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A Prayer For The Dying Details

1987 Certificate 15
  • Rated:
  • 60
  • from 432 members

Martin Fallon is an IRA bomber who tries to blow up a troop truck but instead kills a bus load of school children Read more

Starring Mickey Rourke, Bob Hoskins, Alan Bates, Liam Neeson
Director Mike Hodges
Genres Action/Adventure, Drama, Thriller

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A Prayer For The Dying cover art

A Prayer For The Dying

Martin Fallon is an IRA bomber who tries to blow up a troop truck but instead kills a bus load of school children

Starring Mickey Rourke, Bob Hoskins, Alan Bates, Liam Neeson, Sammi Davis, Christopher Fulford, Leonard Termo, Camille Coduri
Director Mike Hodges
Studio MGM ENTERTAINMENT
Run time DVD: 1 hr 43 mins
Certificate Certificate 15
Genres Action/Adventure, Drama, Thriller
Language DVD: English
Dubbed French, German, Italian, Spanish
Hearing-impaired English, German
Subtitles DVD: Dutch, French, Italian
Released DVD: 23 May 2005
Production year: 1987
Format DVD

  • Critics' reviews (3) of A Prayer For The Dying

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  • 3 stars out of 5

    Sadly, those involved in this political thriller could never decide what they wanted to make of Jack Higgins's novel about the moral dilemma of a priest unable to shop an IRA terrorist because he has identified himself in the confessional. Director Franc Roddam left the project before shooting began, allegedly because he saw it as an “Irish Rambo”. He was replaced at short notice by Mike Hodges, who disowned the released film. The end result works relatively well as a fast-paced action adventure, but it is certainly shallow and melodramatic, and Bob Hoskins is hard to take as the priest. As the terrorist, Mickey Rourke was also unpopular, though his Belfast accent isn't at all bad.

    • Radio Times
    • Posted 29 Jan 2006

  • It would be nice to say that Hodges' movie about an IRA man - chopped about by other hands, laden with opprobrium after... read more on Time Out

    • Time Out
    • Posted 04 Nov 2008

  • Most helpful member's review of A Prayer For The Dying

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  • 3 out of 3 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 5 stars

    Plot Summary for A Prayer For The Dying

    Martin Fallon is an IRA bomber who tries to blow up a troop truck but instead kills a bus load of school children. He loses heart and quits the movement and goes to London trying to leave the U.K. and start a new life. The IRA wants him back (he knows too much) and the local crime boss, Meehan, will only help him if he performs one last hit, on a rival crime boss. When Fallon does perform the hit, he is seen by a catholic priest. He refuses to kill an innocent again and must find a way to escape the police without killing the priest who can identify him

    SUMMARY

    Based on the Jack Higgins novel of the same name, A Prayer for the Dying follows an IRA hitman (Rourke) who has seen enough and wants to come clean. Chased the cops and the IRA as well as a notorious gangster, Rourke (as Martin Fallon) has to protect a priest who he has implicated in a murder. While some of the supporting actors aren't the most impressive, I think that this is Rourke's best work. He plays a man with a haunted past who wants desperately to put an end to the cycle of violence that has followed him for years.

      • A customer from SHEFFIELD
      • Posted 11 May 2005 06:46

  • Most recent members' review of A Prayer For The Dying

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  • 1 out of 1 person found this review helpful

    Rated - 3 stars

    Suspence and action

    Killer messess up big time and tries to pack in the killing for the IRA but as per usual with gangsters killing is for life not just for christmas.

    Will the British government get him or will the IRA get him, who can he turn to, who can he trust? Who can trust him, should anyone trust him, should anyone help him?

    Watch it and enjoy.

      • Paul Wright from TEESSIDE, England
      • Posted 20 Nov 2005 14:07

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Rating breakdown

432 Member ratings
  • 100
34
  • 90
28
  • 80
52
  • 70
56
  • 60
109
  • 50
57
  • 40
41
  • 30
28
  • 20
19
  • 10
8

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      • Martin Fallon is an IRA bomber who tries to blow up a troop truck but instead kills a bus load of school ...