The Windsor Protocol (June 20/00)

I'm not even going to bother trying to explain the plot of The Windsor Protocol; it's impossibly complicated. I can tell you that it has something to do with a list that Hitler created concerning the possible re-unification of the Nazi party and that Kyle MacLachlan plays British secret agent Sean Dillon, charged with the task of hunting down the list and ensuring it doesn't fall into the wrong hands. Well, what do you know. . .turns out I understood the film better than I thought.

Now, I should mention that this is actually a sequel to another Sean Dillon movie called Thunder Point. And I should also say that I saw this first (accidentally, you see), which likely explains much of my confusion during the movie. That film (Thunder Point) is essentially all set-up for this movie. Would I have enjoyed The Windsor Protocol more had I actually watched it after Thunder Point? Probably - but I didn't, so here comes my biased review.

Kyle MacLachlan, a great, underrated actor, plays Sean Dillon as the consummate tough guy; he smokes, he fights, he grunts, and he's good with the ladies. MacLachlan pulls this off and indeed, he's the only reason to watch this movie. Known for playing wimps and nice guys, the character of Sean Dillon is completely different than anything he's done before, and he really has a good time with the performance.

The movie itself, while constantly entertaining, is cheap looking and filled with dialogue so cliched you'll wonder if the script was original or if it was assembled from various other movies of this ilk. The supporting actors are also poor, but compared to the gleefully charismatic MacLachlan performance, it would be hard for most actors to hold their own.

The Windsor Protocol doesn't break any new ground, but strictly as a genre piece, it gets the job done.