Not without its flaws mind. The pace does meander in the last half-hour or so which makes the ending not as exciting as it could have, the story does have instances where it could have been explained more and where there was a suspension of disbelief and Raoul Bova and Volker Bruch are rather stiff and could have enunciated their lines much more clearly. However for a made for TV movie(a label that is enough to make anybody dubious) this is decent stuff, a million times better than anticipated. The production values are good, there isn't anything flashy but at the same time there is nothing that leaps out as amateurish. The music has moments where it rouses and also where it's low-key, both characteristics used well and appropriately. The dialogue is smart and provokes thought, while generally the story is well-paced, not too predictable for a concept that isn't all that original admittedly and has its fair share of fun and thrills. There are definitely moments where you are reminded of past adventure films but nothing that feels like a rip-off. The characters are likable though the types of characters are familiar(to be honest though that was expected), and the acting is above average apart from Bova and Bruch. Anna Friel in fact is very believable in the lead role, and Andre Jacobs is a good father figure. David Sherwood is underused but also brings admirable support. All in all, a quite decent movie that was also a pleasant surprise, considering how many terrible made for TV movies there have been recently and how the concept was suggestive of a perhaps mildly entertaining but uninspired movie. 6/10 Bethany Cox
Review of Treasure Guards
