'Cracker - A New Terror'
(Robbie Coltrane, et al / DVD / NR / (2006) 2007 / Acorn Media)
Overview: Robbie Coltrane (Harry Potter films) comes back for a purported final turn in the role that made him famous: the brilliant but deeply flawed forensic psychologist Dr. Edward “Fitz” Fitzgerald; the feature-length episode offers an edgy, contemporary crime drama dealing with hot-button political issues; includes 45-minute retrospective documentary.
DVD Verdict: Robbie Coltrane (the Harry Potter films) reprises his role as the abrasive, arrogant, and utterly brilliant psychologist, Dr. Edward "Fitz" Fitzgerald, in this feature-length, final installment of the award-winning crime series. After living as an ex-pat for a decade, Fitz returns to England for his daughter's wedding and finds his homeland profoundly changed in the aftermath of 9/11 and the Iraq war. Against the wishes of his family, Fitz joins the police in hunting for a murderer with no apparent motive.
Yep, that's right Coltrane is back in this thriller ... and he's older, fatter, and even more restless and risks his family, the admiration of his son, and his time with his new granddaughter, to "get on" with an intriguing case. Someone is killing people by breaking their necks. In the meantime you really get into the head of the killer, who is a vulnerable, sympathetic character and you gain a different perspective on the IRA problem.
All the regulars appear in this full-length episode and I was thrilled to get back to the series; so well-acted, each and every character perfectly cast, as always. Poor Mrs. Fitz; she can't get her husband to hang around and just play the grandfather! I hope they will make more Cracker episodes ... but based on this I doubt it. This is a Widescreen Presentation (1.85:1) enhanced for 16x9 TVs and comes with the Special Features of:
Cracker: Behind-the-Scenes
A 45-minute retrospective documentary featuring interviews with Robbie Coltrane, Jimmy McGovern, Barbara Flynn, Chris Eccleston and other members of the cast and creative team
www.AcornMedia.com