User Reviews

This is a surprisingly good mini series. The story is cast in Hong Kong, and there's dynamics in doing business there that we people of the west don't quite understand. Noble House captures that and then some. The glamor and opulence of belonging to the richest elite in Hong Kong's business circle sets the tone for the entire story. Things that will be taboo in the west is permitted there like having concubines, and going to parties with them (instead of your wife !), and old guys are actually flaunting it to show off their wealth and virility ! But of course all this has price to pay and everyone is paying in this story.

The story is loosely based on an actual existing trading company - Jardine Matheson Holdings, and the building that is portrayed as Struans' headquarter was the actual Jardine Matheson and company's headquarter in Hong Kong, before relocating to Bermuda in anticipation of Hong Kong's repatriation to China in '97.

Pierce Brosnan is at his best as the Tai Pan of the Noble House (Struan's), and cast of characters surrounding him are equally glamorous (like Tia Carrerie, Julia Nickson). Overall, a great fun to watch, but make sure you set aside enough time because it's 6 hours of non-stop entertainment.

Produced and aired at the end of the 1980s, Noble House would be one of the last in a line of lengthy and epic miniseries. Based on James Clavell's thousand plus page novel (and move forward two decades in time to the then present day), Noble House features a wealth of location filming, dozens of characters and multiple plot lines across four parts and more than six hours of screen time. So how does it hold up a quarter of a century later?

The performances hold up well. Pierce Brosnan is fascinating as Ian Dunross, Tai-Pan of the Hong Kong company Struan's, the Noble House of the title. Brosnan is convincing as the man in charge of a 150 year old company who struggles to deal not just with the crises of today but with the weight of legacy of the Noble House upon his shoulders as well. While Dunross is not above perhaps less than savory at times, Brosnan nevertheless makes clear that is a likable man with a strong sense of honor and duty no matter the cost. It is Brosnan as Dunross that ultimately ties in the various diverse plots together and, if his performance was anything less than what it is, I'm not sure Noble House would work as well as it does.

Moving on from Brosnan, there's a strong cast behind him. There's John Rhys-Davies as Quillan Gornt, the head of Struan's biggest rival and a man who seems to live for nothing but bringing it down. There's Deborah Raffin and Ben Masters as the heads of the American company Par-Con whose motives and actions are questionable throughout the entire miniseries. From there the cast of characters ranges from police Superintendent Robert Armstrong (Gordon Jackson) to Struan employees such as John Van Dreelen as Jacques DeVille, Michael Siberry as Linbar Struan and fellow Hong Kong businessmen such as Damien Thomas as Lando Mata. Rounding off the cast in two cameo roles are Denholm Elliott as outgoing Tai-Pan Alastair Struan in the first part and John Houseman as Hong Kong governor Sir Geoffrey Allison in the last part.

Where the cast, and indeed both the writing and the miniseries as a whole, runs into trouble is with its native characters. The writing (and as a result the performances) mean that they are often walking and talking clichés, especially Khigh Dhiegh as Four Finger Wu and Tia Carrere as Venus Poon as well as the less savory characters who figure in its first half. Even characters such as Burt Kwouk's Phillip Chen, the compradore of Struan's, fall into moments of cringe worthy dialogue that undermine them considerably. Somehow it seems a shame that the script couldn't treat these characters with the same respect, though how much of that is down to the original source material I'm not sure.

Despite that problem, Noble House otherwise makes excellent use of Hong Kong itself throughout. In fact the city and its surrounding areas (including Macao) are as much as a player in events as Brosnan's Dunross or anyone else. The large amount of location filming gives the various story lines a strong sense of verisimilitude.

The miniseries is also blessed both with a large amount of screen time and a script that makes the most use of it. Based on the massive novel by James Clavell, Noble House makes the most use of its six plus hours and four parts. There's everything from business dealings ranging from a deal between the Noble House and Par-Con to Gornt's trying bankrupt the Noble House, kidnapping, murder, romances, concerns over Hong Kong's return to China (which was still a few years off when the miniseries was made) and international intrigues as well. Behind all that is the characters and how they change and develop (or don't) as they face not just those events but disasters natural and man-made. As a result there's much going on as there are not only multiple plot lines but ones that intersect, often in the most unexpected ways. Whatever else can be said then, this miniseries is definitely not lacking in incident.

