Plot Details: This opinion reveals major details about the movie's plot.

From novelist James Clavell, creator of Shogun and Tai Pan, comes Noble House, a splendid addition to his already-formidable works list. Based upon his novel of the same name, the theme of Noble House centers around big business practices in Asia, particularly Hong Kong, where the British grip on society is strongly evident. I thoroughly enjoyed the nearly 6 hour original mini-series (though, as I understand, some versions have been drastically reduced in length), and if you like good acting and a tightly wound tale of the dark side of the Asian trading biz, you will too.

Plot: Tai-Pan; it means "Supreme Ruler" in Cantonese. In the 20th century, it was the title given to the most powerful business heads in Hong Kong, and for Ian Dunross (Pierce Brosnan), it was time to be passed the heavy torch of the Noble House.. on a dark and stormy night, by retiring Tai-Pan Alastair Struan (Denholm Elliot), an envious (and angry) blood-relative.

Dunross wastes no time in asserting his authority over the Noble House, but knows full well the responsibilities that the job entails. For instance, much of his competition comes early on from long-time rival and "fellow" Tai-Pan, Quillan Gornt (John Rhys-Davies), another powerful businessman residing in Hong Kong, who wants to take Dunross down any way that he can in his eagerness to seize the reigns of the Noble House.

Gornt is one of those antagonists that is generally likable, but also very shady and unpredictable. He continuously attempts to turn the deck in his favor by means of manipulation of not only the business system (including the stock market), but also of those Dunross has reason to trust otherwise. However, Gornt's are by far not the only set of eyes roaming over the Noble House. Two American tycoons, Casey Tcholok (Deborah Raffin) and Lincoln Bartlett (Ben Masters) feel that the time is right for the plucking, and come to Hong Kong with intentions of pulling the rug out from Dunross (man, everyone's after what this guy's got). No easy feat, I assure you.

Even further adding to Ian Dunross' problems are the kidnapping of the son of one of the Noble Houses' #1 patrons (played by Burt Kwouk), by a gang of pirates out to receive recognition and a long overdue favor from the Noble House, at any cause. It's exciting, even amusing, to witness how Dunross juggles each dilemma in turn, yet keeping them all in the air at once.

Speaking of excitement, the plot and storyline are provided with hazardous obstacles along the way, such as a massive land slide that eventually kills some of the major characters in the film, and a party boat that is mistakenly set aflame quite far off the coast, transforming it into a ball of fire and forcing it's guests, including Dunross and Gornt, to dive overboard at their own peril. If political situations make for interesting viewing to you, there is plenty of that as well, to say nothing of a few amazing mysteries that are solved near the end of the script.

Acting: The acting in Noble House is outstanding! You will almost undoubtedly become attached to these characters, whether it is due to Brosnan's tight-lipped, hard-hearted portrayal of Ian Dunross, Deborah Raffin's happy-go-lucky con-woman, Tcholok, or Rhys-Davies' clever yet surprisingly sensitive competition to Dunross' company.

Brosnan himself is just as a business warlord should be, not in the frame of mind to take crap from anyone under him in the chain of command (which, coincidentally, is just about everyone), even if his position is a different matter altogether. This role of his reminded me of the character he played in The Fourth Protocol, only not physically violent.. simply very formal and expressionless, for the most part (until he gets to know Tcholok better). The supporting cast only assists in carrying Noble House beyond the barrier of excellence.

Script: James Clevall himself had a hand in scripting the film version of Noble House, so it should come as little surprise that the dialogue and underlying themes from the novel remain intact, and splendidly so, as the novel was an exhilarating read itself. The dialogue and character interaction (and depth) are far above average, but like most movies, there is no point where you say to yourself, Hey this movie is flawless, it should have won an Oscar or something. For starters, it was a TV movie and it was also not perfect. It is simply a very good movie that despite it's length, I feel the urge to watch again and again.

It's not every day you can sit through a 6 hour film, much less end up wanting more. In comparison to a few other 6 hour mini-series' that I've seen (notably Stephen King's "The Stand"), Noble House is the cream of the crop, and does nothing to disappoint. Whether the time is worth it or not to you is your decision (besides, there's always the 3 hour version). I am only recommending it with two thumbs up. If I had more, I'd use them.

Recommended: Yes

Viewing Format: VHS
Video Occasion: Good for a Rainy Day
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older
Special Effects: Well at least you can't see the strings