyfriars Bobby to crass slapstick such as chamber pot contents being dropped on heads. There is even a sex scene that raised a laugh, decide for yourself whether it is intentional or not, whether it was or not I personally did find it amusing. The script(the smart black humour kind) varies as well from having a good chuckle, raising a smile to where I found myself rather blank faced.

John Landis does do a credible job directing. He mixes contemporary innovation and social issue with ease, and although he doesn't quite make Burke and Hare the dark, smart, hilarious homage to Ealing comedy it strived to be or the throwback to American Werewolf(the comedy and horror elements are decent on their own but have mixed results together), there is evidence of the effort which is what mattered. The character development is very straight forward, that I do agree with, but the cast do make an effort to make us empathise with them, and I think they succeeded there. The Georgian setting is also convincing, the sets are beautifully evoked and I quite liked the costumes and cinematography too.

I do think all the cast have done better before, but I cannot deny this is a great cast. Simon Pegg and Andy Serkis are a well-matched double act. They work very well together, and both give entertaining performances in the process. I also liked seeing Christopher Lee, Ronnie Corbett, Paul Whitehouse(the scene where he is pushed down the stairs is hilarious) and Bill Bailey even if their appearances are rather brief. Isla Fisher(the love story between her and Pegg though is pretty weak and underdeveloped) and Jessica Hynes are alluring and do show at least some flair for comedy, Hynes actually is very funny, and while they should have had more screen time Tom Wilkinson and Tim Curry are suitably antagonistic and compelling. I do agree about the accents being variable, I had little problem with Pegg and Serkis and Wilkinson's was convincing, Curry just about passes, while Fisher's comes and goes and some of the cameos don't quite make it.

In conclusion, entertaining enough if somewhat hit-and-miss. With a longer length, perhaps more tighter pacing and some more care on the accents it could have been more. But the direction, setting and cast convinced me, so I enjoyed it. 7/10 Bethany Cox

Landis Comeback

[asgard-5 · 7/10 · 23 February 2011]

Burke and Hare is a story of two men in Scotland in the late XIX century barely making a dime when an opportunity comes along to earn hard cash by killing people and selling their bodies to the benefit of science.

This movie may seem morally rotten at its core making a comedy out of murder, but it succeeds at it while quite a lot of comedies with far less harmful plots don't, not to mention that some of the most popular TV shows of today make it fit right in. John Landis comedies much in common with ZAZ productions and sometimes are almost live action cartoons. The title characters are shown as flawed people in a desperate situation which they think justifies their actions - we don't laugh with them, only at them. And that's intentional.

John Landis came back with a surprisingly decent feature. It's as if the MTV-style cinema revolution has passed him by (the one that hit the new Sherlock Holmes square in the face). No camera gymnastics, no forced sensual assault, all the action and physical comedy happens in frame. Burke and Hare is his first 2.35:1 feature and it shows - the frame at first appears a little too wide, like if the characters were taken from a 16:9 movie and arranged accordingly. By the way, "highly entertaining", "very funny" and "packed with the cream of British talent" - those bits on the poster aren't far from the truth.

John Landis' Burke and Hare is more like a Victorian Laurel and Hardy

[Mr_Jellyfish · 7/10 · 28 October 2010]

Burke and Hare is a fast-paced, fun filled riot and the title roles are inhabited brilliantly by Simon Pegg (as William Burke) and Andy Serkis (as William Hare). Harking back to the good old American Werewolf days, Burke and Hare joyfully plays with your expectations, creating characters you like and sympathise with and then making you squirm as they nonchalantly murder their way through Edinburgh. Andy Serkis proves that he is the most easily likable man in the world with his earnest, all or nothing approach to acting, and as he reasons that mankind's fate is sealed the moment they're born, you almost find yourself nodding along happily when he suggests "helping them along the way". Simon Pegg has the straighter role, though not by far, as he gleefully goes from love-struck puppy-eyed romantic to monstrously suffocating old ladies in the blink of an eye, his facial expressions, mostly of dim witted "innocence" perfectly contrast with Serkis (Burke's reaction to Hare's coinage of the term "burking" is hilarious). All in all the duo are a perfect pare, thick as thieves and as funny as, well, horrible murderers.

