Burke & Hare (2011)

I found this movie on Netflix after searching for something "good" to watch.I have to say that this was one of the more offbeat, and enjoyable films that I've seen all year.Based on a true story, except for the parts that aren't, "Burke and Hare" stars Simon Pegg and Andy Serkis as two down and outs who are willing to do anything to make a buck. After unsuccessful tries as con men and grave robbers, they stumble into a profession that, will supply bodies to the medical schools of Scotland.This is a black comedy that is very funny and often hilarious. Some people may feel that the subject matter is not to be made fun of. But in true British humor, nothing is sacred. The entire cast is terrific. From Simon Pegg to Tom Wilkinson to Tim Curry and Christopher Lee. Special kudos to Ronnie Corbett who is very funny as a Captain of the guard, tracking down his foe.On a night when you don't know what to watch. Give "Burke and Hare" a go. Highly Recommended.

Black comedy is a tricky one to get right - and this mess doesn't get close to funny.The comedy element is feeble and the comic element is further diluted by inexplicable attempts at dramatic sequences. It's hard to imagine the makers nodding enthusiastically at the so-called jokes and agreeing that this was the best they could come up with.Simon Pegg has been in some fantastic films (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz) but it looks like he can't cut it without Edgar Wright.This travesty scores a 1 for me because on top of being embarrassingly unfunny, the subject matter is the real-life story of serial killers who murdered elderly people - er, hilarious.

The amazing Simon Pegg in this historical comedy based on the real life murderers Burke and Hare. Very funny all the way through, witty and with a star-studded cast of the English screen. Have wanted to see this since it was in the cinema and I can't believe it's taken me this long - well worth the wait! Some cringeworthy gross bits, but an all round a romp of a good film. So many laughs. Some at the expense of the accents.Reminiscent of Plunket and Macleane with dark bawdy humour and little colour, period pieces with lots of physical humour and style in keeping with how the times would have been, not too showy and "hollywood." Pegg and Serkis were brilliant together and Jessica Hynes is always a comedy genius. British film at it's best.

For a comedy set in the 19th century, then "Burke and Hare" did work out quite well. Especially because the whole atmosphere throughout the movie was really awesome. There was so much attention to detail in the sets and the decorations, so you genuinely believed that you were actually right there in the 19th century Edinburgh.The story told in the movie is quite interesting, and you get yourself into it right away. So that worked out quite well. And you are anxious to see what happens next to the two 'entreprenours' and what mishaps lurk around the corner. The whole light-hearted take on the grave robbing business was a much welcomed blow of fresh air. It was grim without being too serious, so thumbs up for that.As for the cast in the movie, just one thing to say really; wow! There were so many really good actors/actresses in the movie. I was surprised to see Tim Curry (playing doctor Monro) in the movie, and despite having a small role he did it with style. Well there is no doubt that the two leading men, Simon Pegg (playing William Burke) and Andy Serkis (playing William Hare) were the driving force of the movie, and those two worked really well together. There was an odd, dark chemistry between those two on the screen.After having seen the movie, I was left with a thought that it would be cool if these two characters also made it on to an ongoing TV show, because it did seem like it had enough value to actually pull off a TV series as well. Burke and Hare are two characters that really are funny and unique.