The Saint 4K 1997 Ultra HD 2160p

Story Movie

Simon Templar, known as an elusive thief because of his extraordinary gift for disguise, has grown tired of getting involved in shady ventures. He decides that his next assignment will be his last. Ivan Tretyak, a powerful Russian industrial magnate, commissions Simon to obtain a groundbreaking technology for producing the world’s cheapest energy, developed by the brilliant scientist Emma Russell. With this technology, he intends to bring all of Russia under his control by providing heat to a freezing Moscow that has run out of fuel.

Review 4K Movie

“The Saint” by Philip Noyce—who, by the way, directed at least one other film about Russia and Russian spies, “Salt”— tells the audience the story of how a certain spy named Simon Templar, who makes a living stealing important data for commercial purposes, is commissioned to steal the “Cold Fusion” formula—a cutting-edge development that allows for the release of massive amounts of energy. The client is a powerful Russian tycoon named Ivan Tretyak, who is plotting a coup d’état in his own country and the seizure of world domination thanks to “Cold Fusion.” Templar takes on the job, but events unfold in such a way that he is forced to turn against his client… The story unfolds against the backdrop of a bitter Moscow winter, forcing city dwellers to travel outside the city for firewood, leaving homes without heat, and making endless protests in the capital’s streets a daily occurrence.

A rag-tag collection from Noys featuring bumbling Russians plotting a coup in their own country, a shabby and run-down Moscow going through far from its best times, and dim-witted soldiers incapable of protecting their president from an intruder—thanks to this mix, the result is a decent stew, spiced up with chases and the spy antics of Simon Templar, who can evade his pursuers by instantly transforming himself. An alcoholic drifter, a Russian officer, a slightly mad scientist, a tourist, a romantic artist—as the film unfolds, he’ll don more than one costume and adopt more than one persona, and here, by the way, it’s worth noting Val Kilmer himself, who did a great job portraying each of his “characters.” As far as I’m concerned, Kilmer’s performance and his masterful transformation into each new persona were among the film’s greatest highlights, because he managed to play a wide variety of characters and do so in a way that leaves no doubt about any of them.

Despite the fact that evil Russians pop up here and there throughout “The Saint,” the film turned out to be quite watchable and engaging. Moderately dramatic, with a love story, spiced up with explosions, intrigues, and government conspiracies, it turns out to be a simple, entertaining movie. Naturally, “The Saint” falls short of spy thrillers like “The Bourne” series, “The Mission,” or the “James Bond” films, which are more serious in terms of both plot and production (here, “The Saint” comes across as naive and childish), so it’s foolish to judge it or compare it to such projects.