Burke & Hare (2011)

Why so much hype?

I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

Unshakable, witty and deeply felt, the film will be paying emotional dividends for a long, long time.

One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

Simon Pegg and Andy Serkis play the infamous Burke and Hare--two horrible criminals who provided bodies to Edinburgh medical schools in the 1820s. Why was this so horrible? Because the folks they 'procured' weren't dead when the pair found them. Eventually the two were caught and the rest is history. This horrible series of crimes was the basis for many movies over the years--some of which changed the details and some of which stuck quite close to the actual events. I've already seen "The Body Snatcher", "Corridors of Blood" and "The Flesh and the Fiends"--and there are several other versions of the story out there to be seen. Of those I've seen, clearly "The Body Snatcher" (which is a fictionalized account that was written by Robert Louis Stevenson) is the best.In this 2010 film, the filmmakers have attempted to do something different--to make a comedy about the events. This is very problematic for two main reasons--it's hard to make a comedy about such grisly things and because the film just isn't very funny. If you are a fan of Pegg's looking for another "Hot Fuzz" or "Sean of the Dead"--keep looking. The problem is that the film just plays it all too straight and isn't wild or crazy enough to make the whole thing darkly funny (such as how they handled this sort of thing in "Sweeney Todd"). As a result, the characters are unlikable and flat.If you can ignore the fact that the film is not especially enjoyable, you can at least appreciate the look of the film. It looks very 1820s--except when they talk about photographing the corpses, as photography wasn't even invented until a decade LATER!!! Also, if you do watch, look for the least romantic sex scene ever filmed.

This is a black comedy about two men who makes a fortune by selling bodies to the medical profession for anatomy classes.The story of "Burke and Hare" is dark and disturbing if you think about it, but it does not feel this way when you watch it. Instead, it appears lighthearted and likable, even though the main characters commit the most heinous crimes. The plot is engaging, and I feel a little sorry for Dr Knox and William Burke for their fate to end like that.The film has loads of dark humour. It is funny in its own unique way, not the laugh out loud nonsense type of funny. It is worth a watch if you come across this film.

I watched this film not really sure what to expect, but it wasn't that! I really liked it, I thought it had a good story-line and it kept quite close to the original story. I also thought that Simon Pegg as William Burke did a very convincing performance. I will admit I found the ending quite sad, poor Burke:(. I didn't find it as funny as other Simon Pegg films, but I though that even though it wasn't very funny, it was still a very good film. I am still a little confused of the 15 rating though, as I thought there was going to be a lot more blood. Overall I would say that Burke and Hare is a very funny film, with some very good actors. I would rate it 9/10 and say that it is suitable for anyone 13+.

If it wasn't for the presence of Simon Pegg, it would be fair to say 'Burke and Hare' would have fallen under the slew of heavily-hyped 3D blockbusters. Fortunately that isn't the case, as 'Burke and Hare' is one of the funniest movies of the year.The plot concerns William Burke (Pegg) and William Hare (Andy Serkis, Gollum from the 'Lord of the Rings' movies) -two struggling businessmen looking for their next big idea in 1828 Edinburgh. With Scotland famed for their medical schools, they soon find their niche: selling dead bodies to doctors. With already-dead bodies in short supply, they're forced to take matters into their own hands, helped by Hare's wife Lucky (Jessica Hynes). Their scheme is pushed along by Burke's desire to finance the first all-woman production of 'Macbeth', mainly to win the attention of Jenny (Isla Fisher). Hot on their trail is Captain Tam McLintoch (Ronnie Corbett).'Burke and Hare' is a rare comedy in that it sustains the laughs - even to its bittersweet ending - without resorting to cheap gimmicks or gross-out humour (though there are a few scenes with the dead bodies being dissected, so the squeamish should be on guard). There are plenty of laugh-out-loud moments as well. The film is boosted by a strong cast, which includes Bill Bailey (almost unrecognisable clean shaven), Christopher Lee, Tim Curry and Steven Merchant. My only criticism is that some of the dialogue is difficult to pick up due to the at times hard to understand Scottish accents.