Very enjoyable (forget werewolf)

[BurntEloi · 18 February 2011]

Expectations from other reviewers must have been too high. This movie is thoroughly enjoyable, despite the subject matter, which I suppose is the whole point. I found it to be comically dark as expected. Although in a lighter tone than "I sell the dead" which is another good film in the same vein. The casting was well composed and at times gave me the feel of a Terry Pratchett production. The sets and cinematography were spot on and very believable. I simply wouldn't try to compare this film to any of John Landis' previous works ,it stand on its own and demonstrates the dynamic abilities of both cast and crew. All in all worth a go if you are in the mood for a few good laughs.

I sell the ...

[kosmasp · 6/10 · 30 December 2010]

While there was another movie with a similar theme, that I watched last year, I thought this would be superior to that one. I mean this is made by John Landis. So I was expecting quite a bit more from it, I have to admit. It does not disappoint completely, it just feels like a bit too light. There seems to be something missing. Character development is straightforward, but still it's nothing grand. Something I came to expect from a Landis movie.

Of course I might be nit-picking. The movie is not bad at all. It has quite a few comic moments (an intercourse scene that is just funny and could not be called arousing at all, works greatly, there are scenes of great comedy value besides that too), but there is still something missing to make it better. I would recommend a watch. I'd just say not to expect too much!

Edit: I just found out a month ago, that there is a very good chance, that there is another cut of this movie. A cut approved by Mr. Landis himself (which seems not to have been the case with this one) ... that would explain quite a lot ...

Like a Hammer film played for laughs

[trevorwomble · 6/10 · 28 October 2010]

It is good to see a John Landis film back on the big screen but i feel he missed a trick or two with this average effort. Firstly, for a film set in Scotland i found it odd that the cast was almost entirely English, betraying the roots of the story (and of the English cast only Tom Wilkinson ,a splendid actor, managed to give a good approximation of a Scots accent).

This film felt a bit of a homage to the Hammer films, a point made when a certain Hammer Icon makes a cameo appearance (i won't name the individual as i don't want to add a spoiler). I am guessing Landis is a Hammer fan and to be fair to him the sets and locations work quite well, giving Edinburgh a spooky feel to it. Both Pegg and Serkis are OK in the lead roles and do their best to sound Irish. It was also good to see Jenny Agutter make a brief appearance too, especially as she is invariably remembered for appearing in Landis's American Werewolf in London nearly 30 years ago...a nice touch by the director. In fact there seems to be quite a lot of casting British film and TV icons in this film (Ronnie Corbett being another) so i'm guessing that maybe Simon Pegg or Andy Serkis only agreed to do it if certain British childhood icons of theirs were also given parts.

To be honest the Burke and Hare story has been better done before but this film puts a comedic twist on it that doesn't always work. The bad language feels unnecessary for a start and the gore isn't as bad as i thought (certainly not on the levels of the Hostel or Saw films...and not even as graphic as the Final Destination franchise). There are some genuine laughs to be had but usually when Pegg and Serkis are on the screen. The story itself also swings back and forth between gruesome and the unexpected romantic angles that may have been intended to show Burke and Hare as committing their crimes for something other than just greed.

Basically this is a reasonably graphic horror story with heart and morality that has some good laughs but falls flat in a few areas. The cast give it their best shot and whilst it has an old fashioned feel to it in many ways, it is the unnecessary post-modern touches, the inconsistent rate at which the comedy comes and the rather odd casting that jarred me. However do keep an eye out for the odd cameo appearance from some famous actors and comedians.

another great film from Mr Simon Pegg

[HelenMary · 7/10 · 16 June 2012]

The amazing Simon Pegg in this historical comedy based on the real life murderers Burke and Hare. Very funny all the way through, witty and with a star-studded cast of the English screen. Have wanted to see this since it was in the cinema and I can't believe it's taken me this long - well worth the wait! Some cringeworthy gross bits, but an all round a romp of a good film. So many laughs. Some at the expense of the accents.

Reminiscent of Plunket and Macleane with dark bawdy humour and little colour, period pieces with lots of physical humour and style in keeping with how the times would have been, not too showy and "hollywood." Pegg and Serkis were brilliant together and Jessica Hynes is always a comedy genius. British film at it's best.

"Men like us. Make our own luck."

