The Guards is a high quality film noir thriller. A fine script retains tension throughout with a late twist at the finale. Based and true to Ken Rruen's original novel (which I subsequently read) the film has witty dialogue throughout which the actors pitch perfectly. The setting is Galway which the filmmakers make full use of as a backdrop. There are precious few quality Irish based dramas so I hope there will be more of this series made. The cast is lead by Iain Glen who is really charismatic in the central role of Jack Taylor. Having been kicked out of the Guards Jack tries to earn a living by setting himself up as a private eye. Part of the tension that permeates throughout is a sense that Jack will dissolve more than he solves.If you like intelligent, unsentimental and distinct drama you will really enjoy The Guards.
8 Reviews
Jack Taylor Wonderful series recommend it to others worth a look
kirsty-mcleod363617 December 2014
I don't know what was painful about the series of Jack Taylor that this person found but no accounting for taste. I was so riled to read his review, however we are all entitled to an opinion but check mate I counteract that review. Ian Glen if you happen to read this I thought you were fantastic, loved Cody and especially enjoyed the actress who played Kate. I thought the way each story unfolded the twists and turns kept me intrigued and thoroughly entertained. When the first story finished I was eagerly awaiting the next one but was really sorry when all the episodes ended and there were no more made. Never too late to do more! I have seen all the Jack Taylor episodes at least twice. It's a re-run I don't mind seeing again. It would have been magic to have seen how the relationship between Jack and Kate developed as I would have loved to have seen the relationship between Jack and Cody and to see whether their Detective Agency became a reputable one and a going concern or whether it stayed the same and what about the lovely landlady Jack had?
THE GUARDS is a mediocre first outing for Ken Bruen's Irish PI
YohjiArmstrong4 April 2013
Warning: Spoilers
Plot: A disgraced Irish policeman turns private detective and investigates the disappearance of a teenage girl.
This is the first of three TV outings for Ken Bruen's Irish noir hero Jack Taylor, an alcoholic ex-Guard (Irish policeman). It's also a fairly weak film, with far too many repetitive scenes of Jack getting drunk, a weedy plot culminating in a ridiculous final twist, and a terrible credits sequence. What makes it work is the charisma of Iain Glen and the weird yet familiar nature of Irish society. The dialogue is quite witty, there are some neat characters and Ireland makes for a very interesting location for a crime show. Generally though this is a case of the cast and crew getting into the rhythm of the show, as the next episode is much better.
This is the first of three TV outings for Ken Bruen's Irish noir hero Jack Taylor, an alcoholic ex-Guard (Irish policeman). It's also a fairly weak film, with far too many repetitive scenes of Jack getting drunk, a weedy plot culminating in a ridiculous final twist, and a terrible credits sequence. What makes it work is the charisma of Iain Glen and the weird yet familiar nature of Irish society. The dialogue is quite witty, there are some neat characters and Ireland makes for a very interesting location for a crime show. Generally though this is a case of the cast and crew getting into the rhythm of the show, as the next episode is much better.
Has Anyone Seen This
Hitchcoc26 September 2017
I really enjoy Ian Glenn since I watched him on the PBS version of "Kidnapped." In this series that I just picked off of Netflix. It involves the title character who was an Irish "Guard." Because of his erratic behavior and his drinking, he loses his job. He continues to fight depression and the scars from a horrible upbringing. There is also incredible corruption in the police force and the superintendent hates him. In this maiden voyage for the series, Jack comes upon the scene of a murder. Several girls have been found drowned. It's obvious they were murdered and then thrown in the sea. At the same time, a woman comes to Jack, asking her to find her teenage daughter, whom she says has run away. All this leads to Jackie depending on an artist friend who is off by a few bricks. What follows is a pretty decent plot that keeps our attention to the end. If it could be improved, perhaps a little editing. I think I may watch the next one.
Good acting, very bad stories
jax71316 August 2016
If you want to wallow in the misery of the title character, go for it. I've watched The Guards and The Pikemen and that's enough for me. Jack Taylor is a drunk private eye whose mistakes lead to devastating results for other people, particularly in The Pikemen. His bad judgment leads him to getting severely beaten up repeatedly, but he heals miraculously to pursue his cases. I have no idea what the point is of these stories except to present a boring has-been who screws up regularly but manages to rise above his alcoholic fog to figure out who the perpetrator is (what?!) and then hand it off to the police. The direction is below B-movie grade and the editing even worse. The only positive aspect of these films is the quality of the acting by the lead and his supporting cast, all of whom do an excellent job and that's what the 2 stars are for. However, that in itself cannot entice me to watch further installments of this crime series. Jack Taylor is just too dumb.
Please make it better, lot of potential but really bad story lines
Joy-Taiwan11 August 2013
Painful, Painful, Painful..... Can we not make every Protagonist of every Irish story, to be a, stupid, drunk, pathetic person. Please, Bloody Please...Watched with a lot of pain, every bloody episode, hoping that it would get better, no reprieve here. Every episode-story line was poor, the closest they came was the Magdalene story, but in the end could not resolve it. What an opportunity of a story to do something remarkable. FAILED!!!!
Pain is over. Not going to watch anymore of the new episodes. The only redeeming feature are the lovely sights of Galway city and coastal lines. Just disappointed. - Joy
Pain is over. Not going to watch anymore of the new episodes. The only redeeming feature are the lovely sights of Galway city and coastal lines. Just disappointed. - Joy
It felt like there was missing scenes
carlie_19874 April 2017
The big problem with this was that it seemed like big chunks of story were left out. It seemed rushed. A lot of scenes seemed sudden and unbelievable. The acting and visuals were all good. If there wasn't gaping holes in the plot and the pacing maybe it would have been a half decent film. It just felt like someone cut an hour of footage that would have made the movie make sense; the romance believable and the antagonist believable. There wasn't enough time spent on the characters to actually care about them.
Closed Captioning
droberthayward15 June 2020
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