Across more than six hours, Noble House lays out a tale filled with business dealings, murder, romance, intrigues and much more. It is carried by its performances and a fascinating portrait of late 1980s Hong Kong and the people who inhabit it (despite some clichéd writing and performances). If nothing else, Noble House is a sprawling epic that makes for fascinating viewing a quarter century on.

The film (mini-series) ia very creditable attempt to capture the essence of Clavell's masterful book. John Rhys-Davies is the epitomy of Quillan Gornt and Pierce Brosnan doesn't do too badly either, but I can't imagine why he would fall for Deborah Raffin as K C Cholok who is bland, colourless and does not come across as a tough-negotiating business woman. The film sticks closely to the book and only omits non-central to the story items - russian spies etc. Nancy Kwan is still gorgeous and Julia Nickson is lovely (pity her acting lets her down though). The film is well worth a look even with a few failings.

I still remember looking forward anxiously to seeing this miniseries when it first aired -- I had considered "Noble House" James Clavell's masterpiece, even greater than "Shogun." I had come away from reading the book with the sense of knowing the characters as if they were real people, and missing them when the book was finished.

In some cases, the characterizations in the miniseries hit the mark. Pierce Brosnan does an excellent job as the supremely self-confident Ian Dunross, John Rhys-Davies gives a truly inspired performance of charming villainy as Quillan Gornt, Burt Kwouk is very convincing as the compradore of the Noble House, and Gordon Jackson did a fine turn as the committed, conflicted Superintendent Armstrong. I also thought Julia Nickson Soul really heated up the screen; she was much better than a young Tia Carrere (in her pre-"Wayne's World" days).

Unfortunately, I thought the American performances were weak. Deborah Raffin was OK as K.C. Tcholok, but I would have preferred it if they had stuck to the story and not had her wind up romantically involved with Ian Dunross. The weakest in my opinion, though, was Ben Masters as Linc Bartlett. While Mr. Masters may be a good actor, I didn't think he carried this role off very well. In the book, Bartlett is a cool, calculating, and yet personable man who comes across as opportunistic but respectful of Hong Kong business and cultural traditions. Clavell wrote him as a friendly, likable man who moves easily into the circles of power in the Colony but who is an unknown, unpredictable quantity to all of the vying factions. I thought that Mr. Masters overplayed the part as too cocky, too brash, and too shallow to be a likable or sympathetic figure. In the novel, I thought Bartlett was an intriguing character on a par with Dunross. In the miniseries, I generally thought he was just a jerk.

That aside, while the miniseries has to trim a lot of the interesting sub-plots in the interest of time, it does a good job of remaining true to the spirit of Clavell's novel. I'd agree with the observation that you should watch the miniseries, then read the novel to see what the story was REALLY about.

The novel of Noble House is one of the most detailed and riveting books you could ever want to read......which is a problem when you want to distill a 1000+ page novel into a movie or mini-series. These guys pulled it off though, using a very truncated version of the story.......and while this was made before War and Remembrance killed off the epic network mini-series, it was probably too expensive to make it much longer.

The cast is letter perfect though, especially if you're a fan of the books. Once you see them on screen you can't imagine anyone else in these roles, even if you re-read the books after viewing the series. Pierce Brosnan, by and large one of the few recognizable names to most American viewers, just inhales Ian Dunross, and John Rhys-Davies (who is now much more famous than he was then) is one of the great villains of all time as Quillan Gornt. Deborah Raffin and Ben Masters, who play the Americans Casey Tcholak and Linc Bartlett, are names I wasn't familiar with, but they give such true performances that I'm disappointed that they didn't get more of a bounce off of this. The other supporting parts were done very well, and added to the atmosphere.

The only thing that I don't like about the mini-series is that its not out on DVD yet, even with Pierce being so much more famous now than then. It'll come though, and I'll be first in line when it does.

