one of my absolute favorites!

Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

I love the movie.Michael York and Jenny Agutter team up one more time in "Logan's Run", another great movie.Have been looking for a replacement copy for a long, long time.For those looking for a video source, go to: amazon.co.uk They have both PAL (region 2) and NTSC (U.S., region 1) discs available, reasonably priced.We have been looking some other movies, and I found amazon.co.uk to be a great source for movies. However, most DVDs are in PAL format. We found a source for region free players, as low as $45.00, and are happy campers.Larry

Have not read the novel about two Brits trying to uncover Imperial German skullduggery in 1901 around the Wadden Sea and Frisian islands in NW Germany, so cannot comment whether it captures its essence. What you get is a slow paced, tribute to messing about in small boats, kind of detective tale that does not really convince. Some holes here and there, some rush at exposition at vital moments, prevent the piece from fully working. There's a lot of good humour between York and McCorkindale as two ill assorted Oxford men, but when the action hots up, the film is a little unconvincing and a trifle rushed. While Hitler from Indy and the Last Crusade appears as a German spy at the turn of the century - yes, the Germans are a bit clichéd in portrayal yet again. A pity we do not find out why Dollman is a traitor! The film needed perhaps a Hitchcock to make it a classic like '39 Steps' which is set very similarly in theme and time. Must read the book or get to see the German TV version - German actors playing Edwardian Brits!!!!

I first saw this film in the cinema as a child and finally saw it for a second time on DVD today. This is an unusual espionage thriller in that there are no explosions, high speed chases or even shoot outs. It does however have great atmosphere and a sense of claustrophobia as our heroes navigate the through sandbanks near Germany's islands in the North Sea in heavy fog.Arthur Davies is an English yachtsman sailing around the Frisian islands hoping to updated the antiquated Admiralty charts. Here he meets a suspicious German, Herr Dollmann, and his delightful daughter Clara. Dollmann invites Davies to come to Hamburg with him but when the weather turns bad he tries to run Davies onto the sands. Thinking something odd is going on Davies invites his friend Charles Carruthers to join him so that he can investigate what is going on. Initially they think that Germany may be secretly constructing navel defences amongst the islands however they discover there is something far more sinister being planned.Michael York and Simon MacCorkindale perform well as the two Edwardian Englishmen and Jenny Agutter is delightful as Clara although her second billing would suggest a larger part than she in fact had. Don't let the lack of dramatic action put you off, it is still a gripping story and the U certificate means that it is suitable for all ages.

The Riddle of the Sands seems to be symptomatic of the British film industry of the 1970's and 1980's. A small cast of characters in an enclosed setting (despite being set mostly at sea, the claustrophobia is palpable)dealing with big problems in a small way. Other films of the time like The First Great Train Robbery and A Nightingale Sung in Barkley Square are similarly set-up.However, the actors all give realistic performances and Simon MacCorkindale serves the film well as a man not entirely comfortable with words or with himself. His scene with Jenny Agutter making breakfast is a small delight of understatement and embarrassment.Agutter herself, one of the delights of British Cinema of the time (Equus, Walkabout), is both pretty and believable as always. Her gentle attempt at a German accent is also acceptable.The story however fails to engross at times, being paced a little too leisurely and suffering from a lack of visual diversity. There are only so many shots of slow moving yachts and open seas that one can bear.Still, the lack of ambition ensures that the film has a feel of realism and there are no annoying matte lines or blue screen artifacts to dissuade us from the view that this is a real story.I did not like the film the first time I saw it, but I am sure that it will grow in the memory.