Dad Savage (1998) User Reviews

Ran out of twists

[markb-14 · 7/10 · 25 July 1999]

Dad Savage held all the cards for a classic movie, but threw them away too quickly.

The cast was strong, the script was tight, the flashbacks were clever, and the atmosphere was gritty. There were some chilling moments, and it's a movie I'd like to see a second time because it was quite complicated and intricate too.

But the element of surprise was lost, because it ran out of plot twists too soon and left us watching the rest of the film unfold in a predictable way.

If you enjoy raw and rough films, or if you want to see Patrick Stewart in an uglier role than the shining captain of the U.S.S. Enterprise, Dad Savage will hold entertainment value for you.

But it's not quite up to par with the likes of "Shallow Grave".

A British Reservoir Dogs

[etn · 7/10 · 30 November 1998]

I hate spoilers so you won't get them here, Dad Savage is a breakout debut by a new director using a classic formula, if you've seen Reservoir Dogs and enjoyed it,you'll like this movie. Great cast,strong performances,drags a little at times but overall a good rental.

'Revenge is best served after a nice hot cup of tea!'

[Weirdling_Wolf · 7/10 · 23 January 2022]

Dad Rock? Dad Bod? Read or Dad? Reservoir Dad? Dawn of The Dad? Evil Dad? Dad Hard? Aye! Patrick Stewart is all that and more in...'Dad Savage'. The more terrestrially tyrannical Stewart plays a pitilessly vengeful criminal Dadfather, a sinisterly spry, line-dancing, green fingered, trigger-happy, Tulip growing, slickly six gun shooting savage! After an attempt is made to steal the top dog's hard-won loot, the big daddy dog is gonna savagely school these wrong-headed whelps! - 'This fierce flower grower is about to plant 3 VERY bad seeds!'

Bizarre Due To Captain Picard

[Theo Robertson · 4/10 · 31 August 2004]

To be honest I would have instantly dismissed DAD SAVAGE as " A British Tarantino wannabe that starts with a pre title sequence followed by a soundtrack by The Jam similar to the opening of RESERVOIR DOGS followed by a not very interesting story that cuts back and forth like PULP FICTION "

But I`ll modify my opinion by stating " It`s also very bizarre due to the casting that makes it rather more watchable "

That casting choice is Patrick Stewart as the title character . Who`s Patrick Stewart ? you ask . He`s only the captain of the USS Enterprise from a little known show called STAR TREK THE NEXT GENERATION . Unlike William Shatner Stewart can act but after being cast in ST:TNG no one will ever think of him than anything else than Jean Luc Picard . A shame perhaps but I had to admit there`s a great novelty value to DAD SAVAGE walking around like the cowboy from The Village People , speaking in a ridiculous accent , spouting the F word frequently and getting nasty with a shotgun . If they`d given the part to an unknown actor I wouldn`t thought much of this movie but it contains a watchability level and novelty value due to Stewart`s bizarre performance

Who cares?

[davek28 · 2/10 · 11 June 2001]

Never has fast forward been such a useful button. If I had not seen any portion of this film, I would have been a happier person for it. Violent trash. Why did Stewart appear in it, for heavens sake? Maybe it's the furthest he could find from the Alpha Quadrant. A 2 vote is being generous.

Extremely Under-rated

[Tommy 42 · 10/10 · 17 June 2000]

I have to say that I wasn't looking forward to watching Dad Savage, having read some fairly bad reviews of it. But I rented it out anyway. The result was one of shock. I was amazed at some of fantastic talent in front of and behind the camera and was stunned that such a film could go un-noticed for such a long time.

The closest films to compare this to are certainly not US films. The nearest comparison is Trainspotting or The Acid House, both of which have raw and realistic characters and settings. Dad Savage has both of these, being set in the North of England and centering around a few normal friends who all have something to do with Dad himself. It all goes wrong when Dad reveals his secret stash of dosh hidden out in the woods and slowly everyone conspires against each other to get the money.

This film, in my own opinion, is one of the greatest films to come of the UK in recent years. I think that it is sad that it has not been given any credit and the only way to get it on video is to import it from the US.

The writer deserves credit for trying something simple and trying to push into the boundrys of cinema. The fact that this film is so down to Earth and raw is what makes it so realistic and gut wrenching, not to mention appealing.

The director used to wonderful ways of getting the script across in a superb way, the car crash at the beginning in slow motion, for example. There are numerous other shots and scenes that I could witter on about but would bore you here!

I cannot write about Dad Savage without mentioning Patrick Stewart. There are two sides to this one. Does he suck? Unable to escape the mold of Star Trek? OR is he a bloody good actor? Well, Stewart not only escapes Trek, but also brings to life a character who you grow to love as well as hate. The rest of actors are superb and deserve just as much credit, if not more for surviving in Stewarts lime-light.