Oh yeah, it's worth noting that in a way the mini-series on network TV has come back, they just call them regular series such as 24 and Lost.

Returning to this series by way of the DVD issue, as a Clavell fan, I am struck by its incredible background authenticity. From Victoria Peak to Aberdeen, from the fabled Peninsula Hotel to the Star ferries, and from the glittering highrises to the teeming streets and bobbling junks. The basic plot line, as with "Taipan" AND "Shogun," may be spun out of a rich and creative imagination, but it is the fleshing out and storied detail of ALL the dramatis personae that counts here. I note, with some amusement, the individual responses to the individual portrayals/performances, but, aside from such idiosyncratic reactions, the fact remains that the ensemble is spot-on. Pierce Brosnan herein one-ups his latterday Bondings, much more realistic AND convincing, and, in response to the fellow who found Ben Masters wanting in that he projected nothing but "jerk," isn't that what was the intention? For the rest, not one quibble. And Khigh Diegh probably had his very best effort here, just as the rest of the "Asian" cast, including Lisa Lu's made-up old amah. Clavell has, once again, stormed history to project the then present, the mid-80s?, and, in the process, eerily foreshadowing the future that is today? From the free-wheeling, high-stakes Ponzi schemings of its principals, bar none, to its lowliest "coolies." But why has no one, to date, mined Clavell's "Reap the Whirlwind" insights that are ominously and, again, eerily, applicable to Iran? Oh, well, someone eventually will. Belatedly, of course. Finally, Clavell's prophetic projections of the continuing geopolitical power struggles and power plays continues to be bull's-eye on the mark. Scary, isn't it? Aiyah! And "Eeeee" as well.

I mainly gave this film an 8 out of ten because, at least in the VHS version, the film quality is not all one could wish for. But in the main the book was translated excellently into the six hour mini-series for television and had an excellent cast. Pierce Brosnan is excellent as the ever unflappable Ian Dunross, who weathers all storms and faces ruin with determination. Debra Raffin had the tough job of trying to be many things without knowing all that her character needed to know. JohnRhys-Davies is, as always, excellent. Whether he plays a villain or a hero, he does it with style. Denholm Elliot as Alistair Struan did not have enough screen time, as indeed was the case with his character in the book. Burt Kwouk and Nancy Kwan were also up to par as always. And this film also proves that the sun never sets on John Houseman, who plays the British Governor of Hong Kong with his usual petulant aplomb. Bring lots of snacks and plan several bathroom breaks to watch this one.

Noble House based on James Clavells novel was a hit mini series way back in the eighties and it still retains all the magic that made it compulsive viewing then. A first rate plot, the fabulous Hong Kong location, a brilliant production team and a cast headed by Pierce Brosnan and John Rhys- Davies. The newly released Blu Ray version is stunning and adds a new dimension altogether to the hugely impressive visual quality, with its vibrant colours and crystal clear focus. I have waited for years for this to be released on DVD and had almost given up hope it would ever happen. I believe that it would attract a whole new generation of fans if re-released and I strongly recommend it.

From what I understand, people were excited about the coming of this TV series based on James Clavell's book after the highly successful and popular SHOGUN. In the end, it turned out to be somewhat a disappointment.

This story is much more complicated then SHOGUN. In addition, whereas battles in SHOGUN were fought with knives, spears and arrows, here they were fought with corporate tools. People unfamiliar with terms like corporate financing and takeover, buying and selling short, run on the bank may not enjoy it at all.

But for those who have read the book, this is a very good TV series and well worth watching

Writing strictly about the DVD release of this mini-series, the 16 X 9 treatment was a real nice addition to the excellent color, easy to use menu and beautiful sound that surrounds this great story. I am not a Pierce Brosnan fan, but he performs admirably the task of playing Ian Dunross, Tai Pan of the Noble House.The other characters jump off the screen in this crisp, vibrant and colorful DVD release.

The only objection I have is to the tiresome way they always have to play the full credits at the beginning of each segment of the mini-series. Why can't they have a credit chapter that only plays once? All in all, one of the better releases on DVD of an old VHS set.

