I've seen some pretty mixed reviews on this one, some of them good, but some of them unjustly negative.
Here's why.
I think most negative comments on this films are based in the fact that the classic lineup of our favorite criminal gang consists of Björn Gustafsson as Dynamite Harry, Gösta Ekman as Charles Ingvar and Ulf Brunberg as Ragnar 'Vanheden' from the 80s and 90s. That's the way we want to remember them. As the times are, we live in a time of sequels, prequels and reboots. That's just the currents on the Movie market. Deal with it. This movie was made, it was filmed and released. That's the way it is. The movie exists. Accept it.
The fact that they once decided to make a reboot on "Jönssons gang" franchise made most of the fans skeptical, including me. How could they ever capture that old feeling of those ingenious heist stories and slapstic relief? By making something totally new, of course!
First thing first, Everything we remember from the original franchise has made its transition into the 2100 Century. Modern technology, modern cars, more contemporary gadgets, Vanheden is more of a "brat" than a "player". Times change, so does the circumstances around which the movie's story takes place. Second, the characters back stories feel more trustworthy, or at least deeper. In the early movies, Harry just happened to be a guy who enjoyed blow things up an have an occassional beer afterward. Here he is an ex miner who drinks because he's depressed. In the early movies, Charles Ingvar is just a grumpy old goof. Here he can be bitter, sometimes flat out grim, mostly due to the murder of his uncle and the loss of his ex. Third, and this is the overall and most important element of how to turn the old classics into a new type of success; this movie is to be considered more as a thriller or a crime story than a flat out Comedy. Of course, there are some pretty funny scenes, but the overall tone is way darked than we remember from the classic franchise. Don't be fooled now, this is not a Bergman movie or "Silence of the Lambs" type of story. Only, darker compared to the old slapstick franchise.
There are plenty of scenes that makes you think of classic action Movies such as "Oceans 11", the James Bond Movies, "Gone in sixty seconds" and others.
Don't know what more to say. I liked it. It had some funny moments, a lot of thrill. It really made its way into the 2100 Century. Looking forward to a sequel, Believe it or not!
I think most negative comments on this films are based in the fact that the classic lineup of our favorite criminal gang consists of Björn Gustafsson as Dynamite Harry, Gösta Ekman as Charles Ingvar and Ulf Brunberg as Ragnar 'Vanheden' from the 80s and 90s. That's the way we want to remember them. As the times are, we live in a time of sequels, prequels and reboots. That's just the currents on the Movie market. Deal with it. This movie was made, it was filmed and released. That's the way it is. The movie exists. Accept it.
The fact that they once decided to make a reboot on "Jönssons gang" franchise made most of the fans skeptical, including me. How could they ever capture that old feeling of those ingenious heist stories and slapstic relief? By making something totally new, of course!
First thing first, Everything we remember from the original franchise has made its transition into the 2100 Century. Modern technology, modern cars, more contemporary gadgets, Vanheden is more of a "brat" than a "player". Times change, so does the circumstances around which the movie's story takes place. Second, the characters back stories feel more trustworthy, or at least deeper. In the early movies, Harry just happened to be a guy who enjoyed blow things up an have an occassional beer afterward. Here he is an ex miner who drinks because he's depressed. In the early movies, Charles Ingvar is just a grumpy old goof. Here he can be bitter, sometimes flat out grim, mostly due to the murder of his uncle and the loss of his ex. Third, and this is the overall and most important element of how to turn the old classics into a new type of success; this movie is to be considered more as a thriller or a crime story than a flat out Comedy. Of course, there are some pretty funny scenes, but the overall tone is way darked than we remember from the classic franchise. Don't be fooled now, this is not a Bergman movie or "Silence of the Lambs" type of story. Only, darker compared to the old slapstick franchise.
There are plenty of scenes that makes you think of classic action Movies such as "Oceans 11", the James Bond Movies, "Gone in sixty seconds" and others.
Don't know what more to say. I liked it. It had some funny moments, a lot of thrill. It really made its way into the 2100 Century. Looking forward to a sequel, Believe it or not!