This film does have its bad points, being very uncomfortable to watch and being a bit confusing on first viewing. But open your mind and you will find that DS is a great film.

Typical of its time, but with an interesting Twist.

[rodental · 8/10 · 10 May 2002]

Very much in the style of contemporary films like Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Reservoir Dogs and The Usual Suspects, Dad Savage is a more realistic and significantly less humourous film.

Patrick Stewart definitely carries the film as the patriarchal head of a family of criminals - not to belittle the performance of the films other actors it's just that none of them are as memorable. Although far removed from the Star Trek universe, Patrick Stewarts portrayal of Dad Savage is reminiscent of Capt. Picard: namely that of a man with a hard outside and a soft - even vulnerable - inside. Dad Savage is a cantankerous old man as easily capable of sticking a shotgun in the face of someone who betrayed him, as he is of dressing in country and western clothes and going line-dancing with the other local senior citizens.

I've tried - unsuccessfully - to convince my friends to see this, I hope many more people will though...

A wonderfully quirky piece of English writing

[ambassadoryanek · 9/10 · 21 February 2005]

I have never considered myself a serious critics of films. I like what I like, and I seldom reference films to one another. So Dad Savage was for me no like Pulp Fiction meets Res. Dogs only English. It was and will always be: And English film on it's own.

So what did I think of Dad Savage? I loved it. It keeps you guessing from beginning to end, and Patrick Stewart is simply the cherry on the top. He is wonderful in this film, and unlike some of his other roles, which are typically upright and moral, he plays a mean, nasty crook, who loves his son.

The film flows quickly and easily around the intricate plot that once revealed makes wonderful and dark sense. It's in my collection because it's trying to be different from the rest, and it's what I'd like to term - a surprise film. It's quirky, sharp and fast and at no point does it give us a moral lecture, nor does it attempt to cover up anything.

If you liked Complicity (Johnny Lee Miller) or Peter's Friends (Stephen Fry) then you're bound to love Dad Savage. All my thumbs up!

pretty cool film

[Luca-2 · 8/10 · 3 October 1999]

I just watched this movie yesterday and I must say my expectations were low. But despite them this is a very good movie with lots of nice plot twists and strong actors. Dad himself is somewhat silly but all the others are doing a very good job.

Great film...did nick certain aspects of other films.

[kironramdewar · 10/10 · 3 August 2005]

This film is brilliant....it has some great acting and a great scenario....my review may contain some spoilers...but I will keep them 2 a minimum.

Dad Savage tells the story of a father searching for the man who killed his son....this father is excellently played by the on par as usual Patrick Stewart.

This film as other people have said does take parts off other films...and is like a British Tarintino film....with a reservoir Dogs scenario (Every1 is a suspect and in a single room) and a Pulp Fiction way of telling the story (film times and scenes not in chronological order 4 effect).Surprisingly though this film pulls it off....becoming more than a fanboy wannabee.....

The story gets more and more pacey as it goes along with a climatic and great ending that is a bit surprising.....Under-rated...I am pretty sure this is a English film yet you can only buy it in the US and only on Video....a shame really!

fast paced thriller, with an interesting twist and very naughty people

[fatlady-2 · 8/10 · 1 March 1999]

The opening is very dramatic and is an attention grabber. The rest of the movie spends its time with flashbacks which are a bit distracting but the viewer catches on fast enough. The performances are strong. Motivations might be a bit pat, but the emotions seem real enough. Patrick Stewart fans will see their hero in a very different and dark light but will enjoy the performance. The other four younger actors are very much ones to be looked for in future films.

I thought it was excellent! I should do, I appeared in it!!!

[nastynige · 10/10 · 20 October 2002]

Damn I'm good! I appeared 4 or 5 times in this film shaking my butt in the line dance sequences! Poor old Patrick thought HE was the star of the film?!?! LOL Pity I didn't get to speak but hey, you've got to start somewhere! I haven't been approached for any more parts yet but who knows, stranger things do happen! LOL

About movie

[veljkoerakovic · 9/10 · 1 June 2010]

Last evening I watched this movie, and I think that is a great story,and great acting. Some scenes,especially those in the forest are original, hard and powerful, so my opinion about director of this movie - really nice work. One interesting thing for me,well,all the time I thought that the film from the 80's,instead of 1998! photography of the reason for this, and it's even better. Cold, ruthless and cruel is the best description of this film that keeps you awake all the time. I do not type comments clear, Stuart Patrick is known... So what? Did a great job in this film, as well as others, then not so well-known actors. The camera is very good, picture us all positive and negative features of character, with a gloomy atmosphere in the forest only help in conjuring it.