They say you've never been to Hong Kong if you haven't read James Clavell's classic page turner Noble House, and this reviewer tends to agree.

Often derided for its bombastic plot and over the topness, Noble House remains none the less a gripping read and true statement of love for the city and culture comprising Hong Kong, even though ask most locals and they won't know what you're talking about. Indeed, Noble House is more for those transplanting to the city, but not for those reading from afar – most of the nuances and cool factor are lost on people who don't actually live there.

Now, Noble House was made into a TV mini series twenty years ago, and that one has recently appeared on DVD, and at long last, we say. The short and quick of it is that if you have any feelings about Hong Kong and any degree of familiarity with the place, you'll enjoy this version. However, if you've never been and don't really care, it'll probably be wasted on you.

Clavell's work, which includes likewise grandiose Shogun and Tai Pan (all occur in the same universe), is always a joy to behold, whether in writing or on the screen, and Noble House is no exception. The main draw here is the sheer addictive nature of the man's writing – it's like Dynasty or Dallas only with a good dollop of mostly credible history thrown in. Well, at least credible in the sense that it fits in very well with the multitude of characters and story arcs.

This was more of a mean feat, of course, in the huge novel – Noble House came in at over 1000 pages and was action packed to the hilt. In that respect, the Gary Nelson-led TV production deserves respect, since they succeeded in cramming most of that into just six hours.

They also did something interesting with the setting. While Clavell's original story was set in early 60's HK, the show takes place in the late 80's, and does a good job with the update. Characters frequently refer to the looming 1997 handover, ponder its consequences and make predictions. A complete subplot involving Soviet spies was taken out, I guess because they decided it was no longer relevant – although disappointing from a cold war nostalgia standpoint, it was a clever choice.

But above all else, anyone who's read the book will be impressed at how the locales look like what you imagined before – no doubt helped by the fact that they shot almost everything on the ground in HK. And the effects are pretty impressive, this must have been a big deal on TV back then, but honestly I can't remember! Just behold the floating restaurant scene – very well done! What's the story about? Got a few hours? Well, you get Pierce Brosnan back in his Remington Steel days as tai pan Ian Dunross of House Struan, or the titular Noble House (Jardines in real life). He's struggling to keep the company ahead of the ravenous HK pack against the usual backdrop of intrigue, conniving and greed. Besetting him is rival Quinlan Gornt (John Rhys-Davies) of Rothwell-Gornt (aka Swire), who's trying to depose the Noble House and take over. This character is infinitely nastier on TV than he was in the book, one alteration we don't really understand. Two Americans also enter the fray, upstart tycoon Linc Bartlett (Ben Masters) and his VP Casey Tcholok (Deborah Raffin). Both are in town scouting for opportunity, but there's a lot more than meets the eye.

A whole range of supporting characters are on hand, including police, triads, bankers and a couple of lovelies like a very young Tia Carrere and Suzie Wong - OK, Nancy Kwan. Most do an adequate job, but Pierce Brosnan is just too stiff and appears lacking in range. Additionally, for something so obviously set in Hong Kong, the production has a surprisingly small number of local talent on show – actually, I'd say none. Maybe they were trying to send a message? They also toned down the very prominent theme of racism that was readily found in the novel, likely to appease primetime TV censors. There's almost no swearing, several characters from the book didn't make it or were drastically altered, and the backstory was indeed trimmed down.

But if you've read the novel, you must watch this and I guarantee you'll at least like it. It's one of those enjoyable romps you won't easily put down, and being familiar makes it even easier since it doesn't feel as goofy. Plus, anyone living in HK owes it to themselves to indulge in Noble House – Nelson and crew did good capturing both the feel of the place and the mood of the period. This really does feel and act like what I imagine Hong Kong to have been like in the 80's.

Don't listen to the doubter and haters – Clavell, who personally supervised the production's screen writing, was a scribbling machine and did the writing profession proud, outrageously cheesy names or not. It's too bad he passed away young – I'm sure today's Hong Kong would have provided him with ample inspiration.

