He
was one of the biggest stars of his era, but Hollywood has not been kind with
its posthumous depictions of Errol Flynn. Probably the most sympathetic portrayal
was Peter O’Toole’s Alan Swann analogue in My
Favorite Year. However, Australia has not turned its back on its favorite
son. The iconic Robin Hood is once again young, adventurous, and Australian in
Russell Mulcahy’s In Like Flynn, based
on the actor’s semi-autobiographical novel Beam
Ends (trailer
here),
which opens this Friday in Los Angeles.
Flynn
is not looking for gold in the Raiders of
the Lost Ark-evoking prologue, but he learns the hard way a tribe of New
Guinea natives is rather determined to protect their ancient store. He made the
trek escorting a pair of Hollywood filmmakers hoping to record some authentic
footage for their latest picture. That mission is certainly accomplished.
Naturally, Flynn impresses, but he will be chasing gold of the mineral variety before
seeking the kind offered by Tinseltown.
The
naïve Flynn recruits a motley crew for his adventure, starting with Rex, a
down-on-his-luck Canadian boxer. The Bertie Wooster-ish “Dook” Adams serves as
navigator and salty old “Charlie” will try to keep them all alive. He is the
original owner of the Sirocco, the boat Flynn liberates from the Chinese Triad.
It is probably a mistake when Adams jettisons a crate of awful tasting “tea”
overboard, but what’s done is done.
Technically,
Flynn and the lads never make it back to New Guinea, but they find plenty of
[mis]adventures in Australia. It was definitely wild country in the early
1930s. Although fans of Indiana Jones and Laura Croft might feel like the film
fails to live up to its treasure-hunting promise, the serious third act turn of
events should impress everyone else.
In
the lead, Thomas Cocquerel cannot buckle swash the way Flynn so effortlessly
did, but he is a genial, energetic screen presence. Clive Standen is
appealingly grizzled as Charlie, channeling equal parts Robert Shaw in Jaws and Humphrey Bogart in African Queen, as well as any mortal man
could. William Moseley’s Dook settles in over time, but Corey Large’s Rex
almost never stops bickering and blustering. Even though Achuan, the Triad
leader, is a bit of a “Dragon Lady” stereotype, Grace Huang plays her with a
refreshingly modern sensibility. David Wenham also effectively plays against
type as the cold, clammy corrupt mayor of Townsville.
Mulcahy
has mostly been working in TV lately, but it is good to have him back helming
features. Between Flynn and the
cult-classic Razorback, you could
make a case he is the ultimate Australian filmmaker. He again proves he has a
knack for whipping up action and mayhem, while working within strict budget
constraints. Flynn is no Highlander (still probably his best
film), but it is appealingly old fashioned. Recommended for Flynn fans, In Like Flynn opens this Friday (1/25)
in Los Angeles, at the Laemmle Music Hall.