[lost-in-limbo · 7/10 · 16 June 2012]

In recent times John Landis has somewhat been in the wilderness in delivering feature length films (as he has been sticking to TV shows or documentaries with his last film coming out in 1998), but the British produced "Burke and Wills" was a welcoming return to the comedy sub- genre. So another attempt at this infamous story of Edinburgh's most infamous murderers? Where Landis takes a horrific legendary tale of corpse snatching, mass murdering and scientific medicine to make a genuinely humorous and fruitful black comedy led by the animated performances of Simon Pegg, Andy Serkis, Isla Fisher and Tom Wilkinson as Dr Robert Knox. Edinburgh, 1825. Burke and Hare are two cohorts looking to make a quid, where they discover they're on a gold mine when they come about a dead body which one doctor Knox would pay very well for his work. To come across more the two arrange a series of deadly accidents, but while easy at first with the money coming in they begin to realise it's a lot harder to set in motion and soon a downward spiral begins. It's conventional in its laughs and very much has Landis signature touches throughout. From references to cameos and then the visual slap-stick gags. Period setting, costumes and set-designs are richly detailed. The at death's door story is sharp and characterised by it's punchy script, but it can languish in some wearing sub-plots that simply go round in circles and you feel it could gone a little more further in its approach of the material. Nonetheless it perfectly captures the inner struggle of right and wrong of one of its protagonist, the ironic chain of events that would follow and it's a fun enterprise with the perfectly nailed buddy combination between Pegg and Serkis. Watching these two together scheming were the best moments of the film. While their actions are appalling, you can't help but find them appealing. Also co-starring is Tim Curry, Jessica Hynes (who's enthusiasm stands-out), Michael Smiley, Ronnie Corbett and Bill Bailey contributing to the narration as the hangmen. Then you got the likes of Christopher Lee, Paul Whitehouse, Ray Harryhausen and Jenny Agutter in bit parts.

"This is thirsty work"

Funny people team up to make an unfunny film

[adamscastlevania2 · 5/10 · 26 March 2015]

(44%) A well made, yet oddly completely unfunny watch centred around the crimes of the notorious murderous duo in 19th century Edinburgh. So what exactly went wrong here? Because with the cast including the talented Simon Pegg and Andy Serkis, with support from the likes of Tim Curry, Tom Wilkinson, British TV favourite Ronny Corbett, even Christopher Lee in a small cameo, and with John Landis directing meaning this should have been a hell of a lot better than it actually is. The first problem is the fact that this starts claiming to be an Earling studio production, and not once in the entire film did it ever remotely capture the feel of that once great name. It may have the darker edge you'll find in something like The ladykillers, but what is really lacking is any sort of soul or heart. It doesn't also help that the true tale of Burke and Hare isn't actually that comedic as there's no real punchline anywhere, just a couple of guys making a bit of money grave robbing and killing people, and that's about it. This isn't a bad watch by any means, but I defy anyone truly enjoying its half baked attempts.

Falls between two stools

[neil-476 · 7/10 · 29 October 2010]

John Landis' retelling of the true story of the notorious bodysnatchers of the early 18th century, supplying fresh bodies for the purposes of medical research (sometimes so fresh that the hearts hadn't stopped beating until Burke and Hare made sure they did) is a curious movie.

The expression which kept going through my head while I was watching it was "knockabout comedy." Now I'm not saying that comedy and horror can't happily co-exist - Landis' own American Werewolf In London is a case in point - but there is a difference between comedy and knockabout comedy. I must say that there is a lot of quite funny stuff in this movie - the knockabout comedy, for the most part, works well in isolation. And there is also a sense of authentic 18th century grime, greyness and coldness to accompany the gruesome (but not that gruesome) activities of the individuals involved. The problem is that, while I like bacon, and I like custard, I'm not sure I want to eat them together, and the comedy and horror in Burke And Hare sits in the same area for me.

The cast all perform well, although nearly everyone - and there are a lot of well-known faces here - is required to do either a Scots or Irish accent and some of them are, let's be honest, a bit dodgy.

Jessica Hynes has a lot of fun, as does her character: the audience perhaps less so.

Isla Fisher looks as if she has been visited by the Boob Fairy post-birth. This is not a bad thing. her flair for comedy is put to good use.

Simon Pegg engages audience sympathy: Andy Serkis doesn't.

Agonising

[rooee · 3/10 · 30 October 2010]

It's the world's worst-kept secret that John Landis hasn't directed a really good film in over twenty years. The real tragedy is that he spent a decade between 1978 and 1988 making what are now some of the most fondly remembered of all modern comedies: from the anarchy of Animal House, to the reckless excesses of Blues Brothers, through the sharp observations of Trading Places, via the bonkers ensemble of Three Amigos!, to the broad satire of Coming to America.

