E1 ENTERTAINMENT Rebus

I've read a lot of the Rebus mysteries and my mind formed some indistinct vision of what Rebus must be like: weathered, a bit alcohol soaked, raw from abuse even in his forties, a little like Morse (John Thaw) without the classical culture but sophisticated in his own form. Well, John Hannah's a good actor, very talented, but he doesn't look anything like what was in my mind; then again, his acting provided a Rebus who acted like what was in my mind. A draw. The casting of Siobhan was a disaster for me but in the one I watched, she didn't appear much and that helped to minimize the distraction. And I only watched one and that was one I had read so I could follow it easily. I can't really say how clearly the plot is presented since I read it but it was obscure enough that I'm waiting to watch the others until I've read them to make sure I can follow them. The accents were less of a problem than I anticipated from Hannah's accent in other movies, e.g., Sliding Doors. Some Rebus books spend a fair amount of time with the plots, with the logic of detection and in some the crime and discovery are almost peripheral to the characters' interior monologues. I wouldn't want to be the producer or director trying to figure out what to do with these things although I'm glad someone took the chance; whatever you might choose to do, you'll produce a failure on some level. Taking that into account, I'm happy I've purchased these DVDs and would do it again and, if you're realistic about what these can be, you should too. One review said that the next series with a different actor playing Rebus were "sunnier" (or some word to that effect); what a horror to think of that. The point of a Rebus procedural (as I make it out) is that clinging to morality in a dirty and compromised world is a nasty business where you get dirty and compromised yourself. There's nothing pleasant about that and all victories then are partial and wry. One must dare even to think one might be moral in this environment; one must be frustrated to try; it's hardly surprising that one would turn to alcohol to live with that frustration. The Rebus you get from Hannah gives you this life even if he doesn't quite look like what your imagination gave you from reading the book. Hannah's a good enough actor and these presentations are dark enough that if you buy into what's on the screen (suspending disbelief on a few levels), you'll be fine.

Rebus the DVD is a fairly accurate adaptation of Ian Rankin's story and will only disappoint those looking for perfection in the minutiae of the story and John Hannah's portrayal of the slightly off, but intrepid character, DI John Rebus. For even though John Hannah's performance is absolutely splendid, it is the Rebus of the adaptation, and not an exact copy of the character as drawn by Ian Rankin's pen.In truth, I'm a reader and fan of the novels and it didn't bother me at all. Any bit of license the show's creators took was more than compensated for by keeping the production entirely in the city of Edinburgh, which as every reader knows, is the real antagonist in the Rankin DI Rebus stories.As a fan of crime fiction televison exported to the US from the UK, I was delighted to find this unknown to me Scottish police mini-series and quite satisfied with the purchase after viewing.

I quite enjoyed this Rebus when it first aired on television and just as much the second and third times on dvd. Having not read the books, I had no preconceived ideas of these characters. Anyway, I find that I enjoy series and films more if I pretend I haven't read the book and approach each for the first time - almost nothing ever lives up to one's expectations. I was looking forward to the second series but couldn't watch it because I cannot abide Ken Stott; I've tried; but failed. These four stories definitely left me wanting more.

It wasn't as good as the ones starring Ken Stott...he was the right age and looked liked he was worn by the job..he fit the role of Rebus...drink, smoke and alone...John Hannah just didn't fit the role..and Ken is a much better actor for this role..like a good old worn out shoe. I have read all the books and felt he followed the story lines better

Loving the character and the writing style, I read every available Rankin Rebus novel-- checking out screenplay was inevitable. At first expecting to meet the buffoonish brother-in-law co-star from the Mummy, I was delighted to meet Rankin's John Rebus, AKA John Hannah. If you like the Rebus novels, then you'll enjoy these Rebus movies. One caveat: if you're new to Rebus, you might wish first to read the novel upon which the screenplay is based, avoiding potential confusion created by the quick pace, Rankin's complex plots, or the Scottish accents. Enjoy!

I have this and the Ken Stott Rebus DVDs. To me, Ken Stott is the better cast of the main character. Neither has a great cast of the secondary characters, and both have major story changes. It is not bad, especially if you have not read the books for comparison. It is still better than a lot of US detective/police shows.

Since I like the Rebus novels, I wanted to watch the videos. The volume fluctuates so I can't hear everything said. Not having subtitles makes it worse. Neither John Hannah nor Ken Stott look like how I imagined Rebus- but that's my own issue.

I'm a big british mystery fan...From Touch of Frost, Inspector Lynley, Inspector Allen and so on...I thought Scottish Det. Inspector Rebus looked like a good charactor...I wasn't disappointed...I really enjoyed the stories and the actors did a great job portraying the charactors...I looked forward to the next dvd release of Rebus...

Ian Rankin's stories are everything I want in detective fiction: gritty, realistic (maybe surrealistic), with quirky, believable characters and situations drawn from real life. Add to that a moody, wet city with a Gothic centre, and you have near perfection. There is no definitive dramatization of a Rankin novel. The Stott series lacks a lot of things, mostly to do with the writing, but also with the direction and cinematography. This version, however, is much better. The stories hang together better, the character as played by Hannah is more nuanced, and the atmosphere is well portrayed. The city acts as another character, and the cinematography complements the story rather than vice versa. These stories move along. The cast is at least adequate, although it is clear that Rebus is the main character. Softer, gentler? Perhaps. But human as well as hard drinking, with reasons for his addictions that come out in the action. Recommended.

Excellent!