If you can forgive the occasional soap opera super-tack assault and the awkward soundtrack, Noble House is a pretty enjoyable marathon, the main drawbacks being the DVD edition's mediocre appearance and dearth of special features.

As I said in the beginning, I think this mini-series is actually quite okay. But pitched against the novel, it doesn't stand a chance since I think the book was Clavell's greatest and I really loved it. But how could a TV-mini-series ever compete with a book that is so complex and has so many important story lines?

The producers decided to half-sacrifice the espionage plot, but I thought that's acceptable. The only thing I didn't like was the fact Casey doesn't seem to be in love with Linc (she seems rather concerned about his friendship and the business matters) but goes for Ian instead. This is a huge deviation from the book since that complicated love story between Casey and Linc is just brilliant and explains their characters. Also Ian is being made a widower in order to accommodate Casey without adultery. And why's Peter Marlowe out?

Put that aside, you have a really entertaining TV-Mini-Series that's able to go almost the same pace as the book, and actually captures quite well the basic essence of the novel. Shouldn't probably be too surprised at the good outcome since Clavell himself worked closely on the series. I rated it 8 / 10 and think that it's impossible to do any better with a novel like this.

This movie has two of my absolute favorites: quietly intense and sexy Pierce Brosnan and beautiful, exciting Hong Kong. It is set during a time in Hong Kong's history that is nervous with China breathing down its neck ready to absorb the wealth, class and beauty of the colony. Noble House is in between the ritualistic past and growing wealthy present. Brosnan, one of my preferred James Bonds, is featured driving, wining and dining American business execs who barely comprehend what Hong Kong is about. The problem I find in this film, based on a novel, is I suspect the same problem in the novel: the author throws in predictable plot beats, lots of action visual tricks--fire, flood, sex, the usual--so that overall it is cheap plot. Easily predictable and almost stale. But then there is Hong Kong and Pierce Brosnan's handful masterful presence. Worth the trip. The difference between the main women characters hits you in the face - one American the other Eur-Asian. That feels honest though a bit dated. The acting is fine and to be congratulated.

The 1980's – when the west still dominated the world, and the broadcast nets dominated television, and we still used word processors and didn't have Blackberries. "Noble House" epitomizes the glorification of the corporate CEO that came in with the Reagan decade, with the concomitant glamor of large, organized criminal activity a la "Miami Vice," plus international espionage intrigue with Mainland China, just across the way. It makes for an excellent television mini-series – very high quality production (that sometimes jarring sound track is typical of that era too), lots of money spent, a talented and handsome cast, gorgeous wardrobes, fascinating locale. 1997, when the Brits would give up Hong Kong, the last of their empire, to China, looms throughout the series. Watching it 11 years after that became fact and history, rather than future potential, all of it involved with banks and corporate finance, it doesn't feel dated, but an excellent historical artifact, as well as excellent winter escape entertainment.

This film is a wonderful Sunday escape. Where is the DVD? I've tried to write to Pierce Brosnan, as well as the distributors. No one answered. The locale is away from the US. The characters are fully developed. There is enough intrigue to keep the most earthy type of personality interested. The dialog is quick. Mr. Brosnan shows his penchant for a preliminary James Bond here - well admired. Sorry, but the blond lady does very little for me. She was a decoration, but hardly someone to leave the role of Tai Pan. The beauty was the lovely oriental lady. And the shark was the handsome American. Gritty, petty, and greedy.

Tell me where to buy the DVD - we will be first in line!

Your reaction to the idea of setting the TV show Dallas in Hong Kong will probably determine what you think of this mini-series. From the very opening credits (which have the visual feel of Dallas, though sadly the music is not as stirring) this is familiar territory. I'll call it a movie below because that was how I saw it, as four sequential episodes with no delay between them.

The good:

• The movie tries really hard to give one a reasonably full feel for the geography and appearance of Hong Kong, while also throwing in some of nearby Asia, and some highlights of recent Hong Kong history.