Burke and Hare, about cadaver salesmen operating in 19th century Edinburgh (a concept with body-bags of comic potential), boasts an impressive cast of British (albeit largely non-Scottish) talent, including a few familiar Landis faces - Jenny Agutter, John Woodvine and David Schofield all featured in An American Werewolf in London.

But also sadly familiar is the dearth of quality writing and comedy timing on show. Landis approaches the film with a ribald, Carry On sensibility; and yet the script delivers very few actual jokes - certainly none that can be picked out by the roots - and the production design is more Barry Lyndon grimy than Hammer Horror camp.

Scene after scene ends on a meaningless bog-eyed glare from Burke (Simon Pegg) or Hare (Andy Serkis), inspiring embarrassed silence from the audience. Isla Fisher is game as Ginny, the ex-pro with theatrical ambitions. Tom Wilkinson, as the celebrity surgeon who inadvertently inspires the eponymous anti-heroes' rampage, is dead serious in the midst of all the knockabout nonsense. Ronnie Corbett - always a welcome face - tries hard to squeeze some humour from a surprisingly prominent role, but to no avail.

It's not all doom and gloom. There are flashes of Landis at his macabre best in a couple of the murder setups, and a sex scene between Hare and Lucky (Pegg's old partner-in-crime Jessica Hynes) provides far and away the film's funniest scene. But these are atypical moments in an otherwise wasted opportunity.

The biggest challenge the story faced was turning two mass murderers into characters you can follow, laugh with and have empathy for and I think this film does it really well.

[PatrickSamuel · 8/10 · 29 October 2010]

Released just in time for Halloween is the macabre tale of Burke and Hare! Set in 1820's Edinburgh, two Irish immigrants, William Burke (Simon Pegg) and William Hare (Andy Serkis), try one business venture after the next, and one after the next they fail. Just at the point where they're about to face financial ruin, the duo come up with an ingenious idea when they spot a in the niche in the market for the supply and demand of fresh dead bodies which manages to turn their fortunes around.

The story is inspired by true events which took place in Edinburgh between November 1827 and 31 October 1828 when the real life Bukre and Hare murdered 16 people and sold their bodies to a private anatomy lecturer, Doctor Robert Knox (played by Tom Wilkinson in the film), for dissection at Edinburgh Medical College. Although this is the 8th time their story has been brought to the big screen, this marks the first time that we see them as two likable lead characters.

From a screenplay penned by Nick Moorcroft and Piers Ashworth and directed by the legendary John Landis, Burke And Hare harks back to the days of the old Ealing Studios dark comedies like Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949) and The Ladykillers (1955) which director John Landis is very fond of. It looks at the friendship between these two guys and focuses on the idea of who the bad guys really are. The doctors or the killers themselves? Mixing in a little Shakespeare with an all female production of Macbeth by Isla Fisher's character, Ginny, an aspiring young actress whom Burke falls madly in love with, another layer is added to the story. While Ginny ponders what would drive a man like Macbeth to murder, Burke looks at her and explains the character's motivation; "He did it for love".

By and large, I really enjoyed Bukre and Hare. The biggest challenge the story faced was turning two mass murderers into characters you can follow, laugh with and have empathy for and I think this film does it really well. As Burke is talked into the business with Hare, there's never the slightest feeling that his friend is purposefully leading him down a path to his own downfall, unlike the real Hare who gave Burke up in the end to escape a public hanging. Another element of the movie which was enjoyable was seeing so many familiar faces turning up in smaller roles; Ronnie Corbett decked out in his red and blue uniform as Captain McLintock, Christopher Lee as Old Joseph, one of Buke and Hare's early unfortunates and perhaps the most hilarious scene of all is when they push Paul Whitehouse down a flight of stairs! It's a good one to see if you're after something dark and funny this Halloween.

Really good black comedy

[masonsaul · 7/10 · 27 June 2020]

Burke and Hare is a really good black comedy that's funny and dark. Simon Pegg and Andy Serkis both give great performances and have good chemistry. Isla Fisher, Tom Wilkinson, Ronnie Corbett and Tim Curry are all really good. It's consistently funny throughout despite a few jokes that aren't funny. John Landis's direction is also really good and it's well filmed. It's well paced and the music by Joby Talbot is good.

It's comedy by Paint By Numbers.

