The Last Enemy

You know, it's hard to beat a good dystopian sci-fi story. Orwell's 1984 is probably the best known, if not necessarily the first. What is particularly interesting with this sub-genre is it is a great way of addressing issues, especially if it is set in the near future that is still recognisable. The nearest near future was Max Headroom, which was set a mere 20 minutes hence. Although society may not look the way it did in the series, with its 80s' influence, it was remarkably prescient, especially with regards to the media. Discounting zombie movies, CHILDREN OF MEN was one of the last decent outings of dystopian gloom that the British seem to do so well, even if it did have a Mexican director. Although it does appear that the Mexicans have quite a similar self-deprecating sense of irony that we Brits do.

THE LAST ENEMY is television's latest take on Britain's slide into a police state, which is being very cleverly disguised as one that only has the interests of its citizens at heart (yeah, right). The five-part series has been showing on BBC1 on Sunday nights (the final episode airs March 16), but in an unusual move the DVD of the complete series is being released on March 10, through Universal Playback, who are better known for releasing classic and cult TV shows. With more and more people having digital recorders, such as Sky+ /V+ or DVD/hard disc recorders, maybe this is the new way of encouraging sales of DVDs, by appealing to people who can't wait to get to the final episode.

If you haven't been watching it, the show itself is intriguing and has some good performances from Benedict Cumberbatch and Robert Carlyle. Cumberbatch plays reclusive maths genius, Stephen Ezard, who returns to London from his self-imposed exile in China for the funeral of his brother, who was killed in Afghanistan. Somewhat of an obsessive-compulsive who is emotionally detached from his family, he immediately falls in love with his brother's widow Yasmin (Anamaria Marinca). He is also courted by a large corporation that wants him to be the spokesman for their new national identity database. Before long he is embroiled in all manner of conspiracies and government shenanigans, which finds him being pursued by the mysterious and ruthless Russell (Carlyle).

The show does raise lots of interesting issues that are very much part of our current climate (although not climate change): identity cards, DNA databases, surveillance, epidemics, and of course the current favourite, Middle East terrorists. And it does have quite a bit of action, however a lot of it does take place in front of banks of computer monitors.

Although it plays out like an Anglicised, updated and elongated version of Tony Scott's ENEMY OF THE STATE, with the innocent being a nerdy Englishman rather than Will Smith's slick lawyer, it is still compulsive viewing and worth getting if you missed it on the tele, or are one of those rare people that doesn't have a broadcast receiver.

THE LAST ENEMY is out as a two-disc DVD from Universal Playback on March 10 and is available from major retailers including Amazon and Play.

We have a box set to give away courtesy of Universal Playback. Click the link below to enter the competition. Closes March 28 2008.

Review: Chris Patmore

Click here to enter this competition