• The pacing was almost always spot-on. There are two sequences where I feel the pacing is way too slow, both involving special effects. One gets the feeling that the producer felt that, having decided to spend the money of these effects, he had to justify it by keeping them on screen far longer than made sense.

• To go with the pacing, the balancing of characters and subplots worked well. In a movie like this with so many balls in the air, it's a delicate balance to ensure that the viewer does not get confused by too many characters and too many subplots. This movie handled these issues better than many.

The amusing:

• For the most part a lot of money appears to have been spent on the interior and exterior photography, on the costumes, on setting up the shots. Which makes the one special effect sequence toward the end (I won't say more to avoid being a spoiler) all the more glaring and laughable, like something from a homemade YouTube clip.

The bad:

• Just like Dallas, this is a show about business as politics, and not even real politics but gossipy cartoon politics. Business rivalries are driven by personal vendettas, and business problems are solved by charisma, threats, and calling in favors. Nothing of the day-to-day reality of business has any place here. All we learn of the actual business of the Noble House is that somehow ships are involved. There is nothing about one business succeeding compared to another based on their using technology better so as to be able to ship using less oil, or to offload cargo faster, or to better understand the requirements of its customers. There is no place here for operations, R&D, marketing, not even realistic financial engineering and tax planning. This is the world of CEO as charismatic lone genius.

• There is altogether too much reference to "Hong Kong ways" and the mysterious behavior of not just orientals but the European locals (who have all gone native and also practice these mysterious ways). This is a boring trope we see constantly in this sort of entertainment. The Dallas TV show will tell us how business in Dallas is unlike anywhere else, the Moscow movie will tell us how business in Russia is unlike anywhere else, the Johannesburg novel will tell us how business in South Africa is unlike anywhere else. Lazy, stupid, clearly untrue.

• Right alongside some perfectly good acting, the sort of level we expect from expensive US TV productions, there is some laughably bad acting.

The distillation of James Clavell's rich and intricate book into a six hours mini series meant that much of the detail and some minor characters had to be cut, along with at least one major thread, that of the espionage network, which was only touched upon by the exposure of one spy, and the unresolved gun running. The mini series could have used another two hours to fully develop the espionage network involving Britain, Mainland China and Russia planting sleepers, and double agents. Watering down the espionage plot resulted in the intelligence official Crosse being a one-note character. I guess we can be thankful that it was not a two hour movie!

The TV version differed from the book in that Ian Dunross was a widower, rather than a happily married man, which allowed him an unnecessary affair with Casey. and it was moved forward from pre-Vietnam 1963 to the 80's, when the cold war was not quite so cold and the fear of what would happen when Hong Kong was returned to China was not quite so acute. I will admit that Deborah Raffin was well cast as the tall loud and brash American woman trying to make it in a man's world, but I could not resist the urge to fast forward her scenes. What became of Philip Chen, last seen threatening to deal with the theft of the half coin in a Chinese Way? We never saw him again.

Other than the truncated storyline, my only problem was with the insipid art design. I found the bleached out look of the European homes, hotels, and any scene in which Deborah Raffin appeared very disconcerting. When a blonde woman wearing white or cream is in a room with white or cream furniture, neutral carpets and very pale green walls, with men in cream colored clothing, the whole scene has an anemic look as well as making her merge into the couch. At the first party, Casey Tcholok is described in the book as wearing a deep emerald green dress, not white silk as shown. The emerald dress would have made her stand out, which is what she was meant to do. I have watched both the VHS tape and the vastly superior DVD, and even on the low quality tape found the art design poor.

The DVD was brilliantly sharp, to the point where you could see the hair dye and artificial grey streaks. Overall, the sumptuous look, other than the aforementioned, was a feat for the eyes, especially the views of Hong Kong, the race course and the beautiful gardens, and the crowded harbor life.

This mini-series holds up really well, considering it's from the 80's. It was one of my favorite books, which was much more involved with a lot more back story for the characters. The Par-Con story line was just a very small part of it. It would have been impossible to translate to anything watchable. However, I've never liked Deborah Raffin as Casey (the lip biting and purse tapping - STOP!) or that they created a love affair between her and Ian Dunross - in the book he was pretty happily married. But having been filmed before everything is CGI, it's a fascinating real look at Hong Kong and Macao.