[Cinema_Fan · 3/10 · 3 November 2010]

The latest release from Ealing Studio brings us nothing but anguish. Here, an English production, which too, brings together the crème da la crème of British comic talent, is spearheaded with American director John Landis. It all seems such a quaint and cosy relationship, that is, until the irony of its comic talents' being stretched to their limits to the point of an overbearing dull script that bears no content and meaning to the qualities of its cast. A script that having tipped over the precipice into the void of tumbleweed silence that is only projected with puerile gag after puerile gag.

It seems the progression of both writers Piers Ashworth and Nick Moorcroft, having both penned the St. Trinian's legacies, have stepped sideways rather than forward.

It may have its, few, moments of laugh-out-loud hilarities, but the tragic script has the film looking more redundant and childlike as the film goes on. It's more pantomime-silly, something the British excel when it comes to comedy, a change of direction perhaps? Rather than dark humoured wit. With the combination of British writers, actors etc and the American director it really does look like the overall production may have been lost in translation. With Mr. Landis's past works, in contrast, this effort is simply an embarrassing nail in the coffin of wasted opportunities. The jokes, gags, humour just does not gel into place to form any fluid coherent form.

In this lost land of weak and forgetful writing, we may also be witnessing Mr. Pegg's weakest and lowest point in his career, simply dire and if at times too uncomfortable to behold, we have not seen Mr. Pegg, here, at his best. While on the other hand, we are also witness to one of the most misplaced, miscast crimes of the century, and this being the role of Ronnie Corbett as one Captain McLintock. This is, again, pure undiluted and ridiculous pantomime theatrics.

The whole exercise seems patchy. At an individual level, the prime of British comedy here is more than exemplary, such as Bill Bailey, the great Ronnie Corbett, Tim Curry, Simon Pegg, Andy Serkis and Reece Shearsmith for example, British comedy spanning decades. I truly believe that here, with Burke and Hare, a true opportunity has been lost in the smog of a high-octane director and its eagerness to exploit this Englishness. The rain has comedown too early and the colours have run into the gutter before one had the chance to truly explore the vast picture of experience of this great British elite.

A dark comedy

[Gordon-11 · 5 August 2011]

This is a black comedy about two men who makes a fortune by selling bodies to the medical profession for anatomy classes.

The story of "Burke and Hare" is dark and disturbing if you think about it, but it does not feel this way when you watch it. Instead, it appears lighthearted and likable, even though the main characters commit the most heinous crimes. The plot is engaging, and I feel a little sorry for Dr Knox and William Burke for their fate to end like that.

The film has loads of dark humour. It is funny in its own unique way, not the laugh out loud nonsense type of funny. It is worth a watch if you come across this film.

its OK - i was entertained

[robbierunciman-1 · 7/10 · 31 October 2010]

The film only had one person from Edinburgh in it - Ronnie Corbett, the remainder has accents that may have been Scottish or not. I note that John Woodvine is described in above as the Mayor in the cast list - he is the Lord Provost that is equivalent to LORD Mayor.

There are some good gags - Greyfriars Bobby episode in the grave yard was brilliant (though' in Ashford Kent - the less sophisticated audience missed it) several laugh out loud moments elsewhere and a good cast that hammed up their roles brilliantly. I thought Simon Pegg did well to find some humanity in his character. Andy Serkis was wonderfully amoral.

Not sure if real Edinburgh locations were used but the 'all girl macbeth' was a nod to the festival and some locations (George IV bridge) looked real. The lanes I was less sure about but l loved the fact it was the early 19th Century in its earthy glory.

Well cast, unsubtly entertaining tribute to Brit horror

[trentreid-1 · 6/10 · 16 April 2011]

Well cast, unsubtly entertaining tribute to Brit horror and comedy with a classic sense of Landis & co. having fun. Shot at Ealing and packed with cameos, it is neither as horrific as previous takes on the characters or as funny as the classic comedy it references. But for fans unlikely to see new films eager to borrow much from either style, it is interesting to see such a bold take mixing both.

Serkis and Hynes are great together, Pegg and Fisher not so much. Which is important as their romance and the mise en abyme, all-female production of The Scottish Play that comments back upon it are not particularly captivating. The support cast is terrific, however, with Wilkinson and Curry in good if typecast form. There are also brief appearances by Woodvine from Landis' An American Werewolf in London, inspirational mentor Ray Harryhausen, and Landis' recently passed cinematographer Bob Paynter.

