jdw50 I'm not a fan of the sub-Bond comic strip or the camp Losey film, but this is very good indeed. Though it's bookended by the violent assault on the casino, it's mostly a variation on Sheherezade in the Arabian Nights, spinning out tales to buy time and cool the tension - most action films would be ratcheting the tension up, but this is about mind-games rather than bullets. Staden looks like a porcelain doll, with white skin, red lipstick and black hair - very feminine and yet very strong (you don't need bulging muscles for these martial arts, you need balance and a brain). Her stories of experiences with her two mentors could have been schmaltzy but aren't, partly because of the constant edge of danger in the exotic settings. Good work from a cast of actors and director I've never heard of, and all coming in under 80 minutes. Remarkable all round.

ingemar-4 When I started this DVD, I expected little. All I was hoping for was something better than the awful 60's anti-Modesty. And I did get something better, much better! Well, the start wasn't too good. The opening titles are downright bad, a collection of cuts from the movie, feels really cheap. But then it gets much better. We first meet Modesty as a kid, meeting some soldiers in an anonymous war. I feared that this sensitive scene would end by having some enemies showing up for some mandatory action, but that action was fortunately skipped.The entire movie is based on the shortest MB story of all, "The beginning", which briefly summarizes how Modesty came to be herself, and the movie is very true to the story. The main characters, Lob and Louche, are exactly what they should be. There is some action and violence, but never more than what is called for. It is rather a thriller, using threat rather than action, and it works.Garvin does not appear, which means that a second movie could feature Modesty meeting him, and their activity in the Network. If that sequel is made, and it is made as good as this, it will be very worthwhile.Well, is Alexandra Staden a good Modesty? I think so. Although not a perfect lookalike of Holdaway's drawings, she works well as the young Modesty. She is cool, tough and convincing, very far from the blonde bimbo of the 60's movie.For a low-budget movie, this is quite good. It is far from a top movie, but as an MB fan, the movie is the first real MB movie. Let there be more!

basschick I have been reading Modesty Blaise comics and novels since the '70s. The character is strong, intelligent, charismatic. The stories are, for the most part, action-packed, well thought out and not campy.So what is it about Modesty Blaise that makes people create second or third rate movies of her starring actresses who couldn't be less like her unless they 90 year old women with blond hair and no teeth? I think Modesty could be a very successful movie if the producers/directors/whoevers would stop trying to make the character and the stories into something entirely else. Even if they have no respect or interest in the books or comics (which is obviously the case), don't they want our money??? Modesty Blaise fans are used to paying graphic novel prices for our Modesty (which are almost $20 per book) and we pay much more than the price for the average paperback for the novels when we have to replace one.So what is the point of giving us something most of us will never enjoy and will never pay good money for? I love Peter O'Donnell's work but his involvement in a project does not guarantee anything. His involvement in the DC comic certainly didn't save it - even though it was taken from the novel. But even if DC convoluted the story so no one but a Modesty fan could enjoy it, they DID try and I did buy a copy for my collection. That's certainly more than can be said for either movie :(I would love to see a reasonably well-cast version of Modesty, Willie, Sir Gerald. I'm not greedy - I don't expect great casting, although I would be ecstatic. But a story that looks and feel like Modesty will get me to the theater several times minimum and guarantee I will be buying the DVD. The sad part is with each failure, this wonderful and dynamic character gets thrust into the mind of the movie industry and the public as a failure. And that's a real shame!

vecchi-1 While the main story is supposed to take place in Morocco, this movie was shot in foggy Romania in 18 days on a very tight budget. However broken their cards may be, the actors and the crew play them with remarkable skill and commitment, so that in the end I found the result both touching and graceful. Nikolaj Coaster-Waldau provides a formidable performance as the bad guy. The script and direction provide some gems. Whether you will like the movie or not, however, will probably depend on your take on Alexandra Staden in the title role. Other reviewers have pointed out Staden's inadequacies as Modesty Blaise. They may have a point, but I found her interpretation delightful and very fitting. Modesty manages to overcome terrible odds through discipline, innate talent and courage. Staden appears to be doing the same here.