I have watched this movie several times on VHS. But, I want to have it in the DVD mode. I cannot find the DVD version in the United States. It is available in Australia, shipped to the USA, BUT, they have a RED flag, saying that it can not be viewed, or played with Canada, or USA sold DVD players. Can you help me here, or, at least point me to someone that can enlighten me as to why the USA, does not have it available in the DVD Format. I appreciate any help that you may offer. I have spoken to several other viewers of this movie and they would also like the DVD version. The problem is, we do not know where to go, or whom to contact. I feel that this e-mail, is an excellent review on this Movie. I like to view such excellent movies again and again.

Perry Paradise

This is an awesome miniseries with a great cast, excellent music score, outstanding production and while it takes a different path from the original prose novel, don't be mistaken since the TV adaptation gives everything you want to watch, with romance, political intrigue, family issues, cultural topics, and making finances something really cool to enjoy.

We all know the wonderful Pierce Brosnan as agent 007 of her Majesty's Secret Service. Perhaps no actor has grasped Bond as well as Brosnan, excluding the magnificent and underrated George Lazenby.

In "Noble House" Brosnan has not fully developed his current brilliant acting "chops" but his performance is a tour de force nonetheless. His portrayal of Ian Dunross, the new "taipan", is nothing short of astouning. Dunross is a formidable character both in and out of the boardroom, and bedroom for that matter as the dazzling Deborah Raffin learns later on (Casey). With an elegant arch of an eyebrow Brosnan conveys more emotion and feeling than most actors dream of in a career. Most impressive is Brosnan's golf swing on the links.

Speaking of Links, Linc Bartlett is one of the more enjoyable characters to grace the silver screen as he romances the devishly seductive Claudia Chen. Hong Kong has not seen fireworks like this since the British gained control of the economy.

Perhaps the most pleasant surprise is the work of Gordon Armstrong as gruff Superintendent Jackson, a gruff Scotland veteran who has seen too many capers to know that in high stakes market of Hong Kong, a big gain is usually followed by a huge loss in human life.

Ooh I almost forgot the magnificent work of the always captivating John Rhys Davies who commands the screen like a Roman General, and I quote "The Ho-Pak, a smaller bank....let me offer you a chance to see how the market works, Casey....."

Noble House is an instant classic that ages as well as the incomprehensible Brosnan. KUDOS TO THE ENTIRE CAST!!

An excellent adaptation of Clavell's epic novel. True, the story told in the mini-series deviates that told in the the novel, but the changes make the mini-series much more accessible to a general audience (Clavell often rambles on about the nuances of Communist espionage which was likely far more pertinent and interesting when he was writing in the 1960s.). While the whole package consists of three maxed out VHS tapes, the fast pace of the story combined with the well-crafted romantic sub-plots (something lacking in the novel) keep you riveted and hardly wanting to take the time to rewind the tapes. In general, some of the acting performances are a bit rough, particularly from the female roles – which is likely due to the fact that the series was never meant to be scrutinized by dorks on the internet (i.e., it's just a mini-series, we're not talking Oscar material!). However, the solid performances by Pierce Brosnan, John Rhys-Davies and Ben Masters (as the classic-80s millionaire playboy) more than make up for it. Overall, Noble House is immensely engaging and, due to the on-location shooting in the Pearl River delta, a great opportunity to take an armchair vacation to Hong Kong in its 1980s heyday.

It would really be about time to get the mini-series out. We ourselves still have an old VHS version which is starting to break. One would have supposed that simply Brosnans career as Bond would have brought out most of his old "filmography".

I wonder how many of us there are who would sacrifice some of over earthly belongings and hard owned mammon in order to get a DVD version of Nobel House. I presume we should be numerous enough to form a market. I wonder who is making choices about the release now? I did previously follow some link, which eventually gave a possibility to show ones interest in the movie in order for it to be released, but that was some years ago and nothing has still happened. Odd.