However, I could have used less of Ronnie Corbett in familiar military attire as captain of the militia. Perhaps more of Jenny Agutter, Christopher Lee as Old Joseph, (a nod to The Crimson Pirate?) Paul Whitehouse - or pairing in Harry Enfield would have been more consistently funny. Nonetheless, the film has more than a single premise for jokes - a feature that distinguishes it from the mass of current horror-comedy. And although it sometimes falls flat, such instances are from the ambitious mix of elements being sincerely held to tribute.

I thought it quite good

[screamingape31 · 7/10 · 24 May 2012]

@ Girlystyle: Hear, hear. The story itself is not "laugh-out-loud" funny; I thought the situational humor very rich. I'm not sure I agree with Burke's romantic subplot, but the true-crime basis for the script probably needed some kind of leavening. The production design was superb and there were plenty of great British actors to fill the niches. Andy Serkis, Simon Pegg, John Landis directing-- honestly, what is there to complain about? Perhaps part of the problem is the lack of good dark humor these days. I've always thought John Landis to have a good understanding of this genre (American Werewolf in London a case in point), but when I see this film I have a distinct feeling of "looking back". After all, dark comedy is a subset of satire, and if there's one thing lacking in the Industry now, it's a finely-developed sense of irony.

BURKE & HARE (John Landis, 2010) ***

[Bunuel1976 · 7/10 · 27 January 2011]

I was obviously interested in watching this for being the nth rendition of the titular cause célèbre and for marking director Landis' return to film-making after a 12-year hiatus from the big screen (at least, his 2 "Masters Of Horror" entries were decidedly above-average) but, for the very same reasons, was rather wary of the prospect!; incidentally, the reviews I had read were quite mixed, so I really could not anticipate what my reaction was going to be: I need not have worried, however, as I generally loved the result!

While the film immediately states that it did not intend to stick to the facts, the whole was handled with assurance (as if Landis had never been away, or that AN American WEREWOLF IN London [1981] – a sure testament to his talent – was not just a distant memory) and, even if the grim subject matter was treated as farce (with the public hangman acting as Chorus, no less!), its period backdrop of 1820s Edimburgh was meticulously re-created; if anything, he certainly cannot say that the United Kingdom has not proved fortuitous for him! Just as the recent (and atypical) vampire flick LET ME IN (2010) saw the welcome resurgence of Britain's House Of Horror, Hammer Films, this is co-produced by the famed Ealing Studios (best-known for a string of comedy classics dating from the late 1940s through to the mid-1950s, including two with similarly macabre overtones as the film under review i.e. KIND HEARTS AND CORONETS [1949] and THE LADYKILLERS [1955], and which had actually closed its doors way back in 1959!).

BURKE AND HARE is very well-cast (Simon Pegg and Andy Serkis display remarkable chemistry throughout; similarly, Tom Wilkinson and Tim Curry's medics provide compelling antagonism). The supporting cast, then, is peppered with stars, including 4 from the afore-mentioned AN American WEREWOLF IN London – David Schofield in a sizeable part, John Woodvine, Jenny Agutter in a blink-and-you'll-miss-her bit, and even d.p. Robert Paynter (incidentally, one is glad they at least had no qualms about working for Landis again after the TWILIGHT ZONE debacle, involving a tragic stunt that claimed the life of actor Vic Morrow). Also on hand are comedian Ronnie Corbett as the dogged militia head, Christopher Lee in a nice eccentric turn as Victim No. 2, stop-motion animation wizard Ray Harryhausen…not to mention non-horror directors like Michael Winner and Costa-Gavras!

As I said, the script takes numerous liberties, down to attributing the invention of photography, as well as the setting-up of the funeral-parlor business and the protection racket to these events. The love story between Burke and a young actress gives the film heart (and Isla Fisher is beguiling in the part) – though his self-sacrifice and "I did it for love" declaration at the end comes off as overly-romanticized – just as Hare's relationship with his alcoholic but shrewd wife supplies the requisite lustiness. The best comic moments here generally have to do with the titular duo's clutch of victims or near-victims: the awkward position of the first subject when presented to Dr. Knox, the punchline of the (somewhat clichéd) gag of a barrel 'escaping' down a slope, an impossibly obese man expiring from a heart attack after being assaulted in an alley; plus a drunken man falling a flight of stairs and nonchalantly picking himself up to keep shuffling his way home, and Winner's carriage nose-diving into the river after being diverted by a felled tree.

