This movie is the proof that the world is becoming a sick and dumb place

Purely Joyful Movie!

It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

The purpose of this production is to paint a backdrop of ideas and claims to mitigate growing suspicion about certain public policies. Vaccines, surveillance, migrant entry in to the UK, government secrecy and covert use of violence are all portrayed here, ultimately with the following conclusions: 1. "Concern over vaccines is bogus - even if there are a few deaths, it's worth it. Here, look instead at this odd story we made up about a single rogue scientist who we must stress isn't representative of what's really a very nice industry. When you hear some vaccine scare story, it's probably something funny like this that you don't need to worry about." 2. "Governments do routinely employ assassins, violence and total surveillance, but they always act for the best. When it goes wrong, it's always an individual, it's got nothing to do with the system of unsupervised power to kill. And even if it did, killing is cool if Robert Carlyle does it." 3. "Migrants are mostly super-motivated female English-speaking doctors fighting with their very lives for justice for all. When you think about it, they probably have as much right to a life in the UK as any UK citizen. If you don't think this, you are probably a racist and don't realize it." 4. "Vaccines makers and scientists are primarily concerned with preventing disease and suffering, and not at all vaccine sales or the gigantic social and political power that comes from claiming to be the source of something every human must have. Um. Can we talk about something else?"The drama and story-line stapled over the front of this cheeky montage of crap is purely there to drill us through it and as a result is as skittish, expedient and meaningless as the children's' TV theme tune with its lame elevator-from-the-90s voice-over. BC faffs and stumbles his way through a very unconvincing romantic entanglement, everyone hates his brother, and Robert Carlyle's thrown in for some too-convincing murder-porn. Isn't he ruthless, yawn. This series is a bald example that such programs are written with the background narrative to shape our attitudes while the foreground plot bangs on about some silly sex-violence-nostalgia drivel. A few years on, and all of the issues above have come further into focus contrary to how The Last Enemy portrays - E.g. Vaxxed, expulsion of Gates Foundation from India, Snowden, the migrant issue as reflected in Brexit, Trump and probably soon Marine Le Pen, Geert Wilders, - lots- of dead journalists and terrorism. This particular series is a nice crisp case, but all BBC content is shaped by a similar process.

I really hate giving anything with Benedict Cumberbatch in it a 6, but this time I have to."The Last Enemy" has a brilliant premise that practically has happened - total information about everyone at all times in the UK. A mathematician, Stephen Ezard (Cumberbatch), who has been working ivory tower style in China, returns to England for his brother's funeral. There, he meets his brother's widow Yasim (the gamine Anamaria Marinca). In her unhappiness and loneliness, she reaches out to Stephen (it's Cumberbatch, who could resist) and he falls madly in love with her.Stephen's ex-girlfriend works for the government and recommends him to help with a new information system, TIA (Total Information Awareness), the ultimate information gatherer. With the job comes the promise of funding his work. Stephen uses his access to TIA to investigate what happened to his brother.Okay, that's sort of plot one. Plot two is a virus that's killing people in the middle east. It is impossible to discover the etiology of the virus because a) the bodies are destroyed immediately so no one can get a blood sample; and b) bioscientists are suddenly dying left and right.My major problem with this series is that the writer waited too long to meld these two plots. The other problem for me was Robert Carlyle, an excellent actor, but was he a good guy or a bad guy? I'm embarrassed to say I never figured it out.Otherwise, the story is chilling because it's becoming true. And the performances - Cumberbatch is perfection as a man forced into reality and absolutely terrified. I don't think I've ever seen a male character in anything act this frightened, but it is right on. He had great chemistry with Marinca, who did a fine job as well.Definitely worth seeing, though your attention may drift from time to time. This could have been a fantastic miniseries if it had been put together just a little better. Very thought-provoking nonetheless.

I liked this mini-series. I wandered in looking for more of Benedict Cumberbatch's work after seeing his great performance in "Sherlock" (which I give 5 stars). This multi-episode story held my attention throughout, and Cumberbatch played well a genius astounded at what was unfolding around him. You can't look away from the screen though because they don't dumb it down for you. One must pay attention. Sure, there are definitely some holes in the fabric the filmmakers weave, and some thin spots you could easily rip wide open... but I am going thumbs up on the drama as a whole. I cared about the characters and what their ultimate fate would be.Of far more importance however then the drama itself is the obtuse message delivered by the producers. We are on the verge of losing what remains of our personal liberty. The England painted by the film makers is not some maybe, kind of, far off 'Mad Max' could-be dystopian future. It is more of a 'Max Headroom' world that is looming up all around us. The world of The Last Enemy is just around the corner. In fact, we are at least half way around that corner. Much of the suggested technology appears to be here already (and micro-biologists ARE dying at an unusually high rate).Many well-intended people --such as portrayed in 'The Last Enemy"-- think strong controls on the populace is a logical means of preventing terrorism and related crimes. History does not bear that philosophy out however. You can't gain freedom by removing freedom. Given the current state of the evolution of human consciousness, powers given to the Government are used. At first. Then they are mis-used. Then they are ab-used. Every single time. Treatments such as 'The Last Enemy' help point out the futility of 1984 style controls placed on the populace. Our best way out of the dilemma the world faces is instead through individuals raising their own consciousness. We MUST evolve or freedom WILL die.btw - A title I can think of that might interest those who liked this film is the British political mini-series 'The Amazing Mrs Pritchard'. For those wanting to learn more regarding the themes presented in 'The Last Enemy' have an abundance of choices in video. Two that come to mind are the black dystopian comedy from Terry Gilliam 'Brazil', and the documentary 'Ayn Rand & the Philosophy of Atlas Shrugged'.

Could have been good, but poorly done. Plot too hard to follow to keep anyone interested. Computer story utterly unreasonable. It had possibilities, as government surveillance, big brother, and 1984 are all too possible these days, in the name of "war on terror". But this show fails to deliverInsane scene where super secret high tech computer is tapped and guy had to bang on router network. Not once, but repeatedly over many minutes. Unwilling to suspend disbelief over that and many others.Amazing lack of production values, looks like the whole budget was for a half dozen large LCD computer monitors.