Wrongfully accused of murder, Richard Hannay attempts to save the nation from invasion. On the run from spies and the police the last thing he expected was to be stuck with Victoria Sinclair, an opinionated suffragette, but their mutual loathing turns to romance as they find themselves facing death together...

The 39 Steps is based on John Buchan's 1915 novel of the same name. Previously three notable movies had been based on the story: Alfred Hitchcock (1935), Ralph Thomas (1959) and Don Sharp (1978 - which starred Robert Powell and is the version I remember most fondly).

While this new adaptation may be the closest to the original source material, fans of the book, or any of the movie adaptations, will be left scratching their head as to why Hannay jumps on a train to Scotland and how the police seem to be on his tail wherever he goes; why the Secret Service officer doesn't meet with Hannay a lot earlier and take the notebook from him; and what on earth the rather silly ending is all about. Was the presumed shot and drowned character really shot but somehow survived (in which case why didn't the police realise that the dead German, who performs the assassination, was still alive) or was the German a secret service plant so that the presumed dead character could fake their death (in which case Hannay would have shot and killed an undercover operative; and why would the presumed dead character appear to Hannay later, as it was for his benefit the death would have been staged?)

The acting ranges from average to awful - and the romantic scene is so badly staged that most people will just roll their eyes and feel embarrassed for the actors. There was also way too much time invested in setting up double bluffs that didn't actually stand up to close scrutiny.

On the DVD there are no extras at all, which is a shame, but then the retail price of £16 reflects this.

While this TV movie is great fun, anyone with half a brain will get annoyed with the numerous plot inconsistencies and twists that make no sense at all. The ending is also a bit of a damp squib.

6

Darren Rea