MovieChat Forums > Sweeney 2 Discussion > Pointless scenes: Malta and the 'burm'

Pointless scenes: Malta and the 'burm'

posted 17 years ago by hugh1971
7 replies | jump to latest

What was all that guff with the grey haired bloke with a 'burm' (bomb) in a hotel room? I didn't have a clue what was going on and thought I must have missed a vital plot detail. With all the various branches of the police arriving it reminded me of the end of the Dad's Army film, where the navy, army, air force and ARP all argue over who's in charge.

The Maltese scenes were totally wasted. Why bother to send cast and crew all that way, and just film a few shots round a pool and in an airport (which could have been done on the back lot of Pinewood) and the rest padded out with stock footage. Malta has some spectacular architecture and scenery and this could have been incorporated in the plot - a car chase round Valetta perhaps...

[–] DBloodnok 16 years ago

Totally agree - the whole 'burm' sequence left me non-plussed.

Who had planted the bomb and why?
Why was a Frenchman from Beirut in the hotel and disarming it?
Why did he call the hotel switchboard to discuss 'burm' disarming?
And would half of Scotland Yard be pissing it up in the bar of a hotel containing such a 'burm'?

"Someone has been tampering with Hank's memories."

[–] 16 years ago

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[–] DBloodnok 16 years ago

An interesting take, old chap; I do think Regan's line when TSG turns up is priceless:

We're going to discuss this over a large Jack Daniels

"Someone has been tampering with Hank's memories."

[–] 16 years ago

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[–] hugh1971 16 years ago

LOL it was also a great period piece. If today a bunch of policeman, soldiers etc turned up at a bomb scare and started drinking and smoking, they would be considered bigger criminals than the terrorists...

[–] wideopenspace7 12 years ago

According to a Sweeney book I have, the cast were given a holiday to Malta. Hence the scenes over there!

[–] eggman75 10 years ago

I always thought that these scenes were just used to bulk out the running time, especially the Malta sequence. But watching it again the scene in the hotel Regan is given info about the "Purdy Blags" by a Scottish Policeman where he hints that Regans former Boss was paid to pin some of the blags on another villain,Hendersby. We then see Regan take this info to his old Guvnor, Jubb at the Scrubs, informing him that Hendersby is getting transfered to the same prison. Jubb then offers Regan the names and where abouts of the suspects in exchange Regan will keep Hendersby away from him. That's the way I remember it anyway, I could be wrong. Love this film though