Go and see Burke and Hare? Over my dead body!

[david-phillips-4 · 1/10 · 28 October 2010]

John Landis helms a cinematic release for the first time in over a decade and he returns to his familiar and previously successful hunting ground of the macabre comedy. It's almost 30 years since Landis scared us and entertained us in equal measure in An American Werewolf in London and he returns once more to the UK with this period piece based upon the real-life murderers (perhaps the world's first serial killers) Burke and Hare. Simon Pegg (Burke) and Andy Serkis (Hare) are the eponymous duo stalking 19th century Edinburgh for cadavers to sell to the city's medical school. All they have to do to keep the money rolling in is to keep the bodies coming. With the team behind the two recent St. Trinians movies writing the screenplay, I couldn't help but wonder if this might be more farce than frights and that the film would not strike a fine balance between the two in the way that An American Werewolf in London did so brilliantly. And so it was; although to even elevate this dross to farce would be too much. Landis keeps well away from providing scares and instead directs a film that reminded me of the awful 1992 attempt to revive Carry On films: Carry on Columbus. Burke and Hare is littered with obvious jokes and they all miss rather than hit their marks. It also seems to rely heavily on having famous faces pop up for cameos: Christopher Lee, Ronnie Corbett, Stephan Merchant, Reece Shearsmith, Bill Bailey, Paul Whitehouse, Ray Harryhausen; the list goes on. Landis even has the gall to include Jenny Agutter and John Woodvine (of An American Werewolf in London) in a film that simply does not deserve to pay tribute to that previous collaboration. It's not so bad to have plenty of cameos (Landis had already done so with much success in The Blues Brothers), but only if the material they are involved in is worthy and this certainly is not. It almost seemed as though they hoped that the audience would pay more attention to cameo spotting than the weak script. Based upon these performances Andy Serkis should stick to wearing an all in one gimp suit and being filmed for a CGI character a la King Kong and Gollum. Simon Pegg comes out of this no better and he must surely be hopeful that his stock as the fanboys' fanboy will not be dented by such a dreadful turn. Tom Wilkinson and Tim Curry scrape by purely because their characters are neither interesting nor have much screen time. Isla Fisher and Jessica Hynes even overplay their parts as the love interests of Burke and Hare. It's easy to blame the script. It must have read like a bad pantomime and so was performed like one. There seems to have been no quality control present and any joke thought of was included. Otherwise, I would hate to see what did not make it into the final version. The only redeeming features I can think of is that the Edinburgh locations looked good and that it only last for 90 minutes. Landis' best work is over 20 years ago and any chance of a return to that form looks as dead as the cadavers Burke and Hare provided. Go and see Burke and Hare? Over my dead body! My Rating: 0/5

Enjoyable enough

[jjj1924 · 6/10 · 7 November 2010]

I saw this last week, and it lived exactly up to my expectations. Not great, not terrible. Serkis and Pegg are funny in certain moments, both of them at times have expressions that genuinely make you laugh out loud!! Once you suspend your disbelief, Ronnie Corbett as the chief of the militia is pretty funny!! People have said it is too dark to be a comedy, and too light to be a drama. For me, this is a classic "leave your brain at the door" film. Most of people in cinema were laughing a few times, and I didn't find it too dark. Even the bits with dead bodies were more funny than frightening. If your wanting to have a laugh, and are not over squeamish, I recommend it. Doesn't pretend to be anything it isn't.

Diabolical graverobber "comedy"

[Leofwine_draca · 3/10 · 11 February 2012]

I wonder who thought a comedy about Britain's most famous graverobbers would be a good idea? A brief look at the credits of the guys who did the screenplay soon reveals that they're the ones behind ST TRINIAN'S 2: THE LEGEND OF FRITTON'S GOLD. That alone speaks volumes.

Of course, the story is doomed to failure from the very beginning, because comedy is so hard to get right. The jokes are either funny or they're not. It goes without saying that I didn't laugh once during the course of this film. The gurning, mugging, getting-crap-poured-over-them gags aren't an example of getting it right. In fact, BURKE & HARE gets it very wrong indeed, which is kind of sad because back in the day John Landis was a great director. Now he's mired in the dreck.

