Story of movie Ffolkes Film :
North Sea Hijack (released as ffolkes outside the UK and as Assault Force on US TV) is a 1980 British action film starring Roger Moore, James Mason, Anthony Perkins and Michael Parks. It was directed by Andrew V. McLaglen and adapted by Jack Davies from his novel, Esther, Ruth and Jennifer.
| North Sea Hijack | |
|---|---|
Original UK film poster | |
| Directed by | Andrew V. McLaglen |
| Produced by | Elliott Kastner |
| Written by | Jack Davies |
| Starring | Roger Moore James Mason Anthony Perkins Michael Parks |
| Music by | Michael J. Lewis |
| Cinematography | Tony Imi |
| Edited by | Alan Strachan |
Production company | Cinema Seven Productions |
| Distributed by | Universal/CIC |
Release date | 3 April 1980 (UK) 18 April 1980 (US) |
Running time | 100 min |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $2,993,772 (US only) |
This film was a vehicle for both Moore and Perkins to try to escape typecasting. Previously, Moore had been practically typecast as a womanising, happy-go-lucky playboy in such series as The Saint, The Persuaders! and James Bond. In contrast to those parts, he portrays a bearded, eccentric, arrogant, cat-loving misogynist with master strategist skills.
Screenplay
Eccentric and cat-loving counter-terrorism consultant Rufus Excalibur ffolkes (Roger Moore) is asked by Lloyd's of London to develop a contingency plan should any of the North Sea oil installations they insure be threatened. Months later, a North Sea supply ship named Esther takes on board a group of men posing as reporters who are to visit the oil production platform Jennifer. The leader of this group, Lou Kramer (Anthony Perkins), hijacks the ship; the gangsters attach limpet mines to the legs of Jennifer and its accompanying oil drilling rig, Ruth, then issue a ransom demand for £25 million to the British government. Esther's crew tries to fight back, but is thwarted by Kramer's vigilance, and two of their number end up dead.
When the British Prime Minister (Faith Brook) and her staff consult Lloyd's, where both platforms are insured, about providing the ransom, the CEO (George Baker) informs them about ffolkes, and after some initial hesitation he is hired to take out the terrorist and retake the platforms. ffolkes enacts his plan by traveling to Jennifer as the aide of Admiral Brindsen (James Mason), who was tasked by the Prime Minister in supervising the operation. With Ruth out of Esther's sight, ffolkes first asks the admiralty to prepare a fake explosion in order to distract Kramer from blowing up Ruth and to buy them more time, then arranges for having Brindsen and himself brought aboard the supply ship to take out the terrorist leaders from within while his men board from underwater. However, Kramer distrusts ffolkes and has him removed from Esther.
With his original plan thus upset, ffolkes persuades the Prime Minister to have the ransom helicopter drop off a bomb on Esther in case his team fails to take out Kramer's gang in time. Then he approaches the ship from underwater, and despite some mishaps he manages to thwart the activation of the detonators, leaving Kramer for dead, and prevent the bomb drop on Esther. Kramer, mortally wounded, makes one last attempt to blow up Jennifer, but is stopped by ffolkes and expires. Following the successful conclusion of the mission, ffolkes is rewarded for his service with three kittens named after Esther, Ruth and Jennifer.
- Roger Moore as Rufus Excalibur ffolkes*
- James Mason as Admiral Francis Brindsen
- Anthony Perkins as Lou Kramer
- Michael Parks as Harold Shulman
- David Hedison as Robert King
- Jack Watson as Captain Olafsen
- George Baker as Fletcher
- Jeremy Clyde as Lord Privy Seal Dennis Tipping
- David Wood as Herring
- Faith Brook as British Prime Minister
- Lea Brodie as Sanna
- Anthony Pullen Shaw as Robert F. Ackerman
- Timothy Bentinck as Harris
- Philip O'Brien as Art Webb
- John Westbrook as Dawnay
- Jennifer Hilary as Sarah
- John Lee as Captain Harry Phillips
- Brook Williams as Helicopter Pilot
- * ffolkes is an old English name that is correctly spelled with two lower-case f's. In the book, ffolkes corrects other people several times on this matter. See ffolkes baronets.
The film was released as North Sea Hijack in the United Kingdom, but as ffolkes in the United States and other English-speaking territories. In the United States, it was renamed Assault Force when released on television in 1983. "The film's had so many title changes I've lost count," said Moore. "But everyone seems to like the character I play."
For the 1980 German release, the film was renamed Sprengkommando Atlantik (lit. "Demolition Squad Atlantic").
Box office
The film was a commercial disappointment.
Reception
The Guardian said: "as pulp melodramas go, it's quite fun". The Los Angeles Times called it: "a vigorous but lacklustre high-seas adventure... there are lots more conferences than bravura acts of daring... even so, it is ingenious and well crafted." Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel selected the film as one of their "dogs of the year" in a 1980 episode of Sneak Previews. The film hold a 33% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 6 reviews.
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