Simon Pegg plays Simon Pegg, with the addition of that Scottish accent he used in STAR TREK. Andy Serkis is Andy Serkis with a similar-sounding accent. Both seem to be in it for the money. Isla Fisher – well, don't get me started on Isla Fisher, and her extensive sub-plot involving some rubbish about the first all-female production of Macbeth. Huh? I thought this was meant to be a film about graverobbing, yet half of it's about bloody Macbeth, and the other half just changes history when it feels like it.

Lots of effort was made in recreating 19th century Edinburgh, and the supporting cast is, frankly, astonishing. Tom Wilkinson, Tim Curry, Christopher Lee, David Schofield, Ronnie Corbett, Hugh Bonneville, Jenny Agutter, hell, even Stephen Merchant, Michael Winner and Paul Whitehouse. And what do all these fine people have in common? They're singularly wasted, either relegated to boring serious roles or blink-and-you'll-miss-em cameos. No, I won't waste any more time on a film I'd rather forget even exists – especially when you have a wealth of minor classics on the same subject (THE BODY SNATCHER, THE FLESH AND THE FIENDS, BURKE AND HARE…even DR JEKYLL AND SISTER HYDE!).

My 371st Review: Good classic British ghoulish comedy

[intelearts · 8/10 · 19 February 2011]

The true story of Burke and Hare, the Edinburgh body snatchers, here is given a first comic turn. Both the leads and the support obviously enjoyed making this - and the result is a refreshingly straight-forward comedy with plenty of genuine laughs.

The film is simply a well-paced and well thought out comedy - everything for direction to script to the excellent costuming just works - and it is one of the better comedies of the year as it actually makes you laugh often and hard. The humour is dark enough to work, and all involved deliver it very well indeed.

We enjoyed this one a lot, it's got the right mix of silliness with a little horror that Simon Pegg does well, and all in this, this is just good straight-up entertainment with a huge galaxy of British comedians on display. Good stuff indeed.

Entertaining enough

[bowmanblue · 7/10 · 7 December 2019]

I'm always sceptical about films that claim to be 'based on a true story.' Most seem to be more fictionalised than accurate. Therefore, I appreciated the text at the beginning of 'Burke and Hare' which said something like 'Based on a true story (apart from the bits that aren't).' At least it admitted that, although based on a pair of murderous entrepreneurs over a hundred years ago, the film-makers have taken enough 'artistic license' with the source material to make it entertaining, rather than factually correct.

The characters (and people they're based on) of 'Burke' and 'Hare' were actually nineteenth century grave robbers who made a pretty penny selling their corpses to high-profile medical professionals of the day. In fact, demand was so high for their services that they end up having to employ - how should I put it - even more 'criminal' methods to keep the local doctors in 'stiffs.'

The two leads are played by Simon Pegg (most famous for his 'Cornetto trilogy') and Andy Serkis (most famous for never being seen on screen in favour of his 'motion capture' abilities). The film may not be the greatest written, or destined to win any awards (and many of Pegg's other characters will be remembered way over Burke), but the cast (and by that I mean everyone down to those with only a line or two here and there) are such a bunch of familiar faces from Tim Curry to Ronnie Corbett.

Due to the amount of death/murders, it's hardly a 'family film,' so you'll need to be in the mood for something pretty dark to get the most of out of this movie. There's even a reasonably but of gore here and there, not so much in the killings themselves, but in the various graphic autopsy scenes.

I won't say that 'Burke and Hare' is a fantastic film and definitely not a historically accurate one, but - luckily thanks to that opening line of text - I don't see it as a true depiction and merely an entertaining little tale, performed by a crop of very watchable and likable actors, mixed with plenty of blank comedy to keep you amused for an hour and a half.

Carry on Killing......

[FlashCallahan · 1/10 · 9 March 2011]

Based on the true story about the famous murderers, Burke And Hare follows the hapless exploits of these two men as they fall into the highly profitable business of providing cadavers for the medical fraternity in Nineteenth Century Edinburgh

Then the centre of medical learning.

The one thing they were short of was bodies....

The only thing that was missing from this film (apart from a funny script and good editing) where the incidental comedy noises used in many carry on films.

This film is the pits, it's beyond the pits, and is further proof of why Landis hasn't made a film in years.

I pray Pegg made this for further funding for Paul, because there is no excuse for a man of his talent to be in such a mess.

The whole cast are wasted, and this must have been heavily edited in the cutting room, because it lacks flow of any sort.

I've seen funnier episodes of crimewatch, and it's a shame that a whole host of British talent were wasted in this.

And it was Ronnie Corbetts